IPM News

The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM), in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Long Island Pollution Prevention Project (LIPPP), has launched, “Our Land, Our Water,” a public education campaign designed to protect surface and ground waters from contamination, by encouraging Long Island residents to adopt more sustainable lawn and landscape techniques and leverage integrated pest management practices to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers.Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, Ph.D., coordinator of Community IPM efforts for NYSIPM and a lifelong resident of Long Island, announced the campaign during NYSIPM’s  What’s Bugging You? First Friday event April 1.

“Long Islanders love a great lawn, we really do,” Gangloff-Kaufmann said. “But we face unique challenges, because our drinking water comes exclusively from underground aquifers. Everything we put into the ground has the potential to make it into our water supply.”

While the NYSDEC is focused on pesticide pollution from industrial sources, “Our Land, Our Water” is designed to show homeowners and landscape professionals how small changes to common lawncare and landscape behaviors can lead to better water quality for all Long Islanders.
 
“Most people care about the environment, but very few people put those concerns into action. That is where this project comes in,” Gangloff-Kaufmann said. “By utilizing a few, simple strategies, we can make a significant impact.”

Techniques being promoted by “Our Land, Our Water” include  recycling leaves, mowing high, leaving early season dandelions for pollinators, avoiding the use of early spring fertilizer, leaving clippings on lawns, and practicing smart water use.

“Our Land, Our Water” is focused on Long Island; however, all New Yorkers could benefit from adoption of the strategies promoted by the campaign.
“Water quality issues are rampant throughout New York State” Gangloff-Kaufmann said. “This project can be scalable to the entire state, and the information is truly useful to everyone.”

The NYSIPM program is developing new virtual courses to help schools implement plans to manage pests such as rodents, head lice, bed bugs or yellow jackets.

States are rushing to get residents to stomp out the invasive spotted lanternfly before the moth-looking bugs destroy more agriculture.

Candidates for an Excellence in IPM Award are individuals or organizations whose IPM work in New York
State deserves special recognition.

Our new director's message, and highlights of projects done in 2019-2020.

Andrew Senesac, Weed Science Specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension, Suffolk County, received an Excellence in IPM Award from the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program for his decades-long career helping NYS growers manage the weeds that can reduce the yield and quality of their crops.

Alejandro Calixto, formerly head of the Florida Research Center for Corteva Agriscience, is the new director of New York State Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Calixto officially takes the reins May 16, following the retirement of Jennifer Grant, Ph.D. ’00.