Today’s post is from Matt Frye. FYI: (He didn’t just show up on our door talking ticks or rats! And we’re glad he escaped the vines to join our program.) Kudzu is an invasive vine that was introduced from Japan to the United States in 1876. In its heyday, kudzu was planted extensively throughout the…Continue Reading Sorry, I Can’t Help You [grow that horribly invasive plant].
Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan
Our gratitude to Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County, for letting us use this post. The IPM connection? ID those fuzzy beasts before you add them to your “warm and fuzzy” petting zoo. When I was a kid I was fascinated by caterpillars but had trouble with the word. To me, the sweet little woolly-bear…Continue Reading Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan
Celebrating 30 years of IPM
Program report. You see the words; what comes to mind? Jargon. Puffery. In a word? Boring. But at NYS IPM, we’ve made a practice of telling stories — stories that take you on the farm, in the greenhouse, to the school cafeteria. Now we’ve taken the essence of all our annual reports spanning 30 years…Continue Reading Celebrating 30 years of IPM
IPM TAg Teams: A Quarter Century Later, What’s Old Is New Again
The NYS IPM Program turns 30 this year — a great time for a look down memory lane. We were five years old, for instance, when we began our TAg — Tactical Agriculture — teams for field crop producers. Then (and now!), TAg teams across the state met at key times during the cropping season:…Continue Reading IPM TAg Teams: A Quarter Century Later, What’s Old Is New Again
Education and E-ducation: Winter Farm Schools for IPM and More
It’s not easy, keeping up with the abundance of winter production schools, webinars, and online courses. Here’s a small sampling of options for everything from straight-up greenhouse production to biocontrol (hey, that’s a core tenet of IPM) to a smorgasbord of small-farm options for beginning or diversifying farmers. Are you a greenhouse grower? Here’s a…Continue Reading Education and E-ducation: Winter Farm Schools for IPM and More
For New Invasive Lanternfly, Best IPM Tool is Your Eyes
Spotted lanternfly, aka Lycorma delicatula — put it on your radar now. True, as far as we know it’s not in New York. Yet. And with winter blowing in, any likelihood of seeing it this year is grows smaller by the day. But considering the havoc this new invasive could wreak if it breaks through…Continue Reading For New Invasive Lanternfly, Best IPM Tool is Your Eyes
Computer or Calendar? — Choose NEWA for better IPM
Traditionally, pest management practices were applied on a calendar basis, following somewhat of a cookbook approach. However, with the newer classes of pesticides being produced today that are more target specific, timing of applications using the knowledge of a vineyard pest and the conditions that cause it to become a problem has become even more…Continue Reading Computer or Calendar? — Choose NEWA for better IPM
Review Your Balance Sheet (aka Better Late Than … )
… Never. This post was slated to go live the same day Uncle Sam started surcharging tardy tax returns. Then — human error took over. You don’t have to step back in time, though, for this post to help you — it’s as relevant now as it was on April 15. And it’ll stay…Continue Reading Review Your Balance Sheet (aka Better Late Than … )