To view previous priorities, please see Priorities archive

Below is a list of priorities submitted in 2004 and 2005, and arranged using the IPM Roadmap matrix.

Priority: soybean insect pest management; refine economic injury levels and treatmetn action levels in the evolving soybean system - especially the late-planted soybean:Wheat double cropping strategy
Submitted By: Rogers Leonard (rleonard@agcenter.lsu.edu)
Organization: LSU AgCenter
Submitted: Oct 15, 2007

Justification/Rationale: The redbanded stink bug is extending its range throughout the southern US. Insecticide applications have increased from less than 1/year in LA to over 3/year for stink bug managment.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Louisiana Ag Consultants Association Mid-South Soybean Entomology Working Group

Priority: We do not have affordable and effective tools to manage citrus blackfly in southeast Louisiana and would like to launch a biological control program. Historically, the citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, 1915, has a cosmopolitan distribution. It has been present in Florida since the mid-1970’s, where it was successfully managed by releasing parasitoid wasps Amitus hesperidum and Encarsia opulenta. Historically, original control efforts used malathion and oil sprays, but this was n
Submitted By: Natalie Hummel (nhummel@agcenter.lsu.edu)
Organization: Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Submitted: Oct 26, 2007

Justification/Rationale: • Does it intersect with or create other problems? Typically, citrus blackfly can be controlled by parasitoids that naturally occur in the environment. We are not sure what has caused it to grow to such large populations in southeastern Louisiana. Indications are that this may be due to loss of the natural enemy by environmental factors or changes in pesticide applications. There are very few chemistries registered for blackfly in Louisiana. The chemistries that are most effective include Imidacloprid. Recent evidence indicates that use of Imidacloprid causes mite flares. This will most likely be a confounding factor in the citrus orchards in our region where mites are a significant pest. The cost of Provado is very high, and since many of our acreages are small and it would be nice to be able to purchase a smaller quantity bottle of Provado. • Are there important changes occurring that imply greater problems to come? Citrus acreage is Louisiana was decreased by ½ following

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
I will be sending a letter from a stakeholder by November 1st.

Priority: Proposed priority 2 – Panicle Rice Mite Management We need to develop tools to manage the Panicle Rice Mite a new pest of rice production in the United States.
Submitted By: Natalie Hummel (nhummel@agcenter.lsu.edu)
Organization: Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Submitted: Oct 26, 2007

Justification/Rationale: • Why is it important or unique to the south? The panicle rice mite (PRM), Steneotarsonemus spinki Smiley, was reported attacking rice in the continental U.S. in July, 2007 in Brazoria County, Texas. Subsequently, it was identified in Beaumont, TX; Rayne, LA; Kaplan, LA; Stuttgart, AR; and Ithaca, NY. Identifications in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas were in the greenhouse and the field, while in New York infestations were limited to plant material in the greenhouse. PRM was not thought to have the ability to thrive in the temperate climate of the U.S., but the south has a semi-tropical climate. The climate of Southwest Louisiana in particular creates a unique opportunity for this pest to survive in mild winter conditions and thrive in hot and humid conditions of summer. The PRM has caused great concern to rice producers and researchers in the United States due primarily to the history of this pest. The PRM was first reported as a pest in Asia in the 1960’s. It then spread to t

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
I will be submitting a letter of support from the Louisiana Rice Board by November 1st.

Priority: Proposed priority 3 – Leaf-footed bug management in citrus We do not have adequate controls for leaf-footed bugs, Leptoglossus zonatus, in Satsuma production. The currently registered pesticides are not effective for control.
Submitted By: Natalie Hummel (nhummel@agcenter.lsu.edu)
Organization: Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Submitted: Oct 26, 2007

Justification/Rationale: • Why is it important or unique to the south? The leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus zonatus is a significant pest of Satsuma trees in the southern region – including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. These bugs cause damage to maturing fruit by feeding on the fruit and inoculating it with Nematocera coryli a yeast. This causes damage to the fruit that is disguised by the peel of the fruit. Thus, it is not possible to cull fruit and there is a very good chance that it will be purchased by a consumer who will then be dissatisfied with the quality of the fruit. Currently there are two chemicals registered: malathion and baythroid XL. Baythroid XL has a Section 24C registration which limits applications to 3 sprays per year. • Does it intersect with or create other problems? Causes excessive use of pyrethroids, which may cause mite populations to flare, thus resulting in increased use of chemicals to control mites. Also, often sprayed without scouting, just on a schedule, which

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
I will be sending a letter of support from citrus producers by November 1st.

Priority: Priority: There is a critical need for a program to manage Pierce’s disease of grapevines in the Southeast. Pierce’s disease is a lethal disease of grapevines and is the principle reason that vinifera grapes cannot be successfully raised in the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the Southeast. The disease is caused by a bacterium and is transmitted from wild hosts to grapevines by insects. In order to develop a program for managing the disease additional information is needed on th
Submitted By: Margo Knight Metzger (mmetzger@nccommerce.com)
Organization: North Carolina Wine & Grape Council
Submitted: Jan 04, 2008

Justification/Rationale: Justification: The winegrape industry has experienced rapid growth in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of NC and the Southeast in general in the last 15 years as a result of the establishment of V. vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes. The industry in North Carolina has grown from ~1100 acres in 2001 to ~1550 acres in 2007 and growth is expected to continue at 10% per year. Currently there are 65 wineries and additional wineries are expected to open next year. The number of wineries has doubled since 2001. Because of the high value of the crop [~$3500/acre based on 2006 production statistics (www.ncwine.org)] winegrapes are an attractive alternative crop to current and former tobacco growers and others. However, further expansion of the winegrape industry in the Piedmont region of North Carolina is limited by Pierce's disease (PD), caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), which is geographically limited to areas with mild winters. The bacterium can kill infected vi

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
http://www.visitnc.com/what_to_do_wine.asp?s=fw http://www.nccommerce.com/en/TourismServices/NurtureWineAndGrapeIndustry

Priority: Stand failure, especially in late planted soybeans, is an increasing problem. This is a problem of seed quality, planting conditions, and seedling and seed borne pathogens.
Submitted By: John Rupe (jrupe@uark.edu)
Organization: University of Arkansas
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: Stand failure, especially in late planted soybean, is an increasing problem, particularly in early planted soybeans when soil may be cool and wet. Poor emergence and seedlings with impaired vigor are attributable to poor seed quality, planting conditions, and seedling and seed borne pathogens. Seed quality is affected by the seed production environment, which affects seed germination and seed vigor as a result of biotic and abiotic factors. Storage can be a factor, too, especially with late planted fields where the seed may remain in the field under hot conditions. Seed quality can be improved by manipulating harvest dates through maturity group or planting date. Seedborne pathogens can be controlled by genetic resistance (Phomopsis seed decay and purple seed stain) or the application of foliar fungicides. At planting, stand establishment is very dependent on the quality of the seed, environmental stress (to cold and wet, or to hot and dry) and by the seedling pathogens present. Fungicide and insecticide seed treatments, high quality seed, and resistance (Phytophthora and Pythium) can improve stand establishment. Under ideal conditions, most seed with acceptable germination will produce a decent stand, but some may fail under adverse conditions. IPM practices need to be established for the production of high quality seed, identifying and defining seed vigor, and planting under stressful environments.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: Because there are no resistant cultivars, the only means for managing or controlling Asian soybean rust is the application of one or more fungicide sprays. These materials are expensive and require extreme diligence because this disease has been documented to progress from barely detectable levels to massive defoliation within 10 days, so timely fungicide applications are critical. We demonstrated in preliminary field studies that a supplemental pre-plant application of muriate of potash delays time of disease onset and greatly reduce rate of disease development, and these effects alone may be sufficient to manage the disease.
Submitted By: Raymond W. Schneider (rschnei@lsu.edu)
Organization: Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: Soilborne and foliar pathogens continue to take a toll on soybean productivity and profitability. Diseases such as sudden death syndrome, charcoal rot, stem canker, frogeye leaf spot, and Cercospora leaf blight are perennial culprits. These diseases occur under a variety of environmental conditions, and they affect plant growth and productivity at all growth stages. In addition, one or more of these diseases may occur at severe levels in every state. Soybean rust has now entered the picture, and our experience during the past two years suggests that the entire southern region is at risk for significant yield losses attributable to this disease. Because all commercial soybean cultivars are susceptible to rust, the only currently recommended disease control strategy is to spray with fungicides. Fungicide applications add substantially to production costs, and we have documented that even the most efficacious fungicides lose their effectiveness if applications are delayed because of inclement weather or other reasons. This disease progresses from barely detectable levels to massive defoliation within 10 days, and we know that if the disease surpasses 5% incidence, it may be too late to achieve effective control. Five percent incidence is equivalent to one pustule on one leaflet on one in 20 plants. As a practical matter, such a low level of disease is impossible to find. Therefore, producers are forced to apply preventative sprays, i.e. before symptoms are observed, when there is a slight risk of disease development. Clearly, there is a need to develop and evaluate cultural disease management protocols. There are several precedents with other diseases on other crop species for reducing disease severity and time of disease onset with altered mineral nutrition regimes. Given the economic consequences of soybean rust and other diseases, this cultural control practice should be evaluated at multiple sites against the prevalent diseases that occur at these sites. Furthermore, other regions may wish to participate in standardized evaluations with diseases that are common to their areas.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
International Plant Nutrition Institute www.ipni.net Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: Changes in cropping patterns may cause formerly minor diseases to assume more significant roles in soybean production, and management practices for these diseases need to be investigated.
Submitted By: John Rupe (jrupe@uark.edu)
Organization: University of Arkansas
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: With changes in commodity pricing come changes in cropping sequence. Currently, reductions in cotton acreage mean that soybean and other crops are being grown on fields that had been in cotton. New problems like rootknot and reniform nematodes and black root rot are occurring in soybeans that were very unusual before. Other previous crops like rice, sorghum, corn, could affect other pathogens like soybean cyst nematode, seedling diseases including Phytophthora root rot, charcoal rot, and some of the foliar pathogens like anthracnose in sorghum. Understanding how previous crops affect disease pressure will help growers anticipate problems and take preventative action. Besides disease problems, there could also be problems with insects, soil nutrition, soil structure, organic matter levels, weeds, etc.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: Double-cropped soybeans are becoming more popular as a direct result of market forces. This means that soybeans will be in the field much later than conventional soybeans, and disease pressures will be much higher in these cropping patterns. We must investigate the effects of these agronomic practices with regard to disease management and control.
Submitted By: Gabe Sciumbato (gabe@drec.msstate.edu)
Organization: Mississippi State University
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: With the current high price of wheat and because of the flooding of corn in the Midwest and replanting to soybeans, there has been a dramatic increase in late planted and double cropped soybeans. Inoculum potential and environmental conditions are much more favorable in double cropped than conventional soybeans. Early planted and short season soybeans mature under hot and somewhat dry conditions which are unfavorable for soybean rust spore survival and disease development. Also, inoculum of soybean rust does not overwinter and must build up during the growing season. Therefore, the number of rust spores available for infection increases throughout the growing season. Finally, in some places such as Mississippi, most of the double cropped beans are irrigated and the amount of late season precipitation tends to be higher. Also, certain other late season diseases such as purple leaf stain, Phomopsis, viruses etc. are often more severe in full season beans. There has been very little foliar fungicide research on double cropped and late planted soybeans. Research is needed to determine efficacy, rates, and timings for these fungicides. Research is also needed to determine how soybean rust will develop in the late planted soybeans. Another problem which may develop is that the availability of fungicides for the control of rust will be limited late in the growing season. Additional efficacy is needed on all potential rust fungicides. We will have the largest double cropped acreage in Mississippi since soybean rust was reported in the US. I will also assume that the acreage of late planted soybeans will be at record levels throughout the soybean growing areas. With the projected continued high wheat and soybean prices, this trend may continue for several years.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: Soybean cyst nematode can reproduce on almost all of the cultivars grown in the South, and new ways must be found to manage this potentially devastating pathogen.
Submitted By: Don Hershman (don.hershman@uky.edu)
Organization: University of Kentucky
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: Soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, is the most limiting biotic factor of soybeans in the majority of southern states. Recent reports from Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee indicate that most populations of H. glycines in those states are now able to reproduce on resistant soybean cultivars derived from PI88788. This situation is likely to also be the case in other southern states as well, but there is a lack of survey data for these states. Because cultivars derived from PI88788 are grown almost exclusively (90+%) in the South to manage H. glycines, new ways must be devised to manage SCN in spite of apparent population changes of the pathogen.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: There are no soybean varieties that are resistant to Asian soybean rust, and this disease can be devastating. We need to determine if certain varieties can tolerate high disease severities and still provide acceptable yields, so-called disease tolerance, even though they may not be resistant.
Submitted By: Gabe Sciubato (gabe@drec.msstate.edu)
Organization: Mississippi State University
Submitted: Sep 17, 2008

Justification/Rationale: All commercial soybeans available to producers are susceptible to soybean rust. Therefore, the only current means of managing soybean rust is the use of foliar applied fungicides. The use of fungicides adds significantly to production costs, and requires timely applications of the fungicides. The strobilurin fungicides can only be applied as a preventative fungicide. This means they must be applied before rust is present. There are several different fungicides available for rust control. However, some of the fungicides are being used in other crops and supplies of these fungicides may be limited should rust become a problem. Tolerance by definition is the ability to produce acceptable yields in the presence of disease. Tolerance to rust can be identified by comparing soybean yields in the presence and absence of disease. Therefore, each entry to be evaluated would be randomized and replicated and half of the replications would be sprayed with foliar fungicides to control rust. Yields in disease free and diseased plots would be compared. Entries which had closest to the same yields in diseased and disease free plots would be “tolerant” to the disease. In addition, this research would give us an idea of which varieties would respond to and give the highest yields following foliar fungicide applications. In Mississippi, the entries in the Mississippi varietal trials would be evaluated. The trial would be planted late to encourage rust development.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
Southern Soybean Disease Workers http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/ The Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) is an organization whose purpose is to foster and coordinate research and extension programs related to soybean diseases in the South. SSDW was established about 30 years ago because certain diseases are unique to southern states and they were not being addressed by Midwestern pathologists or the related industries. Membership consists of faculty, students and staff with interests in soybean research and extension and professionals from related industries including seed companies and the agrichemical industry. The mailing list contains several hundred individuals. The organization meets annually to discuss emerging issues and to provide a venue for technical presentations. In 2008, SSDW established an ad hoc committee to establish IPM research priorities.

Priority: This is a test.
Submitted By: Jim VanKirk (JIM@SRIPMC.ORG)
Organization: SRIPMC
Submitted: Nov 12, 2008

Justification/Rationale: test justification

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
test documentation

Priority: Evaluation of ipmPIPE impacts
Submitted By: Donald Hershman (dhershma@uky.edu)
Organization: ipmPIPE Steering Committee
Submitted: Nov 14, 2008

Justification/Rationale: ipmPIPE has been a major ipm-focused activity and, we believe, it has had a major impact at several levels. However, we need to formulate better ways to document impact of ipmPIPE programming activities.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
www.sbrusa.net

Priority: Mosquito infestation
Submitted By: Irma Parker (parkerirmajean@aol.com)
Organization: Urban Threads
Submitted: Sep 26, 2008

Justification/Rationale: The infestation of mosquitos in the MS delta makes the area high risk to SLI before dark

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
State Department of Health

Priority: The spread of human biting ticks is increasing. Emerging tick-borne infections continue to increase as well.
Submitted By: Marcia E. Herman-Giddens (meherman@mindspring.com)
Organization: Tick-borne Infections Council of North Carolina, Inc.
Submitted: Dec 11, 2007

Justification/Rationale: Human disease caused by ticks is increasing. Some of the infections are fatal and many people are being seriously compromised by persistant effects of some of the tick-borne infections. Deer are also increasing. It is impossible to have safe outdoor experiences in many parts of the south.

Supporting Documentation (Organizations, citations, websites, etc):
See documents and links at www.tic-nc.org.