Connecticut NRCS and IPM Program Partnership:

1
Connecticut NRCS and IPM
Program Partnership Sustaining On-site IPM
Training
2
EQIP IPM Training

• Program began in 2004 training 7 growers
• 21 growers in 2nd and 3rd year of training
• Contribution Agreement between Extension and CT
  NRCS
• 50 costs covered by Extension
• 50 by NRCS
• NRCS Staff and IPM Coordinator

3
EQIP IPM Training

• Vegetable crops
• Organic and
• conventional
• Tree fruit
• Small fruit
• Wine grapes
• Field crops
• Greenhouse crops

John Wolchesky,
Lapsley Orchard, Pomfret
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IPM Training

• On site, season long programs
• Regular visits to growers
• Review of problems encountered
• Discuss IPM recommendations with growers

Lorraine Los Doug Young Woodstock Orchards 2005
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IPM Supplies

• IPM manuals
• Commodity
• Manuals
• Reference Books
• Monitoring Tools
• Scouting forms
• Weather Stations

Lorraine Los at twilight meeting Woodstock
Orchard, June 2005
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Benefits

• Growers obtain extensive IPM training
• and try out new IPM tactics or tools
• Funding from the EQIP program supports IPM staff
  time
• EQIP funding supports development of educational
  materials

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Field Information
Fruit IPM Educator
Fruit Pest Message 534 web hits per month
E-mail alerts to 90 growers per week
Crop Talk 780 growers per mailing
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Challenges

• Timing of notification on new EQIP IPM program
  participants
• Limits on how many growers can be trained during
  the season
• Regulations on the dates for yearly agreements

9

• The UConn IPM Program
• is an excellent program and
• I recommend it to other growers.
• Betsy Molodich, Molodich Farm, Sterling.
• 2006 Outstanding Young Farmer"
• Award Recipient