The 2014 IPM Innovators Awards
Back to IPM Innovator Award Winners Page
The 2014 Awardees are:
Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District
The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (District) is mandated by the California Health and Safety Code to protect public health within its boundaries by controlling vectors and vector-borne diseases. The District encompasses 2,400 square miles, including Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, as well as unincorporated sections of Riverside County and the northern portion of the Salton Sea. In addition to mosquito and vector control activities, the district has a local mandate for red imported fire ant and eye gnat control. The District uses various surveillance methods and has developed a computer program to help its staff quickly determine where to focus inspections and treatments when public health risks are high. The District has also increased surveillance for pesticide resistance in mosquitoes in order to reevaluate resistance management plans. This organization partners with 37 other agencies to conduct physical control and source reduction of mosquitoes and other vectors. The District produces 200,000 mosquito fish annually and distributes them to golf course ponds, abandoned swimming pools, and ornamental ponds to prevent mosquito breeding. The District also is the only one in California that uses tadpole shrimp as a biological control agent in seasonal water bodies. Research conducted by District staff is shared at state and national vector control meetings and through publications in peer-reviewed journals. The District's strong leadership in developing and implementing biological control measures and its frequent collaboration with the University of California (UC) go above and beyond mandates to address mosquitos and other local vectors.
More information is available at http://www.cvmvcd.org/ or by contacting:
Jill Oviatt, Public Outreach Manager
Phone: (760) 342-8287
E-mail: joviatt@cvmvcd.org
Easter Lily Research Foundation
Located in Brookings, Oregon, the Easter Lily Research Foundation (ELRF) has been involved in Easter lily production research for several decades. ELRF's 3-acre facility, funded by growers, conducts research to develop effective IPM strategies using least-toxic products to address Easter lily pests, primarily nematodes, aphids, and plant diseases. ELRF works closely with growers, holding regular meetings to present research information and discuss new regulations. The current IPM program to control nematodes includes a 4-year rotation with 3 years of grass and clover cover crop and 1 year of lilies, a practice that has been used for the past 40 years. Nematode management practices also include reducing irrigation after bloom and promoting soil health to ensure optimum tilth and moisture retention, which facilitates good pest control using the least amount of fumigant. For the last 20 years ELRF has worked closely with UC Davis nematologist Becky Westerdahl to develop nematode control practices. Further, ELRF has partnered with UC Davis and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Beltsville, Maryland, to develop nematode resistant clones. Aphid IPM practices are based on 13 years of research that identified the insecticide products that best controlled each of the approximately 20 damaging species and biotypes of aphids. The goal of one of ELRF's current projects, funded by a 2-year USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant, is to breed a new Easter lily variety that requires 50 percent less production time, acreage, and pesticide use. ELRF is a well-established, grower-supported research program whose work has improved pest management practices and reduced crop losses, which in turn has decreased the planted acreage necessary to maintain productivity and reduced the amount of pesticides applied.
More information is available at http://www.easterlily.org/ or by contacting:
Lee Riddle, Research Station Manager
Phone: (541) 469-2215
E-mail: easterlilyresearch@gmail.com
San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (SFRPD) administers more than 220 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces, including 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses, numerous tennis courts, ball diamonds, the San Francisco Zoo, and soccer fields, as well as other sports venues such as Candlestick Park. Since 2003, SFRPD's IPM program has reduced its use of pesticides in every category and uses an ecosystem-based, research-driven, collaborative, and transparent approach to solve pest problems. SFRPD uses duckweed from Golden Gate Park ponds to make high-grade compost for turfgrass that increases turf density and reduces weeds. The program also promotes working collaboratively with other agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). SFRPD and DFW worked together to eradicate an invasive frog from an area pond by lowering the pH of the water, which only affected the offending frog species. SFRPD also used IPM practices to reduce Australian cockroach populations in the Conservatory of Flowers display houses. SFRPD demonstrates leadership through its pioneering research in pest management practices, which values collaboration and sustainability; its investigative and holistic approach to solving pest management issues; and its commitment to success, as evidenced by the realization of its compost program. SFRPD's IPM Program solves its pest problems creatively and effectively, and then promotes the results to assist others through information sharing, education, and outreach. SFRPD's IPM program has shown outstanding leadership through its unique and effective pest management strategies, its continuing research programs, and its continued commitment.
More information is available at https://sfrecpark.org/ or by contacting:
Kevin Woolen, Integrated Pest Management Specialist
Phone: (415) 831-6312
E-mail: kevin.woolen@sfgov.org
If you would like to find out more about IPM, our IPM Innovators, or the IPM Innovators Program, you can contact:
For content questions, contact:
Michelle Andreetta
1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812-4015
Phone: (916) 324-4245
E-mail: school-ipm@cdpr.ca.gov