2005 Annual Report

UC Statewide IPM Program
HIGHLIGHTS

From the director

In May, the UC Statewide IPM Program celebrated its 25th anniversary with a dinner at UC Davis. Many of our current and past employees and participating faculty attended, and it was a great opportunity to catch up with long-time friends and to reflect on the enormous accomplishments of the program.

Time is a precious commodity for everyone interested in IPM. For that reason, we are trying something new for the UC IPM annual report in this 25th year: a shorter version, focused on highlights that will offer you the flavor of what we have accomplished in a more succinct format.

It's impossible to offer a complete picture of all that we do or to properly acknowledge the hard work of our highly dedicated staff. This brief snapshot cannot fully capture the holistic nature of the IPM Program, including how we work every day to identify new and practical solutions to critical problems, and how the program integrates the efforts of researchers, extension staff, writers, web producers, and programmers into delivery of environmentally, economically, and socially sound pest management practices.

I am confident that as you read this report and peruse our Web site, you will agree that the UC IPM Program continues to be an extremely effective contributor to the range of pest management needs in California and has focused on many of the most important ones.

–Rick Roush

UC Statewide IPM Program celebrates 25 years

In May, the UC Statewide IPM Program celebrated its 25th anniversary as an organization committed to reducing pesticide use and to finding nonchemical alternatives to keep pests in check.

Following on the heels of an Environmental Pesticide Assessment Report by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, UC researchers developed a proposal for a statewide integrated pest management program. In 1979, the State Legislature funded UC to create the UC IPM Program.

Staff used a holistic, problem-solving approach, combining the talents and insight of interdisciplinary teams of researchers to develop a comprehensive approach to pest management.

"UC IPM is the very best example of the research and extension continuum that we strive to instill in our programs to better serve the public—IPM academics and staff create, develop, and deliver new information to the public," said W. R. Gomes, UC vice president, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at IPM ‘s 25th anniversary dinner in May. "… UC IPM has become the model for other IPM programs in the nation and the world."

Over the years, UC IPM has expanded its educational and research arm beyond agriculture to include urban residents, schools, public agencies, landscape professionals, and public health.