The 2015 IPM Innovators Awards

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The 2015 Awardees are:

California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC)

Cal–IPC, formed in 1992, is the leading organization that educates land managers about IPM practices for invasive plants in California. Working with government agencies, industry and other non-profits, Cal–IPC's programs include a range of activities: developing decision-support tools and best management practices (BMPs); coordinating regional partnerships; advocating for sound public policy; and providing useful IPM information through newsletters and an annual Symposium. Cal–IPC's outreach efforts provide technical and strategic information to hundreds of land managers, resulting in more effective management of invasive plants, greater long-term conservation outcomes and reduced use of herbicides. Cal-IPC's new herbicide manual BMPs for Wildland Stewardship: Protecting Wildlife When Using Herbicides for Invasive Plant Management, written in collaboration with the Pesticide Research Institute is designed both for pesticide applicators and the public. It provides expert knowledge on techniques from longtime land managers and risk charts with US Forest Service data in a new graphical format, showing potential for impact of herbicides on wildlife. This information had not previously been collected into one place and presented in such an accessible way. In the first month after publication, the manual was downloaded over 2000 times in 45 states and 32 countries. Cal–IPC collaborates with sister groups nationwide through the National Association of Invasive Plant Councils. Cal-IPC provides a unique leadership role in California, providing IPM tools, information, and strategic approaches for invasive plant management resulting in reducing overall pesticide risk, and protecting California's wildlands and wildlife.

More information is available at www.cal-ipc.org or by contacting:
Doug Johnson, Executive Director
Phone: (510) 843-3902
E-mail: dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org

Four Winds Growers

Four Winds Growers is a family-owned and -operated citrus nursery with growing grounds in Fremont, Winters, and Watsonville. It was founded around 1946 by Floyd Dillon, and is continued by four generations of the Dillon family. In 2009, Four Winds Growers pro-actively converted a rose nursery in Watsonville into an insect-resistant structure as a method of exclusion of Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP), the vector of Huanglongbing (HLB). The greenhouse's double entry vestibules have positive pressure designed to blow air and insects from the greenhouse when doors are opened. They were one of the first citrus nursery growers in California to successfully convert their growing operation to an enclosed structure in support of nursery cleanliness to prevent HLB. Use of an enclosed structure can reduce the frequency and amount of pesticides needed to control ACP and other pests. Workers and the environment are exposed to fewer pesticides as a result. Employees are trained in IPM and best management practices and attend training sessions that emphasize protocols that adhere to the various IPM strategies specific to each nursery site. Four Winds Growers helped make regulation for clean citrus nursery products a reality by strongly supporting the California Department of Food and Agriculture "Citrus Nursery Stock Cleanliness Program" and mandatory insect-resistant structures. Four Winds Growers were very proactive and vocal in showing the need for cleanliness regulation in California and set an example through the early implementation of the insect-resistant structure, implementing nursery cleanliness to prevent HLB.

More information is available at www.fourwindsgrowers.com or by contacting:
Don Dillon, President
Phone: (831) 768-0683
E-mail: dfdillon831@gmail.com

Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified Program

Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified, which launched in 2008, is a non-profit certification program for winegrape growers dedicated to sustainability. Unlike self-assessment certification programs, SIP Certification standards require a measurable and verifiable set of farming practices which encompass: Conservation and Enhancement of Biological Diversity; Vineyard Establishment and Management, Soil Conservation and Water Quality, Water Resources and Conservation; Energy Conservation and Efficiency; Air Quality; Social Equity; Pest Management; Continuing Education; and Product Assurance and Business Sustainability. Vineyards are required to implement an IPM program to manage pests and are prohibited from using high-risk pesticides. Certification standards include such practices as cover cropping for biodiversity, dust management, canopy management to reduce disease pressure, and many more standards that contribute to promoting sustainable and integrated pest management practices. The certification program requires growers to meet nearly 50 requirements, in addition to implementing practices to achieve 75% of the total available points. Regulatory incentives (from Regional Water Quality Control Board) and use of the SIP logo for marketing provide real, tangible benefits to certified growers in addition to pesticide use reductions. When it was launched in 2008 the SIP Certification Program had 3,700 acres participating, and the program now has 32,000 acres participating in 2015, with a 90% retention rate.

More information is available at www.sipcertified.org or by contacting:
Beth Vukmanic Lopez, Certification Manager
Phone: (805) 466-6692
E-mail: beth@vineyardteam.org

Tree & Vine IPM Group

The Tree & Vine IPM group consists of UCCE Farm Advisors Roger Duncan and Kathy Anderson and a core group of 10 PCAs in Stanislaus County. The Tree and Vine breakfast meetings are workshops that occur every two weeks from March to June, with consistent participation of 40 – 50 PCAs, consultants, and growers. These meetings were created to fulfill a need for more interaction in a smaller group setting, providing information on a frequent basis throughout the growing season. Pest identification and IPM practices are taught in a very interactive learning environment, providing a forum for discussing field observations and pest problems as they emerge. Alternative treatments are taught and modified or adapted by the group. The group discussions and training, led by Roger and Kathy, help growers to use more reduced risk materials or avoid a pesticide application altogether. Meetings also provide the group a forum to inform UC advisors on priority research needs and alternatives to UC practices (such as early detection methods and growing degree days for first generation treatment timing.) The group improves the management of diseases and pests, finding solutions to problems as they occur. Roger Duncan organized the meetings 20 years ago, and the group now has 2nd and 3rd generation participants. The group provides leadership by working together to promote wider adoption of IPM practices, helping pest control professionals and growers adapt and apply the information to develop best management practices, and sharing information with their own groups and other growers. The group has had a great impact on the community in terms of the number of acres and the practices they impact. The group has created an exceptional networking tool to promote and develop IPM practices that drives their connection with the community.

More information is available at https://cestanislaus.ucanr.edu/ or by contacting:
Roger Duncan, UCCE farm Advisor
Phone: (209) 525-6840
E-mail: raduncan@ucdavis.edu

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