The North Central IPM Center will host a Crop Protection Visioning teleconference on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.  The purpose of this teleconference is to provide basic information regarding the proposed consolidation of six IPM-related funding lines in to a single funding line entitled “Crop Protection” and to allow participants an opportunity to share their thoughts regarding how this new program might be structured to foster regional and national team building efforts, communication networks, and enhanced stakeholder participation.  The new program will focus on plant protection tactics and tools; diversified IPM systems; enhancing agricultural biosecurity; IPM for a sustainable society; and development of the next generation of IPM scientists.

To register for this teleconference, please visit http://www.ncipmc.org/teleconference/.  If more than one individual from your unit plans to participate in the teleconference, we suggest you consider participating as a group using a speaker phone and LCD projector.  This approach will reduce telephone expenses and hopefully facilitate further discussion within your unit following the teleconference.

Background:

The President’s FY2013 budget proposes to consolidate funding for Expert Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Decision Support System, IPM & Biological Control, Minor Crop Pest Management IR-4, Pest Management Alternatives, Smith-lever 3(d) Pest Management (State IPM Coordinators), and Regional Pest Management Centers into a single program called Crop Protection administered under Integrated Activities. This consolidation will enhance NIFA’s ability to support research, education, and extension activities needed to ensure global food security and respond to other major societal challenges.  Funded activities will be for IPM projects that respond to pest management challenges with coordinated regional and national research, education, and extension programs, and promote further development and use of IPM approaches.

USDA NIFA is planning a series four of listening sessions, the first of which will occur at the conclusion of the 7th International IPM Symposium on March 29,2012, from 2:00 -5:00 p.m., in Memphis, TN.  If you are attending the 7th International IPM Symposium, I urge you to attend this session.  The purpose of the listening sessions is to gather stakeholder input on how the new “Crop Protection” line item should be implemented.  We realize not everyone will be able to participate in these listening sessions, so the North Central IPM Center will summarize the discussions from the March 7, 2012 teleconference to share at the March 29, 2012 listening session.

Additional listening sessions are scheduled for:

April 11, 2012 – via web and conference call.
April 16, 2012 – Washington, DC at the Waterfront Center, NIFA offices.
May 1, 2012 – via web and conference call.

Details on all sessions will be published in the Federal Register and posted on the NIFA website (www.nifa.usda.gov).