Update:
Iowa Soybean Research Center Final Report
PI Name: Steven P. Bradbury
Year 3 Funding period: Oct 1, 2018 - Sep 30, 2019; Project Period Oct 1, 2016 – Sep 30, 2019
Report date: October 1, 2019
Funding amount: $75,000 over three years
Project Title: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IOWA PEST RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
File 3 Provides a PDF of a more detailed final Project Report
Progress of Work (Project Summary):
The proposal titled, “Implementation of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan” was awarded funding on May 8, 2017. This three-year project, which was back dated to October 1, 2016, supports the implementation of voluntary, community-based pest resistance management as described in the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan (IPRMP).
The overall goal of this project was to facilitate the formation of community-based pest resistance management programs and subsequent acceptance and adoption of resistance management practices, consistent with goals and objectives of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program (https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/protectiowacrops). Member organizations and partners of the IPRMP include the Iowa Soybean Association; Iowa Corn Growers Association; Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; Agribusiness Association of Iowa; Iowa Institute of Cooperatives; Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association; Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers; Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee; Insecticide Resistance Action Committee; Herbicide Resistance Action Committee; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship; and Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Extension, and Iowa Soybean Research Center.
Insect, weed, and disease resistance to chemical, genetic, and agronomic management practices is recognized by farmers, their crop advisors, pesticide technology firms, and land grant researchers and extension specialists as a serious and increasing threat to commodity crop production in the United States, including corn and soybean production in Iowa. The IPRMP is an Iowa-specific effort to address pests--including weeds, insects and diseases--that can adapt and become resistant to chemical, genetic, and agronomic control practices. The IPRMP outlines voluntary, community-based approaches to identify and implement effective, integrated management solutions that will sustainably control pests at the local level. By fostering methods to detect resistance and implement coordinated pest management techniques, resistance can be delayed or even prevented, limiting the spread of pest resistance and reduced profitability. Because many pests are mobile and can move across farm boundaries, effective community-based management involves coordinated efforts of farmers, agribusiness representatives, local lenders, cooperative managers, and community leaders with support from ISU Extension.
In January 2015, a meeting led by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences resulted in the call for the development of a statewide, voluntary pest resistance management plan that would be coordinated by ISU and IDALS and involve participation from all sectors of Iowa agriculture. A framework for the plan was developed by a taskforce made up of representatives from the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association, Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, Pesticide Resistance Action Committees, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. This framework, approved in December 2015, provided a structure for developing Version 1.0 of the IPRMP. The first version of the IPRMP contained chapters regarding governance, state of the science, communication and outreach, and pilot projects. The plan was approved by the partnering organizations in December 2016. A website, www.ProtectIowaCrops.org, was created to serve as a central hub for the IPRMP plan, project news, information, and resistance-related resources.
To advance implementation of a community-based approach to resistance management, the Iowa plan identified four pilot projects in different locations across the state. The pilot projects are envisioned to incorporate the most current pest management science and recommendations, while also acknowledging the socio-economic realities farmers face. Development of the pilot projects began in 2016-2017. Each pilot project is intended to have representation from all sectors of agriculture, including farmers, crop advisers, commodity groups, agricultural retailers, seed dealers, lenders, university research and extension, and representatives from seed and pesticide companies. A broad cross-section of stakeholders is vital as each brings unique viewpoints and valuable insights into barriers to adoption of resistance management practices as well as potential solutions. Pilot planning, facilitated by ISU, is designed from the “ground-up” by the local community teams. A brief summary of the four pilots over the three-year project period are provided below. A more detailed synopsis of project activities and outreach metrics are provided following this summary.
Pilot 1: Harrison County: Palmer amaranth and herbicide resistant weeds. This is the most advanced pilot with a motivated local farmer serving as project lead and a stable, diverse project team consisting of farmers, retail and extension agronomists, representatives from pesticide technology companies, and lenders. Since the summer of 2017, the team meets every one to three months. The group understands the seriousness of pest resistance and what must be done to make progress; namely to change the mindset regarding weed management to confront the threat of herbicide resistance. Tangible progress towards project goals include completion of a postcard survey of grower awareness and management practices, field trials in cooperator corn and soybean fields demonstrating comprehensive weed management programs, field days, videos, collection and screening of weed seeds for herbicide resistance, and numerous outreach publications. In August 2019, the team hosted a Weed Science Society of America/Entomological Society of America Policy Experience event. Over 70 invited participants from across the United States representing growers, agricultural retailers, commodity groups, pesticide and biotechnology firms, lenders, NGOs, EPA, USDA, and university research and extension scientists convened to discuss community-based pest resistance management and to learn from the success of the Harrison pilot. The goal of the meeting was to provide participants with a new perspective and tools for engaging with their organizations and reaching out to broader stakeholder groups in the development and implementation of local, voluntary, community-based resistance management.
Pilot 2: Herbicide resistant waterhemp in Story County. Sixteen meetings in 2017 – 2019 have been held with a diverse group of land managers, coop agronomists, technology providers, and university extension staff. Land use in Story County includes seed production fields in addition to commodity production, which in turn indicates that multiple, overlapping communities of producers and support networks are in play, adding another layer of social and economic complexities to forming a community-based approach. Awareness of herbicide resistance is high and the urgency of the problem is recognized; however, a local leadership group only recently emerged in September 2019. The newly formed team consists of six local farmers and a highly respected, retired leader from a cooperative, who was instrumental in helping form this core group. The group is identifying additional producers to join the effort and will meet again following harvest. These results are encouraging and further illustrate, consistent with the Harrison County project, the importance of a local, well-respected leadership team to help initiate a community-based approach. This project combined with the Harrison County project illustrate the diversity of factors related to community team formation, including socio-economic constraints.
Pilot 3: Soybean aphid resistance to pyrethroids. Soybean aphid resistance to pyrethroids is an emerging threat. This pilot serves as a test for the ability to initiate pest resistance management in the early stages of resistance development, before most producers see a significant problem. Discussions with soybean producers and ISA directors in north central and northeast Iowa have provided valuable information and insights. The extent to which growers or their advisors are scouting fields every seven to ten days from the end of June through R5.5, as recommended by extension entomologists, is uncertain. Despite a well-documented and supported economic threshold for aphid management, some discussions indicate a belief that the economic threshold should be much lower due to the economics of application, commodity prices, and misinformation; e.g., a concern there is an additive interaction between soybean cyst nematode and soybean aphid. In addition, in some instances pyrethroid insecticides are applied in a tank mix with scheduled fungicide treatments, regardless of aphid pressure. Previous research indicates decisions to use fungicides in corn production are likely influenced by perceived economic gains, beliefs, and attitude towards risk. After the 2019 harvest, the IPRMP team will resume discussions to better understand the combined use of fungicides and insecticides with leading soybean producers and ISA directors.
Pilot 4: Western corn rootworm resistance to Bt traits. Team leaders from the IPRMP have held seven meetings with stakeholders in three northeast Iowa counties to understand awareness and attitudes concerning Bt-resistance, identify barriers to adoption of resistance management practices, and identify potential project participants and leaders. A statewide grower survey conducted in the summer of 2018 is being used to better assess grower perspectives. Thus far, discussions and the survey results indicate challenges to greater adoption of best management practices, including grower disinterest in crop rotation due to field topography, proximity to ethanol plants, co-management of livestock operations, and lack of confidence in the feasibility of profitable soybean production. Other challenges include inadequate knowledge of Bt traits and the current resistance profile, combined with a belief that commercialization of new technologies to solve the problem are imminent. The results of the survey will help guide future discussions with local leaders and representatives of member companies in the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee.
The efforts of the IPRMP were recently recognized by the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), Entomological Society of America (ESA), Corteva, and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. These organizations collaborated to hold a national Science Policy Experience event on August 6 and 7, 2019 concerning community-based approaches to address weed and insect resistance. This event was held in Iowa, which is the only state actively pursuing community-based approaches. Over 70 invited participants from across the United States representing growers, ag retail, commodity groups, pesticide and biotechnology firms, lenders, NGOs, EPA, USDA, and university research and extension scientists convened to discuss pest resistance management and to learn from the success of the Harrison pilot. The goal of the meeting was to provide participants with a new perspective along with strategies to engage broader stakeholder groups in the development and implementation of local, voluntary, community-based resistance management. The participants spent August 6th in Harrison County meeting with the local team. During the day the deputy secretary of Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship also spoke and stressed the importance of the IPRMP for Iowa and producers across the nation. On August 7th, the participants convened in Ankeny, Iowa to discuss and explore how experiences such as those gained in Iowa could be adapted to other parts of the country. Dr. Paul Lasley from ISU provided a presentation, titled: A Model for Community Change.
Over the course of the three-year project, numerous outreach products were released and activities undertaken, which are summarized below. Files 1 and 2 provide representative outreach materials and presentations, respectively.
Presentations at professional, commodity meetings: 23
Webinar: 1
Extension Publication: 1
News Media/ISU Articles: 39
Handouts: 10
Videos: 5
Radio interviews: 3
Field Days: 5
Website: 1
Next Steps: A major finding of this project is that socio-economic factors are fundamental to understanding how and why some community-based approaches readily form (e.g., Harrison County), while others are more difficult to form and gain momentum. Moving forward, and in consultation with ISA, ICGA, IFBF, and other IPRMP partners, over the next three years the IPRMP will assess socio-economic factors that influence the formation of community-based pest resistance management, through a recently awarded USDA grant, titled Assessment of the Socio-Economic Factors Impacting Adoption of Voluntary Pest Resistance Management by Rural Communities. Letters of support in the grant proposal included those from the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Vice President for Extension and Outreach and numerous ISU faculty. In addition, IDALS and the ISA, ICGA, IFBF, Iowa Institute of Cooperatives, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, Herbicide Resistance Action Committee, and Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee. The award is for $299,000 over three years (July 2019 – June 2021). The project team includes economists and sociologists from Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The grant, which is an integrated research/extension project, will assess socio-economic factors that influence the formation of community-based pest resistance management with a continued focus on advancing the four pilot projects in the IPRMP.
Leveraging: With the support of the ISA, this project helped highlight the IPRMP nationally. With the contributions from ISA, the ICGA and the IFBF, the IPRMP project was able to leverage additional funds to support the effort during the three-year project period. These investments will help sustain the IPRMP into the future. Over the course of the three-year project the ICGA and IFBF also provided $75,000 ($150,000 combined). In addition a grant of $50,000 was received from the North Central IPM Center (March 2017 – February 2019), which helped support efforts to establish local community-based teams. As summarized above, the IPRMP also was awarded a $299,000 grant (July 2019 – June 2022) from USDA to address socio-economic factors that impact the formation and progress of the four pilot projects. During the three-year project period, the pest management technology providers through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, Herbicide Resistance Action Committee, Crop Life America, and the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee contributed $77,500 of their $225,000 cost-share. These partners are in discussion to complete their pledge for the IPRMP and to that end as ABSTC and CLA interim contributions of $30,000 and $10,000, respectively, are confirmed for October, 2019.
View uploaded report 
View uploaded report 2
View uploaded report 3
Iowa Soybean Research Center Final Report
PI Name: Steven P. Bradbury
Year 3 Funding period: Oct 1, 2018 - Sep 30, 2019; Project Period Oct 1, 2016 – Sep 30, 2019
Report date: October 1, 2019
Funding amount: $75,000 over three years
Project Title: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IOWA PEST RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Progress of Work:
The proposal titled, “Implementation of the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan” was awarded funding on May 8, 2017. This three-year project, which was back dated to October 1, 2016, supports the development and implementation of voluntary, community-based pest resistance management as described in the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan (IPRMP).
The overall goal of this project was to facilitate the formation of community-based pest resistance management programs and subsequent acceptance and adoption of resistance management practices, consistent with goals and objectives of the IPRMP (https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/protectiowacrops). Member organizations and partners of the IPRMP include the Iowa Soybean Association; Iowa Corn Growers Association; Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; Agribusiness Association of Iowa; Iowa Institute of Cooperatives; Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association; Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers; Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee; Insecticide Resistance Action Committee; Herbicide Resistance Action Committee; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship; and Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Extension, and Iowa Soybean Research Center.
Insect, weed, and disease resistance to chemical, genetic, and agronomic management practices is recognized by farmers, their crop advisors, pesticide technology firms, and land grant researchers and extension specialists as a serious and increasing threat to commodity crop production in the United States, including corn and soybean production in Iowa. The IPRMP is an Iowa-specific effort to address pests--including weeds, insects and diseases--that can adapt and become resistant to chemical, genetic, and agronomic control practices. The IPRMP outlines voluntary, community-based approaches to identify and implement effective, integrated management solutions that will sustainably control pests at the local level. By fostering methods to detect resistance and implement coordinated pest management techniques, resistance can be delayed or even prevented, limiting the spread of pest resistance and reduced profitability. Because many pests are mobile and can move across farm boundaries, effective community-based management involves coordinated efforts of farmers, agribusiness representatives, local lenders, cooperative managers, and community leaders with support from ISU Extension.
In January 2015, a meeting led by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences resulted in the call for the development of a statewide, voluntary pest resistance management plan that would be coordinated by ISU and IDALS and involve participation from all sectors of Iowa agriculture. A framework for the plan was developed by a taskforce made up of representatives from the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Independent Crop Consultants Association, Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, Pesticide Resistance Action Committees, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. This framework, approved in December 2015, provided a structure for developing Version 1.0 of the IPRMP. The first version of the IPRMP contained chapters regarding governance, state of the science, communication and outreach, and pilot projects. The plan was approved by the partnering organizations in December 2016. A website, www.ProtectIowaCrops.org, was created to serve as a central hub for the IPRMP plan, project news, information, and resistance-related resources.
To advance implementation of a community-based approach to resistance management, the Iowa plan identified four pilot projects in different locations across the state. The pilot projects are envisioned to incorporate the most current pest management science and recommendations, while also acknowledging the socio-economic realities farmers face. Development of the pilot projects began in 2016-2017. Each pilot project is intended to have representation from all sectors of agriculture, including farmers, crop advisers, commodity groups, agricultural retailers, seed dealers, lenders, university research and extension, and representatives from seed and pesticide companies. A broad cross-section of stakeholders is vital as each brings unique viewpoints and valuable insights into barriers to adoption of resistance management practices as well as potential solutions. Pilot planning, facilitated by ISU, is designed from the “ground-up” by the local community teams. A brief summary of the four pilots over the three-year project period are provided below.
Pilot 1: Harrison County: Palmer amaranth and herbicide resistant weeds. This is the most advanced pilot with a motivated local farmer serving as project lead and a stable, diverse project team consisting of farmers, retail and extension agronomists, representatives from pesticide technology companies, and lenders. Since the summer of 2017, the team meets every one to three months. The group understands the seriousness of pest resistance and what must be done to make progress; namely to change the mindset regarding weed management to confront the threat of herbicide resistance. Tangible progress towards project goals include completion of a postcard survey of grower awareness and management practices, field trials in cooperator corn and soybean fields demonstrating comprehensive weed management programs, field days, videos, collection and screening of weed seeds for herbicide resistance, and numerous outreach publications. In August 2019, the team hosted a Weed Science Society of America/Entomological Society of America Policy Experience event. Over 70 invited participants from across the United States representing growers, agricultural retailers, commodity groups, pesticide and biotechnology firms, lenders, NGOs, EPA, USDA, and university research and extension scientists convened to discuss community-based pest resistance management and to learn from the success of the Harrison pilot. The goal of the meeting was to provide participants with a new perspective and tools for engaging with their organizations and reaching out to broader stakeholder groups in the development and implementation of local, voluntary, community-based resistance management.
Pilot 2: Herbicide resistant waterhemp in Story County. Sixteen meetings in 2017 – 2019 have been held with a diverse group of farmers, land managers, coop agronomists, technology providers, and university extension staff. Land use in Story County includes seed production fields in addition to commodity production, which in turn indicates that multiple, overlapping communities of producers and support networks are in play, which adds another layer of social and economic complexities to forming a community-based approach. Awareness of herbicide resistance is high and the urgency of the problem is recognized; however, a local leadership group only recently emerged in September 2019. The newly formed team consists of six local farmers and a highly respected, retired leader from a cooperative, who was instrumental in helping form this core group. The group is identifying additional producers to join the effort and will meet again following harvest. These results are encouraging and further illustrate, consistent with the Harrison County project, the importance of a local, well-respected leadership team to help initiate a community-based approach. This project combined with the Harrison County project illustrate the diversity of factors related to community team formation, including socio-economic constraints.
Pilot 3: Soybean aphid resistance to pyrethroids. Soybean aphid resistance to pyrethroids is an emerging threat. This pilot serves as a test for the ability to initiate pest resistance management in the early stages of resistance development, before most producers see a significant problem. Discussions with soybean producers and ISA directors in north central and northeast Iowa have provided valuable information and insights. The extent to which growers or their advisors are scouting fields every seven to ten days from the end of June through R5.5, as recommended by extension entomologists, is uncertain. Despite a well-documented and supported economic threshold for aphid management, some discussions indicate a belief that the economic threshold should be much lower due to the economics of application, commodity prices, and misinformation; e.g., a concern there is an additive interaction between soybean cyst nematode and soybean aphid. In addition, in some instances pyrethroid insecticides are applied in a tank mix with scheduled fungicide treatments, regardless of aphid pressure. Previous research indicates decisions to use fungicides in corn production are likely influenced by perceived economic gains, beliefs, and attitude towards risk. After the 2019 harvest, the IPRMP team will resume discussions to better understand the combined use of fungicides and insecticides with leading soybean producers and ISA directors.
Pilot 4: Western corn rootworm resistance to Bt traits. Team leaders from the IPRMP have held seven meetings with stakeholders in three northeast Iowa counties to understand awareness and attitudes concerning Bt-resistance, identify barriers to adoption of resistance management practices, and identify potential project participants and leaders. A statewide grower survey conducted in the summer of 2018 is being used to better assess grower perspectives. Thus far, discussions and the survey results indicate challenges to greater adoption of best management practices, including grower disinterest in crop rotation due to field topography, proximity to ethanol plants, co-management of livestock operations, and lack of confidence in the feasibility of profitable soybean production. Other challenges include inadequate knowledge of Bt traits and current documented resistance in Iowa, combined with a belief that commercialization of new technologies to solve the problem are imminent, which is contrary to industry projections. The results of the survey will help guide future discussions with local leaders and representatives of member companies in the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee.
The efforts of the IPRMP were recently recognized by the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), Entomological Society of America (ESA), Corteva, and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. These organizations collaborated to hold a national Science Policy Experience event on August 6 and 7, 2019 concerning community-based approaches to address weed and insect resistance. This event was held in Iowa because it is the only state actively pursuing community-based, resistance management approaches. Over 70 invited participants from across the United States representing growers, ag retail, commodity groups, pesticide and biotechnology firms, lenders, NGOs, EPA, USDA, and university research and extension scientists convened to discuss pest resistance management and to learn from the success of the Harrison pilot. The goal of the meeting was to provide participants with a new perspective along with strategies to engage broader stakeholder groups in the development and implementation of local, voluntary, community-based resistance management. The participants spent August 6th in Harrison County meeting with the local team. During the day the deputy secretary of Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship also spoke and stressed the importance of the IPRMP for Iowa and producers across the nation. On August 7th, the participants convened in Ankeny, Iowa to discuss and explore how experiences such as those gained in Iowa could be adapted to other parts of the country. Dr. Paul Lasley from ISU provided a presentation, titled: A Model for Community Change.
Over the course of the three-year project, numerous outreach products were released and activities undertaken, which are summarized below.
Presentations at professional, commodity meetings: 23
Webinar: 1
Extension Publication: 1
News Media/ISU Articles: 39
Handouts: 10
Videos: 5
Radio interviews: 3
Field Days: 5
Website: 1
Next Steps: A major finding of this project is that socio-economic factors are fundamental to understanding how and why some community-based approaches readily form (e.g., Harrison County), while others are more difficult to form and gain momentum. Moving forward, and in consultation with ISA, ICGA, IFBF, and other IPRMP partners, over the next three years the IPRMP will assess socio-economic factors that influence the formation of community-based pest resistance management, through a recently awarded USDA grant, titled Assessment of the Socio-Economic Factors Impacting Adoption of Voluntary Pest Resistance Management by Rural Communities. Letters of support in the grant proposal included those from the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Vice President for Extension and Outreach and numerous ISU faculty. In addition, IDALS and the ISA, ICGA, IFBF, Iowa Institute of Cooperatives, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, Herbicide Resistance Action Committee, and Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee. The award is for $299,000 over three years (July 2019 – June 2021). The project team includes economists and sociologists from Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The grant, which is an integrated research/extension project, will assess socio-economic factors that influence the formation of community-based pest resistance management with a continued focus on advancing the four pilot projects in the IPRMP.
Leveraging: With the support of the ISA, this project helped highlight the IPRMP nationally. With the contributions from ISA, the ICGA and the IFBF, the IPRMP project was able to leverage additional funds to support the effort during the three-year project period. These investments will help sustain the IPRMP into the future. Over the course of the three-year project the ICGA and IFBF also provided $75,000 ($150,000 combined). In addition a grant of $50,000 was received from the North Central IPM Center (March 2017 – February 2019), which helped support efforts to establish local community-based teams. As summarized above, the IPRMP also was awarded a $299,000 grant (July 2019 – June 2022) from USDA to address socio-economic factors that impact the formation and progress of the four pilot projects. During the three-year project period, the pest management technology providers through the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, Herbicide Resistance Action Committee, Crop Life America, and the Agriculture Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee contributed $77,500 of their $225,000 cost-share. These partners are in discussion to complete their pledge for the IPRMP and to that end as ABSTC and CLA interim contributions of $30,000 and $10,000, respectively, are confirmed for October, 2019.