Partnership Grants Demonstrate Integrated Pest Management
Grants totaling nearly $1 million have been awarded for projects that use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to reduce pesticide risk. The grants will support the demonstration of innovative IPM practices, technologies, outreach, and education, according to a Dec. 4 press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. In selecting grant awards, EPA emphasized projects that address:
• alternatives to soil fumigants and azinphos methyl, a pesticide used on orchard fruit, nuts and other crops;
• IPM strategies for watersheds with pesticides in surface waters;
• IPM in schools, daycare, and hospitals;
• adoption of biopesticides or reduced-risk pesticides;
• methods for measuring IPM adoption or the reduction of risks associated with pesticide use, and
• business cases for implementing IPM
Grant funding was authorized by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act. Grants were awarded to the following organizations:
• California Department of Pesticide Regulation (Sacramento, Calif.): $159,494 for "Reducing Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Pesticide Use in Nuts and Tree Fruit Orchards in California's San Joaquin Valley."
• Central Coast Vineyard Team (Paso Robles, Calif.): $225,000 for "Reducing Pesticide Risk through the Adoption of Integrated Farming Practices in Central Coast Vineyards and Marketing Certified Sustainable Products."
• IPM Institute of North America (Madison, Wis.): $250,000 for "High-level IPM in All U.S. Schools by 2015."
• University of Florida, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Gainesville, Fla.): $246,418 for "Reduced Pesticide Use for Bermisia tabaci and Greenhouse Whiteflies on Greenhouse Tomato using Protected Culture, IPM Techniques, Parasitic Wasps, and Papaya Banker Plants."
• Michigan State University (East Lansing, Mich.): $91,508 for "Increasing Adoption of Reduced-Risk Pest Management Practices in Midwest Blueberries to Prepare for FQPA Implementation."
For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/pesp/pria2grants.htm.