Soybean IPM Education Programs: On-Farms in NYS

Abstract

In 2009, 20 participants representing 18 farms in 3 counties in New York State participated in on-farm soybean Tactical Agriculture (TAg) team Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. Participants were actively engaged in a growing-season-long educational program discussing critical pest and crop management topics arising during the growing season. Multiple educational meetings were held in farmer fields enhancing opportunities to reinforce use of IPM concepts and techniques. Participating producers benefited from the timely collection of data from their fields throughout the growing season. The pest information gathered from scouting these soybean fields during the growing season was used in other extension educational efforts across New York State. Soybean aphid was over threshold in all TAg producers fields this last year. There was a potential yield loss of 5 to 8 bushels/acre which is $50to $80 per acre. As a whole the growers that participated in TAg avoided losses of $431,750 to $690,800.