In April, the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program (IPRMP) held a workshop at Iowa State University for Iowa agricultural stakeholders that focused on pest resistance management. 

Established in 2017, the IPRMP is an Iowa-specific effort to address pests (including weeds, insects and diseases) that can adapt and become resistant to chemical, genetic and agronomic control practices causing yield loss, increasing the cost of production and limiting farmers’ future pest management options. The ISRC provided funding and support during fiscal years 2016 and 2017 to help help the program get started.

Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Dan Robison gave opening remarks followed by IPMRP lead Steve Bradbury, natural resource ecology and management, who provided some background on the group. A panel discussion followed that included farmers, agronomists, crop advisers, retailers, technology providers and university faculty and staff. The group discussed trends in weed, insect and pathogen resistance and management options. One panelist, Amy Asmus of Asmus Farm Supply, said she thought resistance was getting worse, specifically mentioning aphids and frogeye leaf spot. To compound matters, she said, “the ag sector is now facing a shortage of fungicides and insecticides due to supply chain issues and next year could be even more difficult. However, these problems may also pose some opportunities in that farmers will have to move to multi-action planning and away from relying solely on glyphosate.”

In the afternoon, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig gave brief remarks before joining in on small group breakout sessions. The groups discussed what successful resistance management looks like, how these practices can be replicated elsewhere and what needs to happen to change future outcomes.