Functions, Evolution, and Benefits of State Integrated Pest Management Programs

The purpose of the Land Grant University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program has been to minimize economic, health, and environmental risks by establishing sustainable pest management systems in rural and urban environments (T. Fuchs, personnal communication, Professor and Extension IPM Coordinator, Texas A&M University (retired)). These programs have become highly productive and cost effective, consistently delivering valuable benefits to university administrations, key clientele groups, and the citizens of the states in which they operate. IPM is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information, along with available pest control methods, to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by using the safest and most economical means (adapted from Bajwa and Kogan 2000). Each state IPM program is uniquely structured to effectively manage available resources through cooperative planning, priority setting, and accountability. Partnerships are established and maintained among researchers, who are the source of new technologies, and extension personnel, who deliver new information and training. Typical clientele-oriented products include pest management guides, training aids, scientific and trade journal articles, newsletters, displays, lectures, and workshops. These state IPM programs make up a powerful national IPM network with 56 individual state and commonwealth programs organized into four geographical regions. This network provides an essential mechanism for coordinating inter-state and multidisciplinary IPM research and educational projects that deliver much-needed information and technologies. Therefore, to have the most effective and efficient pest management capabilities and capture the benefits of the national IPM network, every land grant university should consolidate its IPM activities into an identifiable, coherent statewide program. In this article, we describe the functions, development, and extraordinary benefits of robust and comprehensive state IPM programs.