Objective 1.
Develop educational programs to foster adoption of herbicide resistance management BMP's
Resources for this objective will be utilized to develop printed and web-based materials to be distributed via conventional and electronic means in meetings and as well as being posted on university and industry websites. Short (3 to 5 min) video's or podcasts will be developed depicting resistant management problems in the field and recommendations for remediation. Each video will be immediately available to individuals in key target audiences via smart phones, iPads, or personal computers and hosted on the GWC website. Field days and winter meetings will be conducted in each state with emphasis on resistance management techniques. The techniques will be developed as specific site recommendations in each state consistent with resistance management practices outlined in the WSSA teaching modules.
Objective 2.
Train key influencers on causes, effects, and management of herbicide resistant weeds.
Recent surveys indicate farmers rely on a number of different sources to gain information about weed control on their farms. Although there are slight differences reflected by geography, consultants, retail chemical representatives, university, and farm media are the major sources of information. Often this is a coordinated message with everyone on the same page, but unfortunately, lack of communication and/or self-serving interests can result in mixed and confusing messages. Effective herbicide resistance management serves the best interest of everyone. Resources from this project will be used to train retail herbicide representatives and crop advisors. Special field days and training sessions will be designed to target individual retail dealer groups and farmers. Emphasis will be placed on specific recommendations for the area. During summer field days, we will present and explain results to retailers, crop advisors, and growers. We will also summarize the data and present it in newsletter articles and during private applicator recertification program during the winter Extension meeting season. The results will also be shared at fall and winter Crop Management Workshops in each state and CCA Conventions. Other methods of communicating research results include weekly newsletters during the growing season. This work would be the focus of dedicated glyphosate-resistant weed workshops as well that many states conducted in the winter of 2012 and plan to do again in the upcoming years. Any or all of these workshops could be recorded and uploaded to Extension and USB websites.
Objective 3.
Develop educational programs regarding use and stewardship of new herbicide resistant soybean technology (2,4-D, dicamba, HPPD resistance) coming to market in the next 5 years.
New herbicide resistant crop technology will be available to producers in the very near future. We anticipate rapid adoption of herbicide-resistance traits and subsequent herbicides which provide better control of key herbicide resistant weeds in specific geographies. Resources for this objective will be used to develop conventional and electronic information regarding best use practices for controlling weeds, minimizing off-site movement and damage, and sustainable use patterns to slow development of weeds resistant to the herbicides used in these crops. Once a specific trait is approved and commercially available, informational pieces will be developed and reviewed by the entire list of PI's before they are distributed to clientele.
Objective 4.
Foster collaboration of weed scientists in the U.S. on the development of herbicide resistant weed management strategies, use and stewardship of new herbicide resistance traits, and develop a branded message to farmers and the crop protection industry
We will work closely with the crop protection industry and communications firms to develop a branded message on herbicide resistance stewardship that resonates with growers. Informal weed management and herbicide-resistant weed working groups have been in place for a number of years in both the North Central and Southern Regions of the U.S. Typically, these groups meet once or twice a year and have frequent phone and email conversations on specific topics of current importance. We will gather the Co-PI's twice a year to discuss activities on this project and new directions to take with various educational projects. These meetings will be held central locations to minimize travel expenses. We will invite the appropriate industry representatives to these meetings to share information with them and foster more collaboration in our messaging to farmers about herbicide resistant weed management. In addition, writing of quarterly reports will facilitate communications between all states as the reports are proofed before submission.

Update:
1. The herbicide mode of action publication, and weeds to watch poster have been printed and each participating state is receiving approximately 1500 copies of each. Magazine advertising for the Take Action initiative is nearing completion and will be use during the late fall and winter season.
2. Bill Johnson and Kevin Bradley traveled to St. Louis in July to meet with O and B and go over the printed pieces discussed above.
3. Most of the group met in Lafayette, IN in September to discuss several different applied weed management issues including our progress on this project
4. All co-PI’s are conducted field research and demo trials this spring and summer to develop management recommendations for herbicide resistant weeds and new herbicide resistant crop technology. Field days and summer extension meetings were held in all states
5. Over 50 newsletter articles and 8 video’s were produced on the identification, biology and management of herbicide-resistant weeds.
6. Over 250 field days and extension meetings were conducted by the PI’s on herbicide resistant weeds, herbicide mode of action, herbicide application technology, and management of herbicide resistant weeds.
7. Most of the co-PI’s met in Lafayette, IN on September 10th and 11th discuss pertinent weed management issues from this past growing season and progress on this project and next steps. We decided to produce 1 page fact sheets on the identification and control of each of the weeds on the weeds to watch poster. We hope to complete these by late fall to use in winter meetings. Factsheets on waterhemp and marestail have been submitted to Osborn and Barr for formatting and printing. We hope to have the rest of the fact sheet (11 total) submitted and printed January. We are also developing a pigweed identification poster and hope to have that printed for use during the winter meetings.

In summary, after year one of this project, we feel that our major accomplishments include the following:
1) Development of branded messages with the “Take Action” logo and 4 pillars. Our next step is to deliver the message to farmers through our activities and the activities of our cooperators with the basic manufacturers.
2) Development of a herbicide mode of action chart for the major agronomic crops of the Midwest and Southern U.S. soybean growing regions. Our next step is to deliver to growers and teach them how to use it.
3) Development of the “Eleven that Threaten” poster regarding the worst herbicide resistant weeds, which includes images and the sites of action that the individual weeds are resistant too.
4) We feel that we have increased awareness of herbicide-resistant weed issues and the need to rotate herbicide sites of action.
5) We have effectively leveraged USB funds as evidenced by the number of meetings, field days, diagnostic training events, and applied research trials conducted in cooperation with industry and University Extension. A conservative estimate is that USB funds were leveraged approximately 1:1 based on conservative estimates of Co-Pi’s.