1999 Integrated Pest Management Annual Report

Introduction

As we enter the next century, the scope and magnitude of Extension's IPM programs have changed considerably. However, a good share of the federal resources devoted to IPM efforts in Illinois continues to be targeted at managing insects, plant diseases, and weeds across about 25 million acres of field crops.

In addition, many of our pest management extension initiatives are increasingly being aimed at suburban and urban audiences — a trend that also is reported by other states. Effectively delivering both urban and field crop IPM programs will require the continued close cooperation of Extension specialists and researchers from various departments and state organizations, particularly the Department of Crop Sciences, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES), and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). Teams of Extension educators and campus specialists will work together to provide a bridge for the delivery of pest management information to local clientele throughout the state of Illinois.

In 1993, the Clinton Administration challenged the IPM community to implement IPM practices on 75 percent of the nation’s managed acres by the year 2000. Although a great deal has been accomplished toward meeting this goal, considerable work remains in urban, suburban, and field crop sectors. In terms of real dollars, the federally supported IPM Extension program has lost ground during the past three decades. To meet the demand for world-class IPM extension programs well into the next century, new sources of funding will undoubtedly be required.

Also, new partnerships with the private sector and other land-grant institutions will be necessary to keep our clientele throughout Illinois up-to-date on the latest pest management research and its potential implications.

Finally, I hope you’ll let us know what you think of some of these University of Illinois Extension programs. We welcome your suggestions and comments as to how we can improve our pest management outreach efforts, and we look forward to your continued support.