A study published by the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service suggests that the loss of North American forests to invasive pests has a major effect on carbon dynamics. “The key impact of the tree-killing alien insects and diseases is that they are greatly increasing the rate at which trees die on average,”… Read more »

This edition contains discussion of how IPM is used to manage pests in Yellowstone National Park, a Q&A with new Center Director Amer Fayad, a guide to a new approach for IPM strategic planning and new publications by the other Regional IPM Centers. The newsletter also includes meeting listings, job postings, upcoming trainings and funding… Read more »

Known as the “sea of plastic, Spain’s Almeria province is covered by 30,000 hectares of greenhouses, and exported 2.5 million tons of produce last year alone. It has also largely replaced insecticides with biological control, a method of pest control that uses beneficial, predatory insects to manage insect pests. Read more on the Bangkok Post.

From the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs: On July 9, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) opened a Notice of Funding Opportunity to develop a series of web-based training modules. This training will help foreign pesticide regulators better understand EPA’s pesticide regulatory approach. Both USDA FAS and EPA’s Office of Pesticide… Read more »

Environmental groups and beekeepers say sulfoxaflor is one of the chemical compounds responsible for decimating North American bee populations. On July 12th, the EPA lifted several past restrictions on its use, allowing sulfoxaflor to be applied to a variety of crops, including citrus, corn, soybeans, strawberries, pineapples and pumpkins. Read more on the Washington Post