Expanding Livestock Integrated Pest Management in the Northeast

View the project final report

• 2005 annual report

Commodities

• Animal Products: dairy

Practices

• Animal Production: housing, manure management, watering systems
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research
• Pest Management: biological control, botanical pesticides, chemical control, cultural control, economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, physical control, prevention, sanitation, traps
• Production Systems: holistic management

Twenty-five cooperative extension and other animal agricultural industry outreach personnel from the northeast US will participate in a two day “hands-on” livestock IPM workshop. This initial “train the trainer” program will target 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 will learn 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. Using a combination of classroom, laboratory and on-farm activities, participants will learn current issues related to livestock pest concerns and opportunities, acquire knowledge and develop skills to assess livestock pest problems and effectively manage these pests using the latest IPM principles and techniques. Participants will be trained in identification, evaluation and management of pest problems of confined dairy livestock. They will also become familiar with IPM resources, and become better equipped to effectively assist their clientele in addressing confined dairy fly pests. Participants will be 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. These individuals will help initiate and foster improved livestock IPM practitioner communication and networking in the northeast US.

We propose to increase the number of producers utilizing livestock IPM by increasing the number, awareness and IPM skill level of extension educator multipliers in the northeast. More specifically we propose to engage extension and other outreach participants from northeastern states in an experiential learning opportunity of classroom, laboratory and on-site education regarding IPM approaches for the effective management of common dairy and livestock summer active arthropod pests.

To encourage communication and enhance teambuilding we propose initiating an electronic list serve to provide networking opportunities and on-line technical support for participants. This list serve can also help to identify stakeholder driven livestock IPM needs, priorities and opportunities for research and extension.

This workshop is viewed as a means to assess the interest and needs for future regional livestock IPM training for animal agriculture personnel and other outreach professionals.