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.
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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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Cotton Insecticide Use Guide Knowing and Balancing RisksThis two‐page guide offers a concise, practical overview for cotton growers and pest management professionals on how to select insecticides that balance effective pest control with environmental, human, and ecological safety. It presents a rating system that scores products for their efficacy against target pests (such as whiteflies and lygus bugs) and for their risks to beneficial organisms like predatory insects, pollinators, and other wildlife, as well as potential hazards to human bystanders and aquatic life. The guide emphasizes that no product is completely without risk and that informed decisions require weighing factors such as pest control performance, resistance management, cost, and broader environmental impact. Developed by experts from the University of Arizona and USDA-ARS, this IPM (Integrated Pest Management) short serves as a user-friendly reference to help growers choose insecticides that support sustainable cotton production while minimizing unintended consequences.
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Vertento® (isocycloseram) for Lygus Management in Arizona CottonThe recent registration of Vertento® (isocycloseram; IRAC Group 30) introduces a novel mode of action for Lygus management in Arizona cotton. Field research under Arizona conditions demonstrates that Vertento provides excellent and consistent control of Lygus bugs at a rate of 1.6 oz per acre, with residual activity often extending two weeks or longer. Vertento is classified as a partially selective (“yellow box”) insecticide within Arizona’s biologically based IPM system, producing intermediate non-target effects on beneficial arthropods compared with fully selective and broad-spectrum alternatives. Predator community impacts are measurable but substantially less disruptive than those associated with organophosphate insecticides. When used strategically, Vertento offers an effective new option for Lygus control while supporting resistance management goals and minimizing the risk of secondary pest outbreaks. Its successful integration into Arizona cotton IPM depends on careful consideration of timing, predator abundance, and rotation with existing selective standards.
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U.S. Pesticide Policy is Influenced by Stakeholder CommentsThis qualitative research study shows that grower-centered, evidence-based stakeholder comments significantly influenced EPA pesticide registration reviews, improving the accuracy and practicality of federal pesticide policy while protecting human health, the environment, and agricultural viability.
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Soil Health: Decomposition of Organic Materials and Nutrient MineralizationThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 17, No. 1), explains how organic material decomposition and nutrient mineralization influence soil health and nutrient availability in desert crop systems.
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Biological Insecticide Options for Bagrada Bug ManagementThis article in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 25) summarizes biological insecticide performance for managing Bagrada bug in organic broccoli. M-Pede and the M-Pede + Entrust tank mix provided the strongest suppression (≈60%), while Captiva Prime and Neemix reduced populations by nearly 50%. Products like Aza-Direct, Entrust, and Botanigard delivered more moderate reductions (≈30%), with none offering rapid knockdown. Results highlight the limited but promising tools available for organic growers seeking selective options for Bagrada bug control.
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Soil Health: Organic and Inorganic Industrial Fertilizers Impact of Crop and Soil HealthThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 25), compares organic and inorganic fertilizers and their effects on soil health. Silvertooth explains how each contributes differently to soil structure, biology, and nutrient delivery, emphasizing the value of integrating both in desert crop systems.
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Which Biological Insecticides Work Best Against Lepidopteran Pests in Brassicas and Lettuces?This article in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 24) summarizes organic insecticide performance against major lepidopteran pests in Brassicas and lettuce. Across three seasons of trials, XenTari and Entrust provided the most consistent suppression, while other biological products showed more variable results.
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Soil Health: Sources Utilized in Plant Nitrogen UptakeThis article in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 24) explains that crops mainly rely on inorganic nitrogen and that organic forms play only a minor role in plant uptake.
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Proactive Resistance Management App Instructional BookletThis instructional booklet provides a concise, field-ready guide to the Proactive Resistance Management (PRM) web tool, a community-based decision-support system developed by the Arizona Pest Management Center to promote proactive insect resistance management. Through short explanatory panels and annotated screenshots, the booklet introduces key concepts such as temporal refuge and Mode of Action (MoA) color families, explaining how users can interpret and apply PRM outputs to support sustainable insecticide stewardship across crops and regions. Designed for one-on-one or small-group teaching in the field, this resource complements the online tool available at PRM.extension.arizona.edu.
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Soil Health: Nitrogen Cycle and Management in Agricultural SoilsThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 23), explains the nitrogen cycle and the biological processes that transform nitrogen into plant-available forms. It highlights the importance of the mineralization–immobilization transformation (MIT) cycle in maintaining soil fertility, supporting crop productivity, and managing nitrogen efficiently in agricultural systems.
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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.
