Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.
Integrated Pest Management Systems (Bernalillo County)
Plan Goals
To provide education about, and advice based on, solid IPM principles, including proper plant selection and care, accurate pest identification, and appropriate control measures.
- Owner
- Related Plans
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Integrated Pest Management Systems
Impact Reports
Even though there is a strong and growing interest in taking a “green” approach to general lifestyle questions, the overuse of (and over-reliance on) chemical pesticide solutions results in a considerable amount of mis-applied toxic material in the landscape every year. The agent tries very diligently to teach an IPM approach to pest management in his dealings with the general public and the commercial operators.
Agent works with a number of local and regional landscape maintenance firms and public institutions, helping them identify damaging insects and diseases, and helping them understand the underlying environmental conditions that may be contributing to the severity of expression. Agent has worked with TruGreen Chemlawn, Waterwise Landscapes, Tree Sculptors, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque BioPark, Scientific Tree Care, Craig Pest Control, Expo New Mexico, HeadsUp Landscaping, City of Albuquerque Parks Division, Arca Organics, A-Ron’s Pest Control, Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning, Baca’s Trees, and many, many others. Consultations usually result in accurate identification of casual organisms and/or conditions, and recommendations to alleviate conditions and control organisms. Agent has not developed formal evaluation document for these people to use to provide feedback, but judging from the number of repeat callers and the number of referred callers, agent has become seen as a reliable expert to this industry.
The Master Gardener trainings emphasize many of the same concepts. Interns are taught about good plant selection, appropriate care, and the intricacies involved in accurately identifying organisms that may or may not be pests. We teach them to recommend holistic approaches to landscape problems, which may or may not involve the use of pesticide materials. This season, our class numbered almost sixty new interns. We administer a pre- and post-class knowledge survey, and see an average increase in knowledge, as captured by the survey, from 64% correct to 81% correct. As many of these questions deal with the underlying factors affecting pest pressures, as well as with common pests themselves, it gives up a good indication that our training is working well to inform the Master Gardeners, who in turn communicate with thousands of area residents every year. Presentations that agent developed and presented for the 2009 Master Gardener series that related to IPM include: Basic Soil Science; I.P.M. and Pesticide Safety; Plant Identification; Weeds of Albuquerque; and Basic Arboriculture.
Agent fields from five to fifteen calls per day, on average, during the busy season (April through August). Of these, a good number have to do with pest control questions. These are mostly landscape issues, but agent will take calls related to indoor pests as well. On the majority of these types of calls, agent is able to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and suggest both fundamental corrections to the plants’ environment, and where appropriate, chemical control recommendations. Often these latter fall along the line of NOT using a given chemical or pest service, as the use would not be appropriate. Agent has saved homeowners many thousands of dollars in un-necessary pesticide applications, and reduced environmental contamination due to pesticide overuse in the process.
In addition to calls and walk-in clients, agent goes out on field visits quite frequently. Many of these site visits are to individual homeowners, but also include commercial and institutional sites. While this takes some time per client, it also provides the client with the absolute best information. These clients become some of Extension’s best advertisers, a situation which leads to ever more calls.
For most of the clients, changes in knowledge occur at a very basic level. They come to agent knowing very little about a situation, or knowing incorrect information. The new knowledge they go away with should cause many changes in their behavior as it relates to pest control. For some, this change is seen in how they view arthropods in the environment in general (with a strong move away from, “if it moves, it’s bad and must be killed”); for others, it is new information on an existing problem that expands their ability to take actions that will have the desired results. With some of the more experienced clients, be they landscape professionals or life-long gardeners, changes are more subtle and often consist of fitting in a missing piece of the puzzle. These clients would not report as dramatic a change in knowledge or behavior, but the changes they do make certainly result in positive impacts in their efforts.
Many people still consider IPM to be a way to set up a spray program. Knowing that applying control materials is the last resort in a good IPM approach, agent spends much of his effort at the front end: pushing for good species selection, proper planting and irrigation, and ongoing monitoring coupled with patience.
Agent works with a number of local and regional landscape maintenance firms and public institutions, helping them identify damaging insects and diseases, and helping them understand the underlying environmental conditions that may be contributing to the severity of expression. Agent has worked with TruGreen Chemlawn, Waterwise Landscapes, Tree Sculptors, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque BioPark, Scientific Tree Care, Craig Pest Control, Expo New Mexico, HeadsUp Landscaping, City of Albuquerque Parks Division, Arca Organics, A-Ron’s Pest Control, Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning, Baca’s Trees, and many, many others. Consultations usually result in accurate identification of casual organisms and/or conditions, and recommendations to alleviate conditions and control organisms. Agent has not developed formal evaluation document for these people to use to provide feedback, but judging from the number of repeat callers and the number of referred callers, agent has become seen as a reliable expert to this industry.
The Master Gardener trainings emphasize many of the same concepts. Interns are taught about good plant selection, appropriate care, and the intricacies involved in accurately identifying organisms that may or may not be pests. We teach them to recommend holistic approaches to landscape problems, which may or may not involve the use of pesticide materials. This season, our class numbered almost sixty new interns. We administer a pre- and post-class knowledge survey, and see an average increase in knowledge, as captured by the survey, from 64% correct to 81% correct. As many of these questions deal with the underlying factors affecting pest pressures, as well as with common pests themselves, it gives up a good indication that our training is working well to inform the Master Gardeners, who in turn communicate with thousands of area residents every year. Presentations that agent developed and presented for the 2009 Master Gardener series that related to IPM include: Basic Soil Science; I.P.M. and Pesticide Safety; Plant Identification; Weeds of Albuquerque; and Basic Arboriculture.
Agent fields from five to fifteen calls per day, on average, during the busy season (April through August). Of these, a good number have to do with pest control questions. These are mostly landscape issues, but agent will take calls related to indoor pests as well. On the majority of these types of calls, agent is able to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and suggest both fundamental corrections to the plants’ environment, and where appropriate, chemical control recommendations. Often these latter fall along the line of NOT using a given chemical or pest service, as the use would not be appropriate. Agent has saved homeowners many thousands of dollars in un-necessary pesticide applications, and reduced environmental contamination due to pesticide overuse in the process.
In addition to calls and walk-in clients, agent goes out on field visits quite frequently. Many of these site visits are to individual homeowners, but also include commercial and institutional sites. While this takes some time per client, it also provides the client with the absolute best information. These clients become some of Extension’s best advertisers, a situation which leads to ever more calls.
For most of the clients, changes in knowledge occur at a very basic level. They come to agent knowing very little about a situation, or knowing incorrect information. The new knowledge they go away with should cause many changes in their behavior as it relates to pest control. For some, this change is seen in how they view arthropods in the environment in general (with a strong move away from, “if it moves, it’s bad and must be killed”); for others, it is new information on an existing problem that expands their ability to take actions that will have the desired results. With some of the more experienced clients, be they landscape professionals or life-long gardeners, changes are more subtle and often consist of fitting in a missing piece of the puzzle. These clients would not report as dramatic a change in knowledge or behavior, but the changes they do make certainly result in positive impacts in their efforts.
Many people still consider IPM to be a way to set up a spray program. Knowing that applying control materials is the last resort in a good IPM approach, agent spends much of his effort at the front end: pushing for good species selection, proper planting and irrigation, and ongoing monitoring coupled with patience.
IMPACT REPORT FOR 2008
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
DR. CAROL SUTHERLAND, EXTENSION ENTOMOLOGIST, NMSU &
STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, NM DEPT. AGRICULTURE
“Integrated pest management” ---as it pertains to entomology---is an appealing but challenging concept for Master Gardeners, Pesticide Applicators, farmers, ranchers and the general public throughout New Mexico. Most untrained audiences initially consider arthropods as general pests, coming out of nowhere, causing damage and requiring immediate and complete control. Educational programs I create for these various audiences are aimed at demystifying insects, arachnids and their relatives, explaining their various roles in nature, distributions, damaging stages (if any), host ranges, interactions with other arthropods and how different plant management practices, not just insecticides, can impact their populations.
In 2007-2008, I presented basic entomology and IPM classes and displays of specimens to 330 Master Gardeners in 11 classes in 8 counties with shorter versions for 53 people in general gardening audiences in 4 counties. The latter were firsts for residents of these underserved, rural counties including 3 audiences in one county on the Navajo Nation. In each class clientele self-reported that they learned to distinguish at least 10 common arthropods they could encounter in garden or landscape situations plus some details on life cycles, damaging stages or applicable plant management strategies, not just insecticides, that they could use to mitigate pest damage. At the end of each class, clientele frequently commented they were previously unaware of how interesting and complicated applied entomology could be; they appreciated the more in-depth approach to arthropod control through IPM methodology. Follow-up classes on safe use of (all) pesticides by County agents taught clientele the advantages and disadvantages of pesticide use for managing their gardens and landscapes; reading the label before purchase or use is most important, providing the consumer with critical site/pest combinations, directions for mixing, application and storage plus safety precautions. Master Gardeners and gardening class clientele learn the same requirements for conventional synthetic pesticides also apply to “organic” or “reduced risk” products which are increasingly popular.
This specialist responded to over 850 requests directly or indirectly through County Agents for insect (et al.) identification and control measures in 2007-08. Pesticide suggestions were made for at least 75% of these inquiries after editing lists of appropriate, currently registered materials retrieved from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. One Bernalillo County agent was confident that most clientele (over 1000 in 2007-08) were receptive to pest management information he provided; further, he was fairly certain that at least 80% used it to control their particular situations. Results similar to these are likely in other relatively urban parts of the state. Targeted, timely and accurate information like this from this specialist and cooperating agents saves clients from frustration, wasting resources and time, misidentifying their pest problem, over-reacting, over-applying products, applying the wrong products, incorrectly applying products, injuring non-target organisms, themselves and/or the environment.
Much of the same applies to Pesticide Applicator Training (PAT) classes with respect to IPM, basic and applied entomology and pest control practices. However, pesticide applicators attend class and study educational manuals, some of which I wrote, because they need to be licensed or maintain their licenses to purchase and use pesticides in New Mexico as part of their jobs or professions. In 2007-08, I trained or certified 375 PAT students or licensed applicators in 6 classes open to all New Mexicans. County Ag Agents in these 6 counties advertized and arranged these events for the general public and applied to NMDA for CEUs for licensees; in all cases, the CEUs awarded in these classes exceeded the minimums required for standard licensees to maintain their certifications and remain active in their jobs or professions. In recent years, the Ornamental and Turf Training has focused on 10 arthropods commonly encountered on turf and 10 more species often found on ornamentals. I wrote these fact sheets which are now part of the standard Category 3A Study Guide; they are also posted on the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory web site for public access. These PowerPoint programs, especially the one for licensees, are updated and upgraded annually; arthropod specimens are displayed, also.
Introducing youth and the general public to arthropods continues with 17 displays and 81 presentations to audiences from K-12 (and associated adults) in 2007-08. For about half of these audiences, these programs were their first opportunities to view insects “up close,” to hear more about unique arthropods in the displays and to host an entomologist or science specialist from an out-of-town university, NMSU. In addition, I prepared two large (14+ drawers) displays at the Southern New Mexico and Southwestern New Mexico Fairs for an estimated 8500 viewers over 6 days. Of these outreach efforts, 5 were to under-served or rural counties, including one county with only Navajo clientele. 4H programs have adopted both the “100 Common Insects of New Mexico” and the Curriculum (“Insects Rule the Earth”) written by Dr. David Richman and Carol Sutherland while Future Farmers of America have adopted “100 Common Insects…” and a machine-graded answer sheet tailored to the arthropod identification quiz given by us at their State convention and competition. In 2007-08, 121 youth (middle school or high school) participated in statewide 4H and FFA entomology competitions. I use both of these manuals plus a DVD that we produced in 1985 to teach two classes annually of NMSU’s AXED 485 class (12 students in 2007-08) for future teachers of agriculture and county agents. Outreach efforts like these and the competitions are used to interest students in arthropods, the sciences and, potentially, to become students at New Mexico State University.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
DR. CAROL SUTHERLAND, EXTENSION ENTOMOLOGIST, NMSU &
STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, NM DEPT. AGRICULTURE
“Integrated pest management” ---as it pertains to entomology---is an appealing but challenging concept for Master Gardeners, Pesticide Applicators, farmers, ranchers and the general public throughout New Mexico. Most untrained audiences initially consider arthropods as general pests, coming out of nowhere, causing damage and requiring immediate and complete control. Educational programs I create for these various audiences are aimed at demystifying insects, arachnids and their relatives, explaining their various roles in nature, distributions, damaging stages (if any), host ranges, interactions with other arthropods and how different plant management practices, not just insecticides, can impact their populations.
In 2007-2008, I presented basic entomology and IPM classes and displays of specimens to 330 Master Gardeners in 11 classes in 8 counties with shorter versions for 53 people in general gardening audiences in 4 counties. The latter were firsts for residents of these underserved, rural counties including 3 audiences in one county on the Navajo Nation. In each class clientele self-reported that they learned to distinguish at least 10 common arthropods they could encounter in garden or landscape situations plus some details on life cycles, damaging stages or applicable plant management strategies, not just insecticides, that they could use to mitigate pest damage. At the end of each class, clientele frequently commented they were previously unaware of how interesting and complicated applied entomology could be; they appreciated the more in-depth approach to arthropod control through IPM methodology. Follow-up classes on safe use of (all) pesticides by County agents taught clientele the advantages and disadvantages of pesticide use for managing their gardens and landscapes; reading the label before purchase or use is most important, providing the consumer with critical site/pest combinations, directions for mixing, application and storage plus safety precautions. Master Gardeners and gardening class clientele learn the same requirements for conventional synthetic pesticides also apply to “organic” or “reduced risk” products which are increasingly popular.
This specialist responded to over 850 requests directly or indirectly through County Agents for insect (et al.) identification and control measures in 2007-08. Pesticide suggestions were made for at least 75% of these inquiries after editing lists of appropriate, currently registered materials retrieved from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. One Bernalillo County agent was confident that most clientele (over 1000 in 2007-08) were receptive to pest management information he provided; further, he was fairly certain that at least 80% used it to control their particular situations. Results similar to these are likely in other relatively urban parts of the state. Targeted, timely and accurate information like this from this specialist and cooperating agents saves clients from frustration, wasting resources and time, misidentifying their pest problem, over-reacting, over-applying products, applying the wrong products, incorrectly applying products, injuring non-target organisms, themselves and/or the environment.
Much of the same applies to Pesticide Applicator Training (PAT) classes with respect to IPM, basic and applied entomology and pest control practices. However, pesticide applicators attend class and study educational manuals, some of which I wrote, because they need to be licensed or maintain their licenses to purchase and use pesticides in New Mexico as part of their jobs or professions. In 2007-08, I trained or certified 375 PAT students or licensed applicators in 6 classes open to all New Mexicans. County Ag Agents in these 6 counties advertized and arranged these events for the general public and applied to NMDA for CEUs for licensees; in all cases, the CEUs awarded in these classes exceeded the minimums required for standard licensees to maintain their certifications and remain active in their jobs or professions. In recent years, the Ornamental and Turf Training has focused on 10 arthropods commonly encountered on turf and 10 more species often found on ornamentals. I wrote these fact sheets which are now part of the standard Category 3A Study Guide; they are also posted on the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory web site for public access. These PowerPoint programs, especially the one for licensees, are updated and upgraded annually; arthropod specimens are displayed, also.
Introducing youth and the general public to arthropods continues with 17 displays and 81 presentations to audiences from K-12 (and associated adults) in 2007-08. For about half of these audiences, these programs were their first opportunities to view insects “up close,” to hear more about unique arthropods in the displays and to host an entomologist or science specialist from an out-of-town university, NMSU. In addition, I prepared two large (14+ drawers) displays at the Southern New Mexico and Southwestern New Mexico Fairs for an estimated 8500 viewers over 6 days. Of these outreach efforts, 5 were to under-served or rural counties, including one county with only Navajo clientele. 4H programs have adopted both the “100 Common Insects of New Mexico” and the Curriculum (“Insects Rule the Earth”) written by Dr. David Richman and Carol Sutherland while Future Farmers of America have adopted “100 Common Insects…” and a machine-graded answer sheet tailored to the arthropod identification quiz given by us at their State convention and competition. In 2007-08, 121 youth (middle school or high school) participated in statewide 4H and FFA entomology competitions. I use both of these manuals plus a DVD that we produced in 1985 to teach two classes annually of NMSU’s AXED 485 class (12 students in 2007-08) for future teachers of agriculture and county agents. Outreach efforts like these and the competitions are used to interest students in arthropods, the sciences and, potentially, to become students at New Mexico State University.
Homeowners and commercial properties use a tremendous amount of pesticide chemistry every year. Due to several factors, including lack of specific knowledge and a "more is better" philosophy, these uses account for a large proportion of mis-applied pesticides. People quickly reach for any number of pesticide products at the first sign of landscape problems (e.g. dead areas in turf lead to application of fungicides, prior to confirmation that a fungal problem exists and without correction of underlying environmental conditions allowing fungal growth to occur).
I work with a number of local and regional landscape maintenance firms and public institutions, helping them identify damaging insects and diseases, and helping them understand the underlying environmental conditions that may be contributing to the severity of expression. I have worked with TruGreen Chemlawn, Waterwise Landscapes, Tree Sculptors, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque BioPark, Scientific Tree Care, Craig Pest Control, Expo New Mexico, HeadsUp Landscaping, City of Albuquerque Parks Division, Arca Organics, A-Ron’s Pest Control, Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning, Baca’s Trees, and many, many others. Consultations usually result in accurate identification of casual organisms and/or conditions, and recommendations to alleviate conditions and control organisms. Agent has not developed formal evaluation document for these people to use to provide feedback, but judging from the number of repeat callers and the number of referred callers, I have become seen as a reliable expert to this industry.
In the Master Gardener trainings, I emphasize some of the same concepts. We teach interns about good plant selection, appropriate care, and the intricacies involved in accurately identifying organisms that may or may not be pests. We teach them to recommend holistic approaches to landscape problems, which may or may not involve the use of pesticide materials. This season, our class numbered almost sixty new interns. We administer a pre- and post-class knowledge survey, and see an average increase in knowledge, as captured by the survey, from 64% correct to 81% correct. As many of these questions deal with the underlying factors affecting pest pressures, as well as with common pests themselves, it gives up a good indication that our training is working well to inform the Master Gardeners, who in turn communicate with thousands of area residents every year.
Presentations that I developed and presented for the 2008 Master Gardener series that related to IPM include: Albuquerque Soils; What to do About Weeds; Common Weeds of the Albuquerque Area; Pests: Symptoms to Causes; Diseases: Symptoms to Causes; I.P.M.: Basic Principles and Concepts for Master Gardeners; and Master Gardener Diagnostic Process. Typical scores on Speaker Evaluation forms are 9 or 10 out of 10 in areas such as Scope, Usefulness, Organization, Content, Met Expectations. Typical answers to the question (from same Speaker Evaluation form), “What did you like most about the presentation and why?” include: “The speakers knowledge and enthusiasm + his ability to convey information clearly”, “Presenter is engaging and helpful; followed the written material”, “A lot of things I didn’t know”, “At appropriate level with good explanation of terminology”, “Content, enthusiasm made it even more interesting, he took questions comfortably and answered confidently”, “Energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, anecdotes, and humor – Great?!”, “Joran is a great speaker, mixing fact and anecdotes well”, “Very, very informative”.
I also field from five to fifteen calls per day, on average, during the busy season (April through August). Of these, a good number have to do with pest control questions. These are mostly landscape issues, but I will take calls related to indoor pests as well. On the majority of these types of calls, I am able to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and suggest both fundamental corrections to the plants’ environment, and where appropriate, chemical control recommendations. Often these latter fall along the line of NOT using a given chemical or pest service, as the use would not be appropriate. I have saved homeowners many thousands of dollars in un-necessary pesticide applications, and reduced environmental contamination due to pesticide overuse in the process.
In addition to calls and walk-in clients, I go out on field visits quite frequently. Many of these site visits are to individual homeowners, but also include commercial and institutional sites. While this takes some time per client, it also provides the client with the absolute best information I can, and I learn more in the process. These clients become some of Extension’s best advertisers, a situation which leads to ever more calls. A typical thank-you note from one of these clients reads as follows: “Sept 19, 2007; Dear Horticulture Agent Viers, This note is to thank you for your encyclopedic insight/research into recent pests in my new landscape. I had heard you were very helpful, and I completely concur! What a great service you offer, and a terrific example of our tax dollars at work! I hope I can contact you again if I have creatures I can’t identify. I going to look into the book you recommended and maybe that will help me stay out of your hair. Thank you again for your generous time and help. Barb Rowe, Bernalillo County Resident”.
For most of my clients, changes in knowledge occur at a very basic level. They come to me knowing very little about a situation, or knowing incorrect information. The new knowledge they go away with should cause many changes in their behavior as it relates to pest control. For some, this change is seen in how they view arthropods in the environment in general (with a strong move away from, “if it moves, it’s bad and must be killed”); for others, it is new information on an existing problem that expands their ability to take actions that will have the desired results. With some of the more experienced clients, be they landscape professionals or life-long gardeners, changes are more subtle and often consist of fitting in a missing piece of the puzzle. These clients would not report as dramatic a change in knowledge or behavior, but the changes they do make certainly result in positive impacts in their efforts.
In 2008, agent initiated a project consulting a condo owners association on their common landscape pest control program, after initial contact from one member who was going through chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and who in part because of this was concerned about the pest control approach that had been used (quarterly wholesale spraying of the landscape with broad-spectrum insecticides). Through several meetings, agent was able to initiate an innovative project working with the local office of a national chain not known for taking an IPM approach. By meeting with one of their staff on a monthly basis and actually walking the property to monitor conditions, agent has been able to save the owners considerable money, apply less pesticide to the environment, and target some specific problems at an appropriate time, while also teaching the landscape care staff person more about landscape pest issues. As this person is their lead “diagnostician”, her education during these visits is played out in landscapes across the county. Money saved on pesticide application is then being used to take care of other landscape issues, such as appropriate and timely tree pruning.
Many people still consider IPM to be a way to set up a spray program. Knowing that applying control materials is the last resort in a good IPM approach, I spend much of my effort at the front end: pushing for good species selection, proper planting and irrigation, and ongoing monitoring coupled with patience. This year, I again presented a Turf IPM topic at an Ornamental and Turf Pest Control workshop organized by colleagues, as I have done for the last few years.
I work with a number of local and regional landscape maintenance firms and public institutions, helping them identify damaging insects and diseases, and helping them understand the underlying environmental conditions that may be contributing to the severity of expression. I have worked with TruGreen Chemlawn, Waterwise Landscapes, Tree Sculptors, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque BioPark, Scientific Tree Care, Craig Pest Control, Expo New Mexico, HeadsUp Landscaping, City of Albuquerque Parks Division, Arca Organics, A-Ron’s Pest Control, Divine Earth Aesthetic Pruning, Baca’s Trees, and many, many others. Consultations usually result in accurate identification of casual organisms and/or conditions, and recommendations to alleviate conditions and control organisms. Agent has not developed formal evaluation document for these people to use to provide feedback, but judging from the number of repeat callers and the number of referred callers, I have become seen as a reliable expert to this industry.
In the Master Gardener trainings, I emphasize some of the same concepts. We teach interns about good plant selection, appropriate care, and the intricacies involved in accurately identifying organisms that may or may not be pests. We teach them to recommend holistic approaches to landscape problems, which may or may not involve the use of pesticide materials. This season, our class numbered almost sixty new interns. We administer a pre- and post-class knowledge survey, and see an average increase in knowledge, as captured by the survey, from 64% correct to 81% correct. As many of these questions deal with the underlying factors affecting pest pressures, as well as with common pests themselves, it gives up a good indication that our training is working well to inform the Master Gardeners, who in turn communicate with thousands of area residents every year.
Presentations that I developed and presented for the 2008 Master Gardener series that related to IPM include: Albuquerque Soils; What to do About Weeds; Common Weeds of the Albuquerque Area; Pests: Symptoms to Causes; Diseases: Symptoms to Causes; I.P.M.: Basic Principles and Concepts for Master Gardeners; and Master Gardener Diagnostic Process. Typical scores on Speaker Evaluation forms are 9 or 10 out of 10 in areas such as Scope, Usefulness, Organization, Content, Met Expectations. Typical answers to the question (from same Speaker Evaluation form), “What did you like most about the presentation and why?” include: “The speakers knowledge and enthusiasm + his ability to convey information clearly”, “Presenter is engaging and helpful; followed the written material”, “A lot of things I didn’t know”, “At appropriate level with good explanation of terminology”, “Content, enthusiasm made it even more interesting, he took questions comfortably and answered confidently”, “Energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, anecdotes, and humor – Great?!”, “Joran is a great speaker, mixing fact and anecdotes well”, “Very, very informative”.
I also field from five to fifteen calls per day, on average, during the busy season (April through August). Of these, a good number have to do with pest control questions. These are mostly landscape issues, but I will take calls related to indoor pests as well. On the majority of these types of calls, I am able to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and suggest both fundamental corrections to the plants’ environment, and where appropriate, chemical control recommendations. Often these latter fall along the line of NOT using a given chemical or pest service, as the use would not be appropriate. I have saved homeowners many thousands of dollars in un-necessary pesticide applications, and reduced environmental contamination due to pesticide overuse in the process.
In addition to calls and walk-in clients, I go out on field visits quite frequently. Many of these site visits are to individual homeowners, but also include commercial and institutional sites. While this takes some time per client, it also provides the client with the absolute best information I can, and I learn more in the process. These clients become some of Extension’s best advertisers, a situation which leads to ever more calls. A typical thank-you note from one of these clients reads as follows: “Sept 19, 2007; Dear Horticulture Agent Viers, This note is to thank you for your encyclopedic insight/research into recent pests in my new landscape. I had heard you were very helpful, and I completely concur! What a great service you offer, and a terrific example of our tax dollars at work! I hope I can contact you again if I have creatures I can’t identify. I going to look into the book you recommended and maybe that will help me stay out of your hair. Thank you again for your generous time and help. Barb Rowe, Bernalillo County Resident”.
For most of my clients, changes in knowledge occur at a very basic level. They come to me knowing very little about a situation, or knowing incorrect information. The new knowledge they go away with should cause many changes in their behavior as it relates to pest control. For some, this change is seen in how they view arthropods in the environment in general (with a strong move away from, “if it moves, it’s bad and must be killed”); for others, it is new information on an existing problem that expands their ability to take actions that will have the desired results. With some of the more experienced clients, be they landscape professionals or life-long gardeners, changes are more subtle and often consist of fitting in a missing piece of the puzzle. These clients would not report as dramatic a change in knowledge or behavior, but the changes they do make certainly result in positive impacts in their efforts.
In 2008, agent initiated a project consulting a condo owners association on their common landscape pest control program, after initial contact from one member who was going through chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and who in part because of this was concerned about the pest control approach that had been used (quarterly wholesale spraying of the landscape with broad-spectrum insecticides). Through several meetings, agent was able to initiate an innovative project working with the local office of a national chain not known for taking an IPM approach. By meeting with one of their staff on a monthly basis and actually walking the property to monitor conditions, agent has been able to save the owners considerable money, apply less pesticide to the environment, and target some specific problems at an appropriate time, while also teaching the landscape care staff person more about landscape pest issues. As this person is their lead “diagnostician”, her education during these visits is played out in landscapes across the county. Money saved on pesticide application is then being used to take care of other landscape issues, such as appropriate and timely tree pruning.
Many people still consider IPM to be a way to set up a spray program. Knowing that applying control materials is the last resort in a good IPM approach, I spend much of my effort at the front end: pushing for good species selection, proper planting and irrigation, and ongoing monitoring coupled with patience. This year, I again presented a Turf IPM topic at an Ornamental and Turf Pest Control workshop organized by colleagues, as I have done for the last few years.
1) In 2006-07, licensed pesticide applicators self-reported that at least 80% of them were aware they can collect and submit unknown pests to their NMSU county agents and/or NMSU specialists for identification and assistance in selecting methods or materials for pest management as
needed. For those submitting arthropod specimens for identification, fully 100% stated they were confident in their ability to identify again an arthropod previously unknown to them, especially when they were seeing the development of a trend with this particular pest. Information provided during the identification helped at least 80% of the applicators better understand the new arthropod’s behavior, host range, biology, damage potential and potential controls. Many (untabulated) expressed thanks for the information that they can use to better serve their clients.
2)At least 50% of returning Master Gardeners felt that repeating the entomology lecture and seeing the displays again or in conjunction with more advanced studies or visits to the NMSU Arthropod Collection added to their understanding of various local arthropods, their roles in the landscape and management strategies as needed. Basically, the more input, interaction and experience they get, the more they learn and the more confident they feel of their observation skills in the landscape. The best responses come from those who volunteer for phone duty or office duty at their county Extension offices.
3)After at least 2 years of disseminating and reinforcing IPM program information to clientele, state IPM specialist(s) and County Extension staff will share appropriate survey questionnaires to determine measurable changes in client social, economic or environmental situations as evidence of the impact dynamic IPM programs have on individuals, businesses and
industries within each county. Training objectives and course materials will be improved and updated as necessary.”
Data on entomology outreach programs via Extension efforts plus at least 2 research colleagues are compiled and reported annually for the Southwestern Branch, Entomological Society of America. Audience numbers and outreach events are tabulated and summarized from all over New Mexico, wherever this Specialist and her 2 research colleagues make presentations. Beginning in 2008, we’ll be composing a “suggestion” to teachers and others that they address a “thank-you letter” to one of us emphasizing how interesting or important the arthropod display was to student learning; this is a continuing effort to bolster administrative awareness of the Arthropod Collection and its significance and value to teaching and outreach (as well as research) at the college, university, state, regional and even national levels.
needed. For those submitting arthropod specimens for identification, fully 100% stated they were confident in their ability to identify again an arthropod previously unknown to them, especially when they were seeing the development of a trend with this particular pest. Information provided during the identification helped at least 80% of the applicators better understand the new arthropod’s behavior, host range, biology, damage potential and potential controls. Many (untabulated) expressed thanks for the information that they can use to better serve their clients.
2)At least 50% of returning Master Gardeners felt that repeating the entomology lecture and seeing the displays again or in conjunction with more advanced studies or visits to the NMSU Arthropod Collection added to their understanding of various local arthropods, their roles in the landscape and management strategies as needed. Basically, the more input, interaction and experience they get, the more they learn and the more confident they feel of their observation skills in the landscape. The best responses come from those who volunteer for phone duty or office duty at their county Extension offices.
3)After at least 2 years of disseminating and reinforcing IPM program information to clientele, state IPM specialist(s) and County Extension staff will share appropriate survey questionnaires to determine measurable changes in client social, economic or environmental situations as evidence of the impact dynamic IPM programs have on individuals, businesses and
industries within each county. Training objectives and course materials will be improved and updated as necessary.”
Data on entomology outreach programs via Extension efforts plus at least 2 research colleagues are compiled and reported annually for the Southwestern Branch, Entomological Society of America. Audience numbers and outreach events are tabulated and summarized from all over New Mexico, wherever this Specialist and her 2 research colleagues make presentations. Beginning in 2008, we’ll be composing a “suggestion” to teachers and others that they address a “thank-you letter” to one of us emphasizing how interesting or important the arthropod display was to student learning; this is a continuing effort to bolster administrative awareness of the Arthropod Collection and its significance and value to teaching and outreach (as well as research) at the college, university, state, regional and even national levels.
1) Students in beginner Ornamental and Turf certification workshops endure a day of instruction in a variety of subjects pertinent to passing their licensing exam. While the class I teach deals solely with arthropods, some of the other course work uses the same concepts of IPM and some of the same arthropods as casual examples for these concepts. This allows reinforcement for students, a chance for them to demonstrate recall of important subject matter likely to be covered in their licensing exam and an opportunity to link the presentation in entomology with subject matter covered in other lectures covering other pest groups. This area is still under development but could lead to a “recap quiz” for participants at the end of the day so they can get a “feel” for the exam they will take and how much effort it will require to pass it.
2)Returning Master Gardeners (year 2 and beyond) routinely report an increase of at least 10% in their confidence levels for arthropod identification, given 5 key arthropod pests they are likely to encounter in their landscapes. At least 70% of returning Master Gardeners can correctly identify a thorough and accurate definition of Integrated Pest Management and successfully identify three or more IPM methods/procedures for dealing with certain insect pests.
To provide teachers with tangible evidence of student listening and learning, age-appropriate activity sheets will be developed to complement entomology displays and presentations as they address educational standards and benchmarks.
3)In the Agent-Specialist planning sessions for 2007, agents in the Northern District identified urban/structural pests as subject matter for continued education for themselves and clientele. Some of these creatures as well as turf and ornamentals arthropods will be subjects of “news notes” distributed electronically and perhaps as pod casts to agents and others in 2008.
2)Returning Master Gardeners (year 2 and beyond) routinely report an increase of at least 10% in their confidence levels for arthropod identification, given 5 key arthropod pests they are likely to encounter in their landscapes. At least 70% of returning Master Gardeners can correctly identify a thorough and accurate definition of Integrated Pest Management and successfully identify three or more IPM methods/procedures for dealing with certain insect pests.
To provide teachers with tangible evidence of student listening and learning, age-appropriate activity sheets will be developed to complement entomology displays and presentations as they address educational standards and benchmarks.
3)In the Agent-Specialist planning sessions for 2007, agents in the Northern District identified urban/structural pests as subject matter for continued education for themselves and clientele. Some of these creatures as well as turf and ornamentals arthropods will be subjects of “news notes” distributed electronically and perhaps as pod casts to agents and others in 2008.