Intended Audience
The content of this course is tailored to the needs of farmers, NRCS, SWCD, Cooperative Extension, and state department of agriculture employees, as well as crop consultants, natural resource specialists, and non-governmental conservation organization staff.
Cost
Registration is $45 per person. Course registration includes the Xerces Society's Beneficial Insects Toolkit and a copy of Farming With Native Beneficial Insects.
Priority given to those who register by September 26th - register soon!
Lunch will be provided by SDSU Extension.
Canceled registrations can be refunded until September 26th, 2017.
When
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Add to Calendar
Contact
Jillian Vento
The Xerces Society
503-232-6639
pollinators@xerces.org
Reasonable Accomodations
The Xerces Society provides reasonable accommodations for special events with adequate notice. To request accommodation for events, please contact pollinators@xerces.org by Tuesday, September 26th.
The USDA and the Xerces Society are equal-opportunity providers and employers.
Acknowledgements
This Short Course is made possible with the support of the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Special thanks to South Dakota State University Regional Extension Center in Pierre, SD for providing the classroom venue and the Dakota Lakes Research Farm for hosting the field activities. Thanks to SDSU Extension for providing lunch for the event.
About The Xerces Society
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The Society's Pollinator Conservation Program was launched in 1996, and works with leading native pollinator ecologists to translate the latest research findings into on-the-ground conservation. More information about the Xerces Society is available at www.xerces.org.
Photo Credits
Header: Syrphid fly, by Adam Varenhorst. Sidebar: field observation of pollinators and plants, Anne Averille, University of Massachusetts.
Farming With Beneficial Insects
for Pest Control:
Conservation Biological Control Short Course
SDSU Regional Extension Center
Pierre, SD
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Learn a science-based strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects for natural pest control!
Learn about supporting beneficial insects that provide pest control in this full-day short course. Conservation biological control is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control, ultimately reducing and in some cases eliminating the need for pesticides. Join Thelma Heidel-Baker, Conservation Biocontrol Specialist at the Xerces Society, as she overviews conservation biological control and beneficial predators and parasitoids that attack insect pests. Participants will learn how common farm practices can impact beneficial insects and how to assess and create farm habitat for beneficial insects.
In response to growing interest in promoting beneficial insects for their pest control services on farms, the Xerces Society has authored the book Farming With Native Beneficial Insects and developed the Conservation Biological Control Short Course to educate farmers, agriculture employees, natural resource specialists, land managers, and conservation organization staff.
SHORT COURSE TRAINING SKILLS AND OBJECTIVES
This workshop will cover:
- The importance of beneficial insects - predators and parasitoids that attack insect pests.
- Overview of conservation biological control and integrated pest management (IPM).
- Become familiar with the most common beneficial insect groups.
- How to recognize the habitat needs of beneficial insects and identify habitat deficiencies.
- The design and implementation of habitat improvements, including site preparation, insectary strip plantings, hedgerows, beetle banks, and more.
- The current best management practices that minimize land-use impacts on beneficial insects and mitigate exposure to insecticides.
- How to access USDA conservation programs for financial and technical support.
Participants will receive the Xerces Society's Conservation Biological Control Toolkit which includes habitat installation guidelines and other relevant publications, and the Xerces' book, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects.
*Continuing Education Credits Available*
- Certified Crop Advisor (6 CEUs)
- Society of American Foresters (5 CFE credits)
- The Wildlife Society (5.5 contact hours)
COURSE AGENDA
Welcome and Announcements
Module 1 - Farming with Beneficial Insects: Conservation Biological Control (CBC)
- Overview of conservation biological control and integrated pest management
- Status of beneficial insect conservation
Module 2 - Farm Practices for Beneficial Insects
- Supporting beneficial insects with farm practices
- Preventing potential negative impacts of conventional and organic-approved pesticides on beneficial
insects (e.g. exposure pathways, toxicity, residual activity) - Mitigating pesticide risks to beneficial insects and other natural resources using IPM, PAMS, and
conservation practices (e.g. alternatives to pesticides, pesticide drift reduction, buffer practices) - Protecting overwintering and nesting sites
Break
Module 3 - Designing and Restoring Habitat for Beneficial Insects
- Conservation practices that support beneficial insects (e.g. beetle banks, buffers and windbreaks, cover crops, field borders, hedgerows, insectary strips, wildflower meadows, and more)
- Habitat conservation methods (e.g. site preparation, propagation, and maintenance)
Lunch WILL be provided by SDSU Extension.
Module 4 - Common Beneficial Insect Groups
- Introduction to beneficial insects and the ecological services they provide
- Overview of beneficial insect groups (predators and parasitoids)
- Summary of beneficial insect biology and habitat needs
Guest Speaker - TBD
- USDA Farm Bill Programs to Support Beneficial Insects, USDA NRCS
Module 5 - Assessing Baseline Farm Conditions for Beneficial Insects
- Overview of habitat diversity values
- Introduction to the Beneficial Insect Habitat Assessment Guide to Inform CBC Planning
Field Activities
- Travel to farm site
- Overview of Dakota Lakes Research Farm (Guest Speaker: Dr. Dwayne Beck, Farm Research Manager)
- Using the Beneficial Insect Habitat Assessment Form and Guide
- Overview of Beneficial Insect Scouting Guides
Module 6 – Q&A, additional resources, and course evaluations
INSTRUCTOR
Thelma Heidel-Baker – Conservation Biocontrol Specialist, The Xerces Society
Thelma Heidel-Baker is the insect pest management specialist for the Xerces Society. With extensive experience in biological control and integrated pest management (IPM), she provides nationwide support for farming with reduced risks to beneficial insect. Thelma received her Ph.D. in entomology from University of Minnesota where she studied the role of beneficial insects in soybean IPM. She actively incorporates insect conservation practices into her family's organic dairy farm in southeastern Wisconsin.
RaeAnn Powers – Farm Bill Conservation Planner, The Xerces Society
Rae Powers is a partner biologist with Xerces based at the NRCS Nebraska Office in Lincoln. Rae is a Nebraska native with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and an M.S. in Ecology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Her environmental work has taken her to the shores of Alaska with the National Wildlife Refuge system, the lakes of northern Minnesota as a canoe guide, and most recently, to the wide prairies of the Midwest. Working with the Natural Heritage program exposed her to the array of rare and endangered species found in Nebraska's ecosystems. Her master's research, work with The Nature Conservancy, and time with native seed farm Prairie Legacy Inc. focused on the function and diversity of restored and remnant prairies and woodlands.
GUEST SPEAKER
Dr. Dwayne Beck - Research Manager, Dakota Lakes Research Farm
(Bio coming soon)