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 not successful. Subsequent control measures used Orthene in combination with a surfactant. Recently, the citrus blackfly has become more of a problem in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and just this year was reported in large numbers in Plaquemine Parish in Southern Louisiana. It was reported in LaFourche Parish of Louisiana in 2002.
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 Hurricane Katrina, thus resulting in a smaller industry that was already struggling before the Hurricane. This is another blow to the industry. One that can hopefully be managed by an integrated approach to control, a large component of which may be parasitoid release. This will require support at the state and federal levels. We envision moving toward a system that is more similar to California, where biological control is a major component of citrus IPM. Currently, most of our growers rely on pesticides to manage all pest problems in citrus groves. • What stakeholder groups support this priority (and what evidence can you cite for this)? Louisiana citrus producers support this priority. They are very concerned about the increased abundance of sooty mold on leaves and fruit. Mold on leaves decreases photosynthetic capacity of the plant and also resulting in decreased yield. Many of these plants are still recovering from the flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina. The mold that is present on fruits must be washed by hand, sometimes requiring multiple washings and increasing labor expenses.

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 the Caribbean region in the 1990’s and was reported to cause 30-90% crop loss. In the Caribbean region is has been managed by a combination of breeding for resistance, cultural, and chemical control. Chemicals controls typically depend on organophosphates and other classes of chemistry that are being phased out in the United States. The challenge with this pest is that it feeds on the inside of the leaf sheath and inside hulls of developing grains. Thus, it is present in protected areas of the plant, and will require a systemic miticide for effective chemical control. Research needs to be conducted to determine means of dissemination in the environment, in order to prevent spread between contaminated fields. We have already seen a localized spread around the first reported infested commercial field in Kaplan, Louisiana. We also need to evaluate the effects of crop rotation and fallow period on the overwintering behavior of this pest. • Does it intersect with or create other problems? We are already very limited in terms of classes of chemistry registered in rice production, relying primarily on pyrethroids. We need to explore miticides that can be registered in rice. • Are there important changes occurring that imply greater problems to come? Disease incidence has increased over the past decade. Now that we realize the panicle rice mite may have a widespread distribution in Louisiana, we realize it may have been involved with these disease outbreaks. PRM has been reported in association with Sarocladium oryzae, Burkholderia glumae, and six other rice plant pathogens that are present in Louisiana. Thus, it will be important to work with plant pathologists when combating this pest. Additionally, evidence from China, India and Cuba indicates that some varieties of rice are resistance to PRM, thus it will be important to enlist rice breeders as we evaluate an integrated approach to management of this pest. • What stakeholder groups support this priority (and what evidence can you cite for this)? Rice producers are very concerned about the potential impact of this pest on rice production and yields (see stakeholder letter). The biggest obstacle at present is that we do not know the distribution of the pest. The PRM is microscopic, measuring 1/100 of an inch in length and clear in color, making it very difficult to scout. Furthermore, damage from feeding looks very similar to a number of plant pathogens. Producers have volunteered fields for sampling and are concerned about the lack of management options. These producers have made the decision to volunteer fields even with the presence of an active quarantine, indicating their deep concern about this pest.

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 is not a recommended practice. • Are there important changes occurring that imply greater problems to come? Plant bugs have been reported developing resistance to a range of chemistries in row crops in the United States. Thus, it will be valuable to develop alternative means of control. • What stakeholder groups support this priority (and what evidence can you cite for this)? Louisiana citrus producers have been requesting better means of control for years. Organic growers do not have any means of control and have specifically requested exploration of non-chemical controls, such as use of alarm pheromones. On the other hand, farmers that are conventional producers have requested chemistries that have residual activity, effectively control the pest, and can be sprayed less often.

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 the vectors of the pathogen causing the disease, its reservoir hosts, and the effectiveness of insecticide programs on the vector population.
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 vines in 1 to 2 years. Losses have exceeded 50% in the most seriously affected vineyards in the Piedmont and southern Mountains of North Carolina. It is essential to minimize losses to PD because of the high investment in establishing vineyards, estimated to be $8-12,000/acre.

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: 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.