A. Objective 1: Improve the level of knowledge, awareness, and understanding of pest management practices.

A1. Production of Crop Profiles
 
 Yr 1 Proposed:
  Complete apple or carrot.

 Yr 1 Accomplished:   
UD extension specialists determined that wheat was a more critical commodity in Delaware than apple or carrot.  The Crop Profile for Wheat in Delaware, was completed, submitted to USDA/CSREES Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) and posted at:  http://pestdata.ncsu.edu/cropprofiles/docs/DEWheat.html in April, 2002.  

 Yr 2 Proposed:
  A second crop profile will be written and submitted by February 2003.  The UD IPM Coordinator will choose from the following commodities; apple, carrot, or green pepper.

 Yr 2 Accomplished:
  The UD  Extension specialists, Joanne Whalen, Mark VanGessel, and Bob Mulrooney, were surveyed for crop profile commodity preferences.  It was determined that apples would be the second crop profile.  The New Jersey apple crop profile was routed to all three.  The section on vertebrate pests was sent to the UD Wildlife Ecologist, Jake Bowman, for revision.  All authors were asked to prepare text by mid-January.

  Because of the possibility of joining Pennsylvania in a Pest Management Strategic Plan on mushrooms, a draft Crop Profile for Mushroom in Delaware was transmitted for editing to Dr. Cliff Keil, Associate Professor of Entomology.  
 
 Yr 2 to Complete:
  The apple crop profile will be written and transmitted to the NE Pest Management Center and USDA/ Office of Pest Management Policy by February, 2003.

A2. Development of Pest Management Strategic Plans 

 Yr 2 Proposed:
  A Strategic Pest Management Plan on Lima Beans in Delaware will be written by February, 2003.

 Yr 2 Accomplished:
  The objective to write a lima bean PMSP was postponed due to lack of funding.

  In the spring of 2002, Dr. Kerry Richards, Pennsylvania State University, announced plans to write a PMSP on mushrooms.  Because mushrooms are a major commodity in Delaware, Whitney asked to join the project.  On April 9, 2002, an organizational committee meeting was convened and chaired by Richards.  The meeting was held at the University of Delaware and attended by David Byer, PSU Extension Agent; Keil, and Whitney.  The committee decided to include specialty mushrooms in the PMSP and to invite California to join in writing the plan.  A list of participants was prepared which included growers, suppliers, processors, packers, distributors, pest control operators, and consultants.  Representatives from the American Mushroom Institute, IR-4, USDA, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the chemical industry were added to the list.  Extension specialists from Agricultural Engineering, Food Science, Entomology and Crop Science were selected.  Growers were chosen from both large and small operations to ensure a balanced mix.  Organic growers were included as well as traditional operations. The workshop was set for mid-September, 2002 in Kennett Square, PA, the heart of mushroom production.  The Workshop, however, was postponed.  At this time, an alternative date has not been chosen. 

   In October, 2002, Whitney secured an EPA Region 3 Environmental Protection Consolidated Research grant for $4,753 to fund a 2-day PMSP Workshop for lima beans in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey.  This grant was written in cooperation with the Information Network Project Leaders in Maryland and New Jersey.  On October 14, Whitney met in Georgetown, DE with the Workshop Organizing Committee: Whalen; Ed Kee, Extension Vegetable Specialist; and Vangessel.  The Organizing Committee outlined the Workshop and prepared an invitation list using the check list provided by USDA/ OPMP.  Whitney obtained a list of invitees from New Jersey and Maryland. The Organizing Committee, in consultation with Maryland and New Jersey, set the Workshop date for January 22-23, 2003.  Whitney secured a centrally located meeting site for the Workshop at the Delaware State Fair Grounds in Harrington, DE and she secured John Ayers and Jim Van Kirk as facilitators.  She invited Edith Lurvey, IR-4 Northeast Regional Field Coordinator, to attend as an observer.  Lurvey accepted.  A letter of invitation was sent to Workshop participants in November.

  In addition, two IPM/ Discussion "stakeholder" meetings composed of spinach and pickle growers, consultants, and processors have been scheduled.  Whalen and Kee, will convene the meetings and lead discussion.  The Spinach meeting is scheduled for December 13, 2002 in Milford, DE.  The pickle meeting is scheduled to be held in conjunction with the annual Vegetable Growers Meeting on January 10, 2003 in Harrington DE.  These meetings will lay the groundwork for future Pest Management Strategic Plans.

 Yr 2 to Complete:
  Whitney will write the draft lima bean PMSP using the Crop Profile for Beans (Lima) in Delaware.  She will route it to the Organizing Committee for edit and conduct the workshop on January 22-23, 2003.  

  Whitney will attend the Spinach Growers IPM/Discussion meeting on December 13, 2002 and the Pickle Growers IPM/Discussion meeting on January 10, 2003. 

B. Objective 2: Encouragement of informed decision-making through partnerships and collaborations.

B1. Establishment of an Advisory Committee

 Yr 2 Proposed:
  The next meeting of the committee will be December, 2002.

 Yr 2 Accomplished:
  The Information Network Advisory Committee was restructured to include new members and omit others.  Key new members are Dr. Bruce Richards and Ms Nancy Pettit.  Richards, Executive Director of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, will provide a perspective on environmental protection.  Pettit, Secretary of the Delaware Food & Farming Association and Market Coordinator with the Delaware Department of Agriculture, will bring an organic farming perspective to the Advisory Committee.  She and her husband operate Delmarvelous Farms, producers of organic Chestnuts. 

  The 2002 meeting was held on November 26 at the Kent County Extension Office.  An initial  letter announcing the meeting and a follow up letter with an agenda were sent to the 19 Committee members.  The Committee recommended:
 • An Advisory Committee should be established for the Mid-Atlantic Information Network to solidify the five states in the region.
 • Pesticide Safety Education sessions (formerly Pesticide Applicator Training) should include an on-line lesson in how to use the “Pesticide Briefs” web page.
 • Whitney should print a post card with directions for getting on the e-mail list for notification of new postings of “Pesticide Briefs.”  Whitney should provide extension staff and the Delaware Department of Agriculture with a supply of the post card.  The post card should be distributed at grower meetings and added to pesticide applicator mailings made by the Department of Agriculture.
 • Key members of commodity groups should be added to the e-mail list for notification of new postings of “Pesticide Briefs.”
 • Articles on the “Pesticide Briefs” home page should be grouped by category and placed under descriptive headings.  Titles of articles should be more descriptive.  A category, “Local Scene,” should be added to complement the national news.  Decisions of the Information Network Advisory Committee could be included in the Local Scene category.

  The Committee discussed the following commodities for future Crop Profiles and Pest Management Strategic Plans:  green peppers; carrots; cucumbers and pickles; greens; strawberries; watermelon, cantaloupe and pumpkin; soybeans; and dry beans. 

B2. Coordination and Communication With Allied Programs

 Yr 2 Proposed:
  The Delaware Information Network will maintain coordination with the IPM Program, PAT, IR-4, Delaware Department of Agriculture, as well as Information Networks in other states in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Each state agreed to link to the other states’ web sites.
   
 Yr 2 Accomplished:
  Whitney met formally with Whalen on 4/15/02 and 10/14/02 to plan the PMSP for Lima Beans.  Whitney is the DE PAT Coordinator and she attended the NE Tri-Agency meeting 7/14-17/02 in Portland ME.  Whitney is the DE IR-4 Liaison and she attended the IR-4 Annual meeting 10/11/02 in Arlington VA where she secured Lurvey as a speaker at the November 26 Advisory Committee meeting and as an observer for the Lima Bean PMSP Workshop.  Whitney met with staff of the Delaware Department of Agriculture in an informational meeting on 8/13/02 to discuss organic farming, drinking water contamination, changes in pesticide registrations, and recent legal action against pesticide applicators.   

  The Delaware Information Network has continued to coordinate its activities with Mid-Atlantic partners New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, and New York.  Whitney created a web page (http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/midatlantic.htm ) for Delaware that provides links to the other states in the Mid-Atlantic Information Network.

  NJinPAS Project Leader George Hamilton agreed to coordinate the five states in the Region.  To facilitate project communication, NJinPAS set up a closed listserv for the Mid-Atlantic Information Network for Pesticides & Alternative Strategies (MAinPAS) as ‘MAinPAS Partners’ in March 2002.   During this reporting period, members have used the MAinPAS Partners listserv to transmit meeting minutes; announce and coordinate pesticide surveys, crop profiles, and pest management strategy plans; as well as announce the monthly release of State newsletters like Delaware’s ‘Pesticide Briefs’ and Maryland’s ‘Pesticide Notes’.

  Coordination has also included the set up of a home page for MAINPAS @ http://www.pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/NJinPAS../pesticideRegistration/MAINPAShome.htm .  NJinPAS initially setup Section 18 and 24C web pages for each State with data from EPA’s online database in March of 2002.  Members have since opted to limit the scope of the MAinPAS web pages to providing links to different programs available from MAinPAS partners, and posting each State’s Section 18 exemptions.  

  MAinPAS Project Leaders met twice to update each other on progress and upcoming projects of their respective information networks.  The first meeting was at the NE PMC Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD in March, 2002.  At that time, members of the Mid-Atlantic Information Network held a meeting to discuss cooperation across state lines.  The second meeting was after the TriAgency Meeting on 7/17/02 in Portland ME.  The minutes show that each state gave a brief progress report.  Project Leaders discussed projections for crop profiles (Delaware, Maryland, New York, West Virginia, and New Jersey) and Pest Management Strategic Plans (New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia).  Arrangements have been made for the release of the crop profiles and PMSPs to all interested MAinPAS members.  George Good distributed copies of the Crop Profile on Nursery Ornamentals.  Whitney secured a review of the Profile by Susan Barton, UD Extension Specialist for Horticulture.  NJinPAS Project Leader Dr. George Hamilton made arrangements for Rutgers Cooperative Extension Specialists Dr. James Lashomb (Specialist in Ornamental Entomology) and Dr. Ann Gould (Extension Specialist in Ornamental Plant Pathology), to review and assist in the development of the Crop Profile for Nursery Ornamentals. 

  Finally, Project Leaders made plans for creating a regional Lima Bean Pest Management Strategic Plan developed by cooperators from Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. A meeting is planned at the Delaware State Fairgrounds for January 22- 23, 2003.  Delaware Project Leader Susan Whitney is coordinating the regional plan.

B3. Development and Maintenance of Links Between Federal Partners and Stakeholders

 Yr 1 and 2 Proposed:
  Links will be established between federal partners and agricultural researchers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders.

 Yr 1 and 2 Accomplished:
  Links have been established between federal partners and agricultural researchers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders so that information on pest management practices can be made available to federal partners in a timely manner in response to issues raised by FQPA or other regulatory decisions.  The Delaware Pesticide Information web site ( http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/links.htm ) provides links to several federal and state partners.  Links to Delaware Extension professionals for federal partners can be found at: http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/midatlantic.htm and http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/contacts.htm.
 
  Requests for information on pesticide use in Delaware were routed by Whitney to extension staff.  Information was provided to federal agencies on diazinon, endosulfan, lindane, methyl parathion, Nemacur, and corn seed treatments, 

C.   Objective 3: Enhancement of the Productivity and Global Competitiveness of the US Agricultural Production System.

C1. Development and Maintenance of Timely and Effective Methods to Communicate Pest Management Information to Stakeholders

 Yr 1 and 2 Proposed:
  News articles will be published to the Delaware Pesticide Information web site.  Announcement of such articles and the URL will be sent electronically to a mailing list.  

 Yr 1 and 2 Accomplished:
  The Delaware Pesticide Information Home Page  http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/  has a link to the “Pesticide Briefs” Newsletter, http://www.udel.edu../pesticide/briefs.htm .  E-mail announcements of new postings are sent to the pesticide-user community in Delaware.  Pesticide Briefs were posted on 2/13/02, 4/3/02, 5/10/02, 6/25/02, 7/31/02, and 10/01/02. 

  The editor of the extension newsletter, “The Weekly Crop Up Date,” and the editor of the “Ornamental Hotline” newsletter use articles from Pesticide Briefs in their newsletters.  Extension agents are encouraged to use this information in presentations and one-on-one communications with clientele. The Pesticide Briefs web site has an e-mail link to Whitney for those who wish to have their name added to the e-mail list to receive notifications of new postings.