Register now for Michigan State University's IPM Academy!
Academy helps farmers and gardeners with pest management decisions and more.
February 7, 2014 - Author: Rob Sirrine, Michigan State University Extension
Are you a farmer or gardener interested in pest and disease management? Do you need a refresher on alternative weed control strategies or soil health? Are you interested in hops production for personal use or commercial sale? Then the 3rd annual Michigan State University Extension Integrated Pest Management Academy is for you!
The IPM Academy will be held February 18-19, 2014 at the Okemos Conference Center in Okemos, Mich. near the campus of Michigan State University.
The first day of this event will feature: An introduction to Integrated Pest Management; IPM strategies for insect and disease control; Identification, protection, and promotion of insect pollinators; Alternative weed control strategies; the effects of invasive pests on IPM and more. On the second day, speakers will cover such topics as: Soil health; Landscape design and IPM; Ecologically-based fruit management; Pest management in diverse vegetable rotations; IPM and field crop production and Emerging pest problems in Michigan landscapes.
Because of increasing interest in hops production, on February 19 MSU will offer a special day-long ‘Hops Production’ track for those interested in all aspects of hops production. This session will feature Michigan State University Extension educators, hop growers and a representative from the Michigan Brewers Guild to answer marketing and sales questions. The session will cover: an introduction to hops; soils and site selection; trellis design; irrigation; cultivar selection; establishment and processing costs; planting and training; insect, disease, and weed management; scouting as well as marketing and sales. For more information on hops in particular please visit the MSU Extension Hops Webpage.
The cost of this event is $225. Please note that snacks, lunch and parking are included. Participants also receive a notebook with program material and a complimentary IPM-related MSU bulletin. Michigan pesticide recertification credits will be available for participants. For more information including registration, please view the event brochure or the MSU Integrated Pest Management Academy 2014 registration page to sign up.
The MSU IPMA program was developed with support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
