South Plains Integrated Pest Management Projects
Funded Through Texas Department of Agriculture Grants

Writer: Tim W. McAlavy, (806) 746-4051, email: t-mcalavy@tamu.edu

LUBBOCK – Five Integrated Pest Management (IPM) projects conceived by Texas A&M scientists and
Extension agents working on the South Plains can now march forward, thanks to grants recently bestowed
by the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs noted the agency will fund 23 IPM projects
statewide in 2001.

“This year’s grant projects will enhance farmers’ knowledge of insect, disease and weed control using
alternative methods ranging from intercropping fields with vegetables that repel certain insects, to using a
mite to control a common field weed,” Combs said. “Other grants examine ways to boost IPM strategies in
crops such as cotton, pecans, corn, citrus and black-eyed peas. These grants fund research which reflects
the wide diversity of Texas agriculture.”

Integrated pest management helps producers curb pest populations through a variety of practices,
including biological control, pest-resistant plants, crop rotation, planting date adjustments, and crop residue
destruction. Pesticides are used only when IPM methods fail to control problems that threaten significant
crop damage.

South Plains IPM projects funded for 2001 include:

  • Cotton Insect Displays -- $14,929. Labeled, pinned and cased displays of 50 insect species
  common to cotton fields (including pests and their natural enemies) will be assembled and placed in
  cotton gins, Extension offices and chemical applicator offices to  help farmers better identify and
  treat insects in their fields. Tommy Doederlein, Extension IPM agent headquartered in Lamesa will
  place assemble and place the displays in Dawson, Lubbock and Lynn Counties.

  • IPM Corn Manual -- $22,020. This project will create a corn insect and disease manual, plus
  supplemental electronic resources for Texas producers. Pat Porter, Texas Agricultural Experiment
  Station research entomologist and Extension specialist is the principal investigator.

  • Controlling Beetles in Cotton Gin Trash -- $13,255. Porter and Nancy McIntyre, Texas Tech
  University, will examine means to treat the Larger Black Four Beetle in cotton gin trash -- where
  this agricultural and home pest overwinters and reproduces.

  • Pest Damage to Black-eyed Peas -- $8,250. Cherinell Riley, Parmer-Bailey County Extension
  IPM agent, heads this project to develop more information, identification and control methods for
  plant bugs that infest black-eyed peas – a valuable alternate and rotation crop for area producers.

  • Damage Assessment of Unknown Cotton Pests -- $15,000. This project seeks to identify the
  damage potential of lesser-known cotton pests and improve cotton pest management strategies.
  Scott Armstrong, Texas A&M-Texas Tech entomologist, and  Harlan Thorvilson, Texas Tech
  University, will coordinate this project.