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Penn State Part of International Research Program - October 2004
October 28, 2004
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is one of several partners in an international collaborative research program that is working to reduce agricultural losses from pests and increase farm income while protecting the environment in developing countries.
The Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program, or IPM CRSP, is managed by Virginia Tech's Office of International Research and Development and was recently awarded a five-year, $17-million grant to provide for Phase III. During Phase III, Virginia Tech and partners will initiate new IPM activities through competitive grants for regional pest management programs, as well as for global pest management concerns.
Integrated pest management, or IPM, aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible.
According to Deanna Behring, director of international programs for Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, much has been accomplished since the program was established in 1994. For example, working with colleagues from other universities in the US and developing countries, Dr. Ed Rajotte, professor of entomology and Pennsylvania IPM Program coordinator, College of Agricultural Sciences, helped to drastically reduce the number of pesticide applications through the use of new IPM technologies in eggplants and squash in Bangladesh. "His efforts have led to a more than one-third IPM adoption rate and a more than 70 percent increase in yield and income," she says.
Penn State has also been the leader in the establishment of GIS implementation and training in Jamaica. Dr. Shelby Fleischer, professor of entomology, College of Agricultural Sciences, has helped to reduce pesticide sprays by as much as 60 percent and improve farm-worker safety. "Penn State will continue to be a leader in GIS implementation, expanding the program by linking with other groups throughout the Caribbean that also have GIS objectives. Penn State will also continue to work with USDA APHIS and the island nations to protect US agriculture from pest invasions," Behring explains.
Another of Penn State's contribution to IPM CRSP has been to provide a literature service to all collaborating countries.' Often, library resources are lacking in developing countries, which can hinder research efforts,' says Behring. Penn State also has been involved in IPM CRSP programs in the Philippines and Albania. During Phase III, the primary areas of importance may change since projects will be determined through a competitive process. According to Behring, this will create a new opportunity for more faculty involvement in the program.
IPM CRSP is part of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The agency supports research, education/training, and an information exchange collaborative partnership among US and developing country institutions. It focuses on participatory and collaborative IPM research and education programs for horticultural export crops and other food production systems. For more information on how to get involved, see the IPM CRSP's Web site at http://www.ag.vt.edu/ipmcrsp/index.asp, or contact Rajotte at 814-863-4641, or egrajotte@psu.edu.
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/. To view our archived news releases, see Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/10.htm.