Learn More About Soybean Aphid Biological Control --Distance Education Course, Tuesday March 6th, 2007

Eileen Cullen, Extension Entomologist

In a previous issue, Volume 13(29), of the Wisconsin Crop Manager newsletter, I updated readers that a soybean insect management workshop will be presented via distance education technology.  http://ipcm.wisc.edu/WCMNews/tabid/53/EntryID/192/Default.aspx

Following is more detail, and a list of 11 UW-Extension County programs statewide offering the program.  Please contact the host Agent in a county near you to sign up and reserve your space. 

Email alerts will be sent to Wisconsin Crop Manager Newsletter subscribers and posted to the web site each time a new Wisconsin host site is added prior to the March 6^th event.

Managing Soybean Aphids in 2007--How Will Biological Control Contribute? Tuesday March 6th, 2007, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

My colleague, Kevin Steffey (Extension Entomologist, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana) wrote the following update on this exciting learning opportunity. I post Kevin’s article here for our WI audience as you make plans to attend or host the March 6^th workshop:

There is potential for a soybean aphid outbreak in 2007, and soybean growers and their advisers need to be ready. Because natural enemies play a significant role during soybean aphid outbreaks, an understanding of the interactions of pests, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens and the effects of control measures on these interactions is crucial. In addition, Midwestern entomologists currently are exploring the possibility of releasing specific parasitoids from Asia into North American soybean fields in hopes of regulating soybean aphid populations, research that is funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program. The current status of the research and potential future prospects will be discussed during the short course.

People attending this short course will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with the researchers who have been involved in the development all of the current soybean aphid management guidelines. Following is the agenda for the program:

• Brief history and biology of soybean aphids--Dr. David Voegtlin, Illinois Natural History Survey
• Review of the situation with soybean aphids in the Midwest--Dr. David Ragsdale, University of Minnesota
• Biological control of soybean aphids--What is it, and what do we have to work with in the Midwest--Dr. Robert O'Neil, Purdue University
• The players: Predators, parasitoids, and pathogens, Dr. Dan Mahr, University of Wisconsin
• Practices to conserve and use natural enemies in soybean aphid IPM--Dr. Matthew O'Neal, Iowa State University
• Foreign exploration for natural enemies--Dr. Kim Hoelmer, USDA-ARS, Delaware
• Host specificity testing--Dr. George Hemipel, USDA-ARS, Minnesota
• Studies with non-target aphids--Drs. Claudio Gratton and Cory Straub, University of Wisconsin
• Preparing for soybean aphids in 2007: Management guidelines and the potential for biological control--Drs. Chris DiFonzo, Michigan State University; and Marlin Rice, Iowa State University

A question-and-answer session will conclude the program, which is being sponsored by the NCSRP and facilitated by the North Central IPM Center.

The program is being designed for delivery to local or regional Extension offices (contact the office in your area for information) or to businesses or educational organizations that choose to host the programs. Registration for both this soybean aphid biological control program on March 6^th; and a February 28th program on western bean cutworm in corn (see companion article this issue) is open at the North Central IPM Web site http://ncipm.org/teleconference/

Requirements for host sites for both of these short courses are a telephone line and a method of viewing PowerPoint slides. For groups, a teleconference device for audio and a way of projecting the PowerPoint slides are recommended. Access to the Internet is not necessary during delivery of either program. However, site coordinators will have to download the PowerPoint presentations in advance to have the files ready on the dates of the respective programs.

We are excited about being able to bring these types of programs to you, and we invite all interested parties to consider hosting a site. If you have any questions about the short course, please contact Eileen Cullen at (608) 261-1507 or cullen@entomology.wisc.edu

Wisconsin Host Sites for the March 6th Soybean Aphid Biological Control Workshop. Please contact Host Agent directly to reserve your space.

3.0 Certified Crop Advisor Continuing Education Units applied for.

UW-Extension Clark County Nick Schneider Clark County Crops and Soils Agent Location: 517 Court St. Room 104 Neillsville, WI 54456 Call 715-743-5121 to confirm attendance or email nick.schneider@ces.uwex.edu	UW-Extension Dane County David Fischer Dane County Crops and Soils Agent Location: West Madison Research Station 8502 Mineral Point Rd. Verona, WI 53593 Call 608-224-3716 to register or email david.fischer@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension Dodge County Matt Hanson Dodge County Crops and Soils Agent Location: Dodge County Administration Building, rooms H and I 127 E. Oak St. Juneau, WI 53039 Call 920-386-3790 to register or email matt.hanson@ces.uwex.edu	UW-Extension Fond du Lac County Mike Rankin Fond du Lac County Crops and Soils Agent Location: UW- Fond du Lac Rm. 242 Admin/Extension Bldg. 400 University Dr. Fond du Lac, WI 54935 Call 920-929-3171 to register or email michael.rankin@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension Grant County Ted Bay Grant County Crops/Farm Management Agent Location: Youth & Ag Center 916 E. Elm Street Lancaster, WI  53813 Call 608-723-2125 to register or email ted.bay@ces.uwex.edu	UW-Extension Green Lake County Carla Heiman Green Lake County Agriculture Agent Location: Green Lake County Courthouse 492 Hill St. Green Lake, WI 54941 Call 920-294-4032 to register or email carla.heiman@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension Jefferson County Tim Bender Jefferson County Crops and Soils Agent Location: UW Extension Building 864 Collins Rd. Jefferson, WI 53549 Call 920-674-7295 to register or email tim.bender@ces.uwex.edu	UW-Extension LaCrosse County Steve Huntzicker LaCrosse County Agriculture Agent Location: Hazel Brown Leicht Memorial Library 201 Neschonoc Rd. West Salem, WI 54669 Call 608-785-9593 to register or email steve.huntzicker@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension Outagamie County Kevin Jarek Outagamie County Agriculture Agent Location: 2265 W. Brewster St. Appleton, WI 54914 Call 920-832-5121 to register or email kevin.jarek@ces.uwex.edu	UW-Extension Pierce County Greg Andrews Pierce County Agriculture Agent Location:      Pierce County Office Building      Multipurpose Room      412 West Kinne Street      Ellsworth, WI 54011 Call 715-273-3531 to register or email greg.andrews@ces.uwex.edu
UW-Extension Shawano County Tom Anderson Shawano County, Agricultural Agent Location: Shawano County Courthouse, Room 4B 311 North Main St. Shawano, WI 54166 Call 715-526-6136 to register or email thomas.anderson@ces.uwex.edu