pest control
EPA proposes rodenticide restrictions
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to impose restrictions on rodenticides, and a comment period on the plan ends on Feb. 13. The EPA’s Proposed Interim Decisions include: The reclassification of all rodenticides to Restricted... more »
Purdue appoints heads of entomology, botany and plant pathology
Purdue University has a new head of the Department of Entomology, Catherine Hill, and head of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Tesfaye Mengiste. Hill, professor and... more »
Apple-picking time and the Jonathans are dropping
It’s apple picking time! Mid-August as I write this. It had been a few days since I last checked the crop and behold! Jonathans were dropping. This means all of the preparatory projects have to... more »
Dozens of Congressional leaders ask for action on spotted lanternfly
More than 40 members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take “immediate steps” to eradicate the spread of spotted lanternfly (SLF) – which was recently discovered for the first time in... more »
Pollinator conference seeks public engagement this year
The national Protecting Pollinators in Urban Landscapes conference is Oct. 10-12 in Athens, Georgia. The annual conference brings together researchers, educators, practitioners and others interested in bee conservation through discussions, talks and education sessions. It... more »
Investment round brings $40 million to Taranis
Crop intelligence provider Taranis has raised $40 million in Series D funding, bringing the company’s total funding to $100 million. “Taranis has had tremendous growth over the past seven years with a goal of delivering... more »
University of Florida hires expert to lead Invasion Science Research Institute
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has appointed internationally acclaimed entomologist and ecologist Matthew Thomas as director of the new Invasion Science Research Institute. In this newly created role, Thomas will... more »
U.S., Canada agree to coordinate responses to plant health threats
U.S. and Canadian agriculture officials recently signed a bilateral agreement to enhance coordination of plant protection activities on both sides of the border. Mark Davidson, deputy administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection... more »
USDA awards $73 million in specialty crop grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding almost $73 million in fiscal year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding. The $72.9 million in grants, through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, will be used for... more »
UF, NC State researchers using tomato genome to tackle nematodes
Parasitic nematodes are responsible for about $125 billion in annual crop loss worldwide, and they can cause farmers to lose up to 80% of their tomato yield. “The situation with nematodes is exacerbated by an... more »