1999 Integrated Pest Management Annual Report

Crop Profiles by PIAP

The Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (PIAP) collects and disseminates information about the impact of pests and pesticides on agricultural production.

Since its passage in 1996, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) has resulted in an accelerated review schedule by the EPA for the organophosphate insecticides and the triazine herbicides. As a result, the Illinois PIAP program has focused on developing crop profiles for Illinois crops that may rely on these pesticides, and on reports of organophosphate and triazine use in the 12 states of the North Central Region.

Crop profiles contain information that is useful to the USDA and the US–EPA in evaluating the importance of each pesticide and the suitability of possible alternatives. Such information includes where the crop is grown in the state, total crop area, average yields, the distribution and impact of pests, pesticide use, and nonchemical pest management options. As profiles are developed, they are posted to the University of Illinois PIAP website for comment and review and then submitted to the EPA. Profiles currently under development include field corn, soybeans, rye, oats, wheat, sorghum, alfalfa, snapbeans, sweet corn, hogs, dairy, beef, and poultry.

Other reports also have been prepared to address issues related to the possible loss of organophosphate and triazine pesticides. A summary of organophosphate insecticides for field corn solicited input from entomologists throughout the North Central Region to address the suitability of alternatives for soil insecticides on field corn. The PIAP report suggested that canceling a number of organophosphate uses was warranted; however, for a limited number of uses, alternatives were less efficacious and might actually increase insecticide use and insect resistance development. A report on triazine herbicides examined the costs and returns of herbicide use from more than 5,000 experimental treatments in states throughout the Midwest. Findings from the study suggest that some herbicides, applied postemergence, can optimize economic returns while permitting the farmer to decrease the amounts of pesticide used.

Information on insecticide use for livestock also is a high priority. The Illinois Pesticide Impact Assessment Program conducted a survey of pesticide use on beef and dairy cattle in north-central states. This study is one of the largest and most intensive surveys of insecticide use on cattle ever conducted and presents a realistic model from which plausible assumptions may be drawn. These reports are available at the PIAP website.

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