In September 2000, NIFA established four Regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Centers, the Northeast, North Central, Southern, and Western, as a means of strengthening its connection with stakeholders and research and extension programs throughout the United States. Although centers are regionally based, inter-regional collaboration is an important component of the program's success. The centers function as a national pest management information network designed to respond quickly to information needs in both the public and private sectors. Regional IPM Centers help NIFA and its partner institutions identify, prioritize, and coordinate national pest management research, extension, and education programs.
What Do Regional IPM Centers Do?
- increase the effectiveness of stakeholder investments by enhancing interdisciplinary and multi-organizational IPM research and outreach efforts
- provide timely and high-quality information on IPM practices and use patterns to government agencies and stakeholders
- organize responses to emerging regional and national issues
- administer regional IPM grant programs under NIFA oversight
Who Benefits From Regional IPM Centers?
Commercial Agricultural and Urban Production Systems Personnel - Each Regional IPM Center collaborates with the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, National Plant Health Board, Master Gardeners’ Program, and the land-grant universities (LGUs) to address new and emerging pest management issues through regional and national educational efforts.
Consumers – Regional IPM Centers support efforts to ensure that food production systems, landscaping techniques, parks management, school systems, and homeowners are employing the best management practices for pest management.
Regulators - Regional IPM Centers promote informed regulatory decision making and play a key role in linking state and federal regulatory agencies to university-based IPM expertise.
Extension and Research Personnel - Regional IPM Centers share information on funding opportunities with LGU extension and research personnel and collaborate with the LGU system to disseminate their current research results and IPM recommendations.
Products and Ongoing Activities of the Regional IPM Centers
Crop Profiles: descriptions of IPM and crop production practices, including regional differences and worker activities that occur throughout the growing season.
Pest Management Strategic Plans: commodity based documents developed by stakeholder groups to identify and prioritize future IPM needs, strategies, and related information for IPM specialists, regulatory agencies, and decision makers.
Regional and National Pest Alerts: a collaborative development addressing new and emerging pest issues. In cooperation with the LGUs and other pest management educators, the Regional IPM Centers have distributed over 1.2 million copies from the pest alert series.
National Web Site for the Regional IPM Centers
The national site provides information about commodities, pests, and pest management practices in the United States. It also offers access to the complete Crop Profiles and Pest Management Strategic Plans databases, an IPM expertise database, information on pesticide use, current pest management research, funding opportunities, and links to many related sites.
The national site also contains links to sites for each of the four Regional IPM Centers. At each of the Regional IPM Center sites, individuals can access regional specific databases, news, information, and announcements. Each site has a unique blend of helpful information which can be obtained through newsletters, pest alerts, and training opportunities