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

Iowa City-based agtech startup Rantizo has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct pesticide spraying applications via drone in agricultural fields. This makes Rantizo the first and so far only company in Iowa with such approval. Read more on AgPro

The 2019 version of the most complete guide to protecting pollinators while gardening, growing flowers or managing trees, shrubs or turfgrass in urban areas is now available. Follow the below link to access the newly updated: “Protecting and enhancing pollinators in urban landscapes for the US North Central Region”.

Elson Shields, a Cornell entomology professor, received an Excellence in Integrated Pest Management Award from the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) at Cornell University’s Aurora Farm Field Day on the Musgrave Research Farm. NYSIPM develops sustainable ways to manage pests and helps people to use methods that minimize environmental, health and economic… Read more »

Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach is currently exploring the legal avenues for imposing an immediate ban on three toxic agrochemicals: paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos. Paraquat has been banned in the European Union since 2007, and is infamous for it’s toxicity to vital organs, including the liver, kidneys, heart and respiratory system. Glyphosate is… Read more »

A new series of how-to fact sheets, collectively called Stone Fruit IPM for Beginners, developed for new growers and scouts of stone fruit is now available online from Michigan State Extension. These materials are intended to educate new stone fruit growers in integrated pest management fundamentals. Click here to access Stone Fruit IPM for Beginners.