RSS 1.0Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC)
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The mission of the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) is to support College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty in their efforts to develop and deliver outstanding Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs that address the needs of Arizona’s citizens. This includes IPM programs serving agriculture, urban communities and natural areas.
QUESTIONS?
For information, please contact APMC at https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center.
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Recent Submissions
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EPA’s Mitigation Menu to Protect Endangered SpeciesThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must ensure that the use of a pesticide will not jeopardize federally listed threatened or endangered species, nor damage their critical habitats. For certain pesticides where runoff or soil erosion may pose threats to listed species, EPA may require users to ensure that protections are in place that will limit the potential for pesticide exposure. This is done through a system of “mitigation points” or “credits” that are obtained by users through adopting mitigation practices or documenting existing conditions that reduce risks of runoff and erosion. If points are needed to apply a pesticide, this requirement will be listed on the pesticide label and/or on an Endangered Species Bulletin. Arizona has many common field conditions, including a low to very low potential for runoff, that should make it easy for most growers in most situations to comply with mitigation requirements. This piece outlines situations where fields may be completely exempt from point requirements and identifies the most common conditions and practices in Arizona agriculture that can earn mitigation relief points. A link is provided to EPA’s Mitigation Menu website where definitions and additional mitigation practices are listed.
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Endangered Species Protection Bulletins Part 2: Understanding Pesticide Use Limitation AreasThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must ensure that the use of a pesticide will not jeopardize federally listed threatened or endangered species, nor damage their critical habitats. When required on a pesticide label, online Endangered Species Bulletins provide geographic-specific protections for listed species while allowing full labeled use of the pesticide in other areas. They are obtained through EPA’s Bulletins Live! Two, an interactive web-based app. An increasing number of pesticide products, though not all, require users to view and download Endangered Species Bulletins prior to making an application. Part 2 in this series explains the nuances of Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs) on Bulletins Live! Two using an example of a grower with fields both within and outside of a PULA. It clarifies differences in how to print a bulletin when a PULA is present or absent in the map view. it also highlights the main elements presented in an Endangered Species Bulletin.
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Endangered Species Protection Bulletins Part 1: What are they and when do you need them?The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must ensure that the use of a pesticide will not jeopardize federally listed threatened or endangered species, nor damage their critical habitats. When required on a pesticide label, online Endangered Species Bulletins provide geographic-specific protections for listed species while allowing full labeled use of the pesticide in other areas. They are obtained through EPA’s Bulletins Live! Two, an interactive web-based app. An increasing number of pesticide products, though not all, require users to view and download Endangered Species Bulletins prior to making an application. Part 1 in this series explains how to determine when an Endangered Species Bulletin is required, where and how to obtain a bulletin, and what type of information is provided.
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How to Identify Eggs and Early Instar Larvae of Beet Armyworm, Diamondback Moth, and Cabbage LooperThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 23), provides diagnostic features to distinguish eggs and early instar larvae of beet armyworm, diamondback moth, and cabbage looper. It highlights key differences in color, shape, clustering, and larval behavior to improve field identification and management of these common vegetable pests.
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Root System DevelopmentThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 22), highlights how healthy root systems support water and nutrient uptake, soil health, and overall plant vigor. It explains root structure, function, and maintenance for optimal crop growth.
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The Evolution of Bagrada Bug Management in Desert Cole Crops: The Legacy of John C. Palumbo (2010–2025)This article, published in the Veg IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 21), summarizes John Palumbo’s research following the 2009 introduction of Bagrada bug in desert cole crops. His work identified pest behavior, feeding injury, and management thresholds that shaped current IPM practices still guiding growers today.
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Germination and Seedling DevelopmentThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 21), explains how temperature, moisture, and soil conditions affect seed germination and seedling development, with focus on lettuce thermodormancy and managing heat with sprinkler irrigation.
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Developments in Plant GeneticsThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 20), traces advances in plant genetics from the Green Revolution to Bt crops, while warning against past missteps like Lysenkoism.
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Temporal Refuges: A New Tool for Resistance ManagementThe Proactive Resistance Management (PRM) web application introduces a new approach to insect resistance management by visualizing “temporal refuges” — periods when pests are not exposed to residues of a given mode of action (MoA). Using pesticide use reporting data, the tool estimates exposure windows, merges overlapping spray periods, and calculates the proportion of residue-free days across successive 90-day intervals at the community scale (~9 square miles). The resulting charts allow growers and pest control advisors to quickly assess refuge availability for multiple MoAs and make more informed insecticide choices. While not prescriptive, these outputs highlight opportunities to partition MoAs through time, preserve susceptibility in pest populations, and delay resistance. By transforming complex pesticide use records into simple, interpretable visual outputs, the PRM tool provides a practical and scalable resource to guide community-level decision making and sustain the long-term efficacy of available chemistries.
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New Invasive U.S. Cotton Insects TrainingThis video recording accompanies the presentation New invasive U.S. cotton insects training (Ellsworth, Reyes, Keith, & Zilnik, 2025; http://hdl.handle.net/10150/678361). The training summarizes a tri-lateral series of educational sessions conducted in August–September 2025 to strengthen early detection and response capacity against two invasive insect pests threatening U.S. cotton production: the two-spot cotton leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula) and the cotton seed bug (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis). Hosted collaboratively by the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, Mexican partners in Mexicali, and the University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center, these sessions engaged frontline inspectors, supervisors, and pest control advisors in recognizing diagnostic features, understanding pest biology, and assessing potential impacts. The program combined high-quality images, citizen science records (iNaturalist), and preserved specimens to enhance accurate field identification and to distinguish target species from common look-alikes. Distribution updates highlighted the rapid spread of A. biguttula from Florida into the U.S. Cotton Belt and the establishment of O. hyalinipennis in California. Training outcomes confirmed participants’ ability to identify both pests in adult and immature stages, supporting regional preparedness and coordinated response efforts. This initiative underscores the importance of proactive education and cross-border collaboration in managing invasive threats to cotton production systems. Recorded and edited by Noe Barrios and Robert Masson at the Yuma County Cooperative Extension.
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Sodic Soil Hazard from Irrigation WaterThis article, in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 19), explains how recent rainfall increased sodic soil hazards in the lower Colorado River Valley, highlighting temporary soil crusting issues and the return to stable conditions with Colorado River irrigation
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New Invasive U.S. Cotton Insects TrainingThis training report summarizes a tri-lateral series of educational sessions conducted in August–September 2025 to strengthen early detection and response capacity against two invasive insect pests threatening U.S. cotton production: the two-spot cotton leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula) and the cotton seed bug (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis). Hosted collaboratively by the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council, Mexican partners in Mexicali, and the University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center, these sessions engaged frontline inspectors, supervisors, and pest control advisors in recognizing diagnostic features, understanding pest biology, and assessing potential impacts. The program combined high-quality images, citizen science records (iNaturalist), and preserved specimens to enhance accurate field identification and to distinguish target species from common look-alikes. Distribution updates highlighted the rapid spread of A. biguttula from Florida into the U.S. Cotton Belt and the establishment of O. hyalinipennis in California. Training outcomes confirmed participants’ ability to identify both pests in adult and immature stages, supporting regional preparedness and coordinated response efforts. This initiative underscores the importance of proactive education and cross-border collaboration in managing invasive threats to cotton production systems.
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Salinity and Sodicity – Fundamental PointsThis article, in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 18), outlines key definitions, symptoms, and management strategies for saline and sodic soils in desert agriculture, emphasizing leaching, amendments, and drainage.
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Global Decline in Available Fresh WaterThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 17), summarizes global GRACE satellite studies documenting unprecedented terrestrial water storage losses since 2002, with severe impacts in arid regions like the U.S. Southwest and Mexico.
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Chile Crop Water and Nitrogen DemandThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 16), examines how water and nitrogen demand align with chile growth stages, with 2025 field data showing crops entering peak bloom and nutrient demand by late July.
