On August 6th and 7th, 2019, in Iowa, about 70 invited participants from across the United States representing growers, ag retail, commodity groups, pesticide and biotech firms, lenders, NGOs, EPA, USDA, and university research and extension scientists convened to discuss why resistance management issues continue, despite all the knowledge that exists. The first day of the Science Policy Experience on Pest Resistance Management was held in Logan, Iowa, and the second day was in Ankeny, Iowa. Materials below include a link to the event handouts, an event summary, and links to media items related to the event.
Meeting Summary
Participants learned that pest resistance is a multidimensional problem, which includes a human behavior element. Because insects and weeds do not know property lines, effective pest management is impossible to do successfully on any one individual farm. It takes a communal approach to holistically manage these pests and to the degree possible, a proactive approach that delays the onset of resistance, as opposed to a reactive approach in responding to crises after they develop. The Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Project team provided an example of their community-based, proactive approach on Day 1.
Presentations on the second day focused on weeds, pink bollworm, soybean aphid, science communication and the ESA's policy statements on resistance management. The elements that make a community project successful were explored. Cooperation begins with developing trust at all levels among the different stakeholder groups. Once connections are formed, community members start to recognize similar values and can relate to the importance and need to address current risks together. The Science Policy Experience was a first of what the organizers hope to be the beginning of a continuous dialogue among all key stakeholders.
The workshop was co-sponsored by the ESA (PBT and P-IE Sections), Weed Science Society of America, Corteva Agriscience, IPRMP, and a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) grant to the WSSA.
A full summary handout can be found here.
Media Coverage
ESA September 2019 Plant-Insect Ecoystems Newsletter: 2019 Science Policy Experience on Pest Resistance Management a Big Success
Tackling Pest Resistance in Iowa by Rod Swoboda
Science Policy Experience: Changing Our Dialogue on Resistance Management
What a Community in the Heartland Can Teach Us About Resistance Management
Iowa State Univeristy IPM: 2019 Science Policy Experience brings National Spotlight to Successful Harrison County Pest Resistance Management Project
Video Summary from Harrison County Team