Annual Reports

1995—IPM Education & Publications

IPM Education and Publications produces publications and other educational materials related to pest management. The staff, primarily professional writers trained in the pest management sciences work closely with IPM advisors, farm advisors, specialists, and researchers to develop state-of-the-art educational materials and programs that reflect the newest advances in pest management. IPM Education and Publications and the UC IPM Pesticide Education Program, which is located in the same office, coordinate closely in developing their many educational and training programs.

Mary Louise Flint is Director of IPM Education and Publications. Larry Strand and Steve Dreistadt are technical writers involved primarily in the production of IPM manuals. Barbara Ohlendorf is Pest Management Guideline Coordinator. Mike Trulson coordinates desktop publishing and production of publications. Christine Joshel checks pesticide registrations and helps maintain the pesticide guideline database.

Pest Notes

UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) has traditionally provided information about how to manage pests in the home, garden and landscape through a series of free publications called "one sheet answers", distributed free through county UCCE offices. This series has gradually been phased out; most of the still-available one sheet answers were written in the 1970's or early 80's and are out of date. Advisors and specialists have need for such publications on a daily basis to respond to calls from the public. For many major pests, no one sheet answers are available and advisors must scramble to put together information from their own files or other state's publications to send out in response to fairly routine requests from the public. In 1994, we designed and established a new illustrated desktop publication series, Pest Notes, available as hard copy (on-request from UCCE county offices for the cost of photocopying) and on-line, to meet this need. A survey of UCCE advisors and county offices conducted in September 1994 provided a list of priority topics and contributors/reviewers.

Pest Noteshave been designed to overcome some of the problems inherent in the one sheet answer series. By having a permanent centralized staff (at UC IPM) responsible for keeping the series up-to-date and reviewed every three years, we will avoid the problem of out-of-date information. By instituting a peer review system, we will be certain that the information is correct and represents a consensus of UC experts. By using a desktop publishing system and sending only camera-ready copies to counties, we will avoid the problem of publications being out of print, or a stockpile of publications that has to be dumped because it is obsolete. By having the Pest Notes on-line (via the World Wide Web), we can service an increasingly computer literate clientele.

Twenty-four Pest Notes were produced in the fiscal year 1994-1995. A similar number is expected to be released in 1995-96. Barbara Ohlendorf has coordinated writing and review of these publications with assistance from Pattie Gouveia.

Pest Notes Produced to date

Title                           Number  Pub. Date       Pages   Authors and Reviewers
Anthracnose                     21      June 1995       3       A. Gabrik, S. Koike, J. MacDonald, A. McCain, H. Ohr, B. Raabe, P. Svihra
Aphids                          5       January 1995    4       L. D. Godfrey, E. Grafton-Cardwell, P.A. Phillips
Apple Scab                      14      June 1995       4       D. Bethell, R. Elkins, D. Giraud, D. Gubler, C. Pickel, W. Micke, B. Teviotdale, P. Vossen
Bark Beetles                    22      June 1995       4       D. L. Dahlsten, T. D. Paine, P. Svihra
California Oakworm              23      June 1995       3       W. E. Chaney, S. H. Dreistadt, V. R. Lewis, P. Svihra
Carpenter Ants                  17      June 1995       2       V. Lazaneo, V. Lewis, R. Molinar, E. Mussen, P. Svihra
Carpenter Bees                  18      June 1995       2       V. Lazaneo, V. Lewis, R. Molinar, E. Mussen, P. Svihra
Codling Moth                    13      June 1995       4       R. Bethell, W. Bentley, J. Caprile, R. Elkins, K. Kelley, M. Moratorio, W. Olson, C. Pickel, P. Vossen, F. Zalom
Cottony Cushion Scale           11      June 1995       2       S. H. Dreistadt, R. J. Gill, J. G. Morse, P. A. Phillips, R. E. Rice
Elm Leaf Beetle                 4       January 1995    4       S. H. Dreistadt, M. L. Flint
Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer     26      February 1996
Fire Blight                     15      June 1995       4       R. Elkins, D. Giraud, D. Gubler, W. Micke, B. Teviotdale
Fleas                           20      June 1995       4       E. C. Mussen, M. Dryden, J. Glenn, V. Lazaneo, V. Lewis, P. Marer, M. Rust
Foliage and Branch Diseases of 
        Landscape Trees         25      February 1996                   
Household Ants                  12      June 1995       4       V. Lewis, P. Phillips, M. Rust, H. Shorey, P. Ward
Powdery Mildew                  7       January 1995    4       R. M. Davis, W. D. Gubler, S. T. Koike, P. A. Phillips, K. V. Subbarao, B. L. Teviotdale
Psyllids                        24      June 1995       4       B. Chaney, P. Da Silva, R. Tassan
Lace Bugs                       29      February 1996
Leaf Curl                       27      February 1996
Poison Oak                      32      February 1996
Scales                          9       June 1995       4       S. H. Dreistadt, R. J. Gill, J. G. Morse, P. A. Phillips, R. E. Rice
Silverleaf Whitefly             1       January 1995    4       M. L. Flint, L. Godfrey, P. Goodell, T. M. Perring, N. Toscano
Snail and Slugs                 28      February 1996 
Spider Mites                    6       January 1995    4       L.E. Ehler, L.D. Godfrey, P.B. Goodell, P.A. Phillips, F.G. Zalom
Sycamore Scale                  10      June 1995       2       S. H. Dreistadt, R. J. Gill, J. G. Morse, P. A. Phillips, R. E. Rice
Termites                        16      June 1995       4       P. Elam, V. Lazaneo, V. Lewis, R. Molinar, E. Mussen, P. Svihra
Thrips                          30      February 1996
Walnut Husk Fly                 31      February 1996  
Whiteflies in the Greenhouse    2       January 1995    4       M. L. Flint, M. P. Parrella
Wood Wasps and Horntails        8       January 1995    2       E. Mussen, M. Rust, K. Rodriguez, G. Veercamp
Wood-Boring Beetles in Homes    19      June 1995       3       V. Lazaneo, V. Lewis, R. Molinar, E. Mussen
Yellow Starthistle              3       June 1995       4       W. T. Lanini, C. D. Thomsen, T. S. Prather, C. E. Turner, J. M. DiTomaso, M. J. Smith, C. L. Elmore, M. P. Vayssieres, W. A. Williams

A major function of the IPM Education and Publications office is the production of comprehensive IPM manuals for growers and pest control advisers. IPM manuals have been produced for 14 agricultural crops, landscape trees and shrubs, and home gardens. Several are in their second or third edition. The UC IPM manual series has received national recognition for the quality, readibility and outstanding color photographs in each book. No new manuals have been released since the last annual report, however, two additional ones are in preparation: IPM for Stonefruits, being compiled by Larry L. Strand, and IPM for Floriculture compiled by Steve H. Dreistadt. Barbara Ohlendorf is completing a major revision of IPM for Cotton, which is expected to be released in spring 1996.

The UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines are the brief but comprehensive crop-specific pest management guides that are regularly updated on a desktop publishing system and the UC IPM computer. Because of their timeliness these guidelines contain specific information that complements the more detailed and liberally illustrated IPM manuals. In addition to recommended pesticides the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines contain information on nonchemical control techniques, sampling and monitoring methods, treatment thresholds, organically acceptable practices and other pest management information. The guidelines are written by (or in consultation with) farm advisors and specialists and edited and formatted by IPM Education and Publications staff. Camera ready copies, prepared on a desktop publishing system, are sent to county Cooperative Extension offices for distribution to clientele. The information is also entered into the UC IPM computer, where it is available to users of the IMPACT program. Printed versions of the guidelines and updates are also available individually or by subscription through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications in Oakland.

In 1994-95, guidelines for corn and artichokes were added to the series, which now includes 34 agricultural crops and turfgrass. Most of the guidelines were updated at least once during the year. A major project this year has been preparing the Guidelines for inclusion on the World Wide Web. On the Web, users will not only have the benefits of up-to-date pest management information provided by other versions of the guidelines, but will also be able to access color photos of pests and pest damage, definitions and other in-depth details provided by clicking words in hypertext.

In preparing the IPM manuals, pesticide applicator compendia and other publications, the IPM Project has gathered over 49,000 orginal slides of pests, pest damage, natural enemies, pest management techniques and crop development stages. The photographs in the collection are available to all University of California cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiement Station personnel for use in their educational activities and have been widely used for talks and publications outside the realm of the IPM Project. Over the last year, slide collection coordinator Larry Strand handled over 60 special requests for slides from the IPM Education and Publications collection. Photographs were used in several journals including California Agriculture, IPM Practitioner, Good Fruit Grower, Nut Grower Magazine, Western Grower, and California Nurserymen, in several regional and national extension publications, in newspapers, textbooks, and in displays at the Butte and Napa county fairs and State of California's Earth Day celebration in Sacramento. Photos from the collection also were used for a number of brochures and videos used for training pest management professionals. Slide sets for each the the IPM manuals and pesticide compendium volumes have been produced for purchase by the general public.

A major project over the last year has been to digitize all the photographs used in UC IPM publications in CD-ROM format. Many of these photos will be accessible on the World Wide Web in conjunction with the pest management guideline database. An effort to develop a CD-ROM diagnostic and management guide for garden pests will get underway in fall 1995. The CD-ROM format will also allow safe storage of a duplicate set of photographs in case of fire.

In July 1995, IPM Education and Publications released UC IPM Publication 19, Whiteflies in California: A Resource for Cooperative Extension. This pamphlet is designed to be a resource for horticulture and farm advisors who must repsond to inquires regarding whiteflies. While this publication was stimulated by dramatic crop losses in some areas of California due to the silverleaf whitefly, it also covers identification and general management practices for other whitefly species of economic importance as well.

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