Expanding Livestock Integrated Pest Management in the Northeast

Two IPM educational opportunities were offered to train northeast US cooperative extension and other animal agricultural industry outreach personnel in an overview of livestock Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The first training was a two-day hands-on workshop offering participants a mixture of IPM classroom, laboratory, and practical field experience. The second training was a distance learning event via a webcast format.

The initial train-the-trainer workshop, held September 28-29, 2004, targeted key personnel involved in animal agriculture including, but not limited to, cooperative extension, state veterinarians, milk inspectors, and other multipliers responsible for local on dairy producer contacts. Participants learned IPM principles and practices as they relate to dairy production and enhance animal and human health, improve net profitability and minimize neighborhood concerns associated with off-site migration of livestock fly pests. A combination of classroom, laboratory, and on-farm activities were employed to train participants in current livestock pest concerns, techniques, and management opportunities. Participants received training to help them acquire knowledge and develop skills to assess livestock pest problems and effectively manage these pests using the latest IPM principles and techniques. Participants were trained in identification, evaluation and management of filth fly pest problems of confined dairy livestock. They also became familiar with IPM resources and thus better equipped to effectively assist their clientele in addressing confined dairy fly pests. Participants were surveyed pre- and post-participation to better assess their livestock IPM needs and concerns, and to help identify interest, opportunity, and need for subsequent workshops.

The webcast training was held May 3, 2007. The objectives of the training were as described for the original workshop with presentations delivered as a two-hour web broadcast. This training addressed IPM principles and practices as related to dairy production and enhancing animal and human health, improving net profitability, and minimizing neighborhood concerns associated with off-site migration of livestock fly pests. The program format combined a PowerPoint presentation lecture by two veterinary entomologists and an IPM specialist and questions from participants. Participants received training to help them acquire knowledge and develop skills to assess livestock pest problems and effectively manage these pests using the latest IPM principles and techniques. Participants were trained in pest identification, evaluation, and management of filth fly pest problems of confined dairy livestock. They also became familiar with IPM resources and better equipped to effectively assist their clientele in addressing confined dairy fly pests. A post-program evaluation was conducted to assess overall impact and help identify interest, opportunity, and need for subsequent workshops.

It is anticipated that participants in these dairy IPM training events will help initiate and foster improved communication and networking among livestock IPM practitioners and producer clientele in the northeast US.

Introduction:

Dairy production is an integral component of many rural communities in the northeastern US, helping to sustain the economic viability of our region. In New York alone, 7,100 dairy farms contributed nearly $1.6 billion in dairy products to the state's 2002 economy. In 1997, northeast US dairy and beef cattle associated revenues totaled $4.4 billion (USDA Census of Agriculture). In addition, the value of these dairy and beef commodities in the eastern US, where the results of this project are most applicable, total $ 15.4 billion.

Biting and nuisance flies and external parasites adversely affect animal health and productivity and reduce farm profitability. A complex of pests is usually involved, which can differ in the intensity of direct and indirect host effects. Damage from infestations of summer and winter active arthropod pests of dairy and beef cattle in the US are estimated to exceed $2.26 billion in losses annually (Byford et al., 1992).

In a 1997 survey of New York dairy farmers, 28% of respondents indicated flies in and around barn areas were most difficult to control and 43% indicated flies in animal confinement areas were the most likely to cause economic loss (Harrington et al. 1998). Flies in and around the barn were treated an average of once a week. Most respondents (80-90%) employed cultural practices such as manure removal, while less that 5% of respondents released beneficial insects to manage barn flies. In this same survey, 52% of respondents selected flies on pastured cattle as being the most difficult pest to control and 56% indicated pasture flies were the most likely to cause economic loss (Harrington et al. 1998). Additionally, dairy farmers reported using insecticides two to three times per month to manage flies on pastured cattle.

Several challenges currently face those seeking to effectively manage livestock pests today. Implementation of the 1996 federally mandated Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) has resulted in removal of a number of once commonly used livestock insecticide materials, such as dimethoate, naled and chlorpyrifos. In addition, insecticide manufacturers report fewer insecticides in development for use on livestock in the near future. Efforts by Cornell University researchers have documented widespread insecticide resistance in house flies, a primary pest on livestock operations (Rutz, Kaufman, Scott). In some studies, 100% of house flies treated with specific insecticides survived when treated with the legal application rate of insecticides.

As suburban areas encroach on rural agricultural landscapes, emigration of pest flies to off-site locations can act as a community lightning rod creating a new set of challenges for those involved in animal agriculture. This results in potential public health concerns and nuisance complaints from neighboring communities.

With fewer insecticides available, prospects for new materials limited, insecticide resistance more prevalent, and urbanization of once-rural areas becoming more commonplace, livestock producers will continue to face increased challenges with fly management in the future. These issues highlight the need for producers to have the best information available to manage dairy cattle pests and to use a broad, integrated approach that includes a variety of cultural, biological, physical, and chemical tactics.

Livestock IPM information can, unfortunately, be difficult to obtain when needed most, due to a limited number of entomologists actively engaged in animal research and extension activities. In the northeastern United States, research and extension efforts to develop IPM strategies for managing pests associated with animal production are active at Cornell University (New York) but with few exceptions are lacking at other northeastern state land-grant institutions.

The Cornell University veterinary entomology program, working in collaboration with the New York State IPM program, has developed extremely successful confined dairy and poultry fly management programs. Many producers in our region are successfully employing the strategies promoted through these programs that emphasize IPM in and around animal production facilities. Efforts are also underway to improve the information available regarding integrated management of pests affecting animals on pasture.

These IPM training opportunities were offered to share our IPM information and provide outreach professionals with skills and knowledge to train their clientele in the use of proven, effective, integrated pest management techniques that help minimize, avoid, and mitigate common dairy livestock arthropod pest problems. These trainings foster team building through direct contact of agriculture animal professionals and the initiation of an electronic listserve to provide networking opportunities and on-line technical support. The webcast program was captured and will be made available for viewing on the NYS IPM website.

The primary focus of these workshops were fly pests of dairy cattle in confinement. Much of the information presented is also applicable to managing confinement area fly pests of other livestock and horses.