Aaron Hager Email

Beginning in 1949, a conference was organized by faculty and staff from several departments at the University of Illinois to provide clientele and stakeholders with the latest pest management research and recommendations.  The conference was brought into existence by Dr. H.B. “Pete” Petty, the first extension entomologist with the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Illinois, to meet the educational needs of Illinois pest management practitioners.  From its inception in 1949 through 1986, the conference was known as the Illinois Custom Spray Operators’ Training School (often referred to as Spray School),…

It’s difficult to recall the debut of a weed management technology that generated more divisiveness than the 2017 introduction of dicamba-resistant soybean varieties and the accompanying use of dicamba.  Damage to off-target vegetation from myriad sources of exposure resulted in not only monetary losses, but also untold costs to professional and personal relationships.  Trust that took years to build was damaged or lost in the span of one growing season.  This includes the public trust in pesticide use.…

An article posted to the Bulletin last November outlined several changes made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to the labels of XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan.  The intent of these label amendments is to reduce sensitive plant species exposure to dicamba primarily through physical movement (i.e., drift during the application or particle movement during temperature inversions) and via dicamba residues dislodged from application equipment.  Those in Illinois who have completed the required dicamba training being conducted by registrant personnel likely heard repeatedly that preventing off-target movement during the application is solely and completely the responsibility of the applicator. …

Test your knowledge of integrated weed management (IWM) with this short quiz (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SD9RT6R). The quiz is anonymous, and the answers will be revealed at the end.
Effective long-term weed management requires integrating multiple effective techniques, as opposed to relying solely on one or two tactics. This is particularly true as troublesome herbicide-resistant weeds continue to develop and spread throughout the US. Diversifying weed management tactics, preventing the introduction of new weeds, and varying herbicide modes of action reduces the spread and establishment of resistant weeds.…

On October 13, the United States Environmental Agency (EPA) issued several amendments to the XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan labels that will impact all purchases and applications of these products in 2018 and beyond.  These amendments can be summarized as:
1) XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan are now restricted use products (RUP), permitting only certified applicators to purchase and/or apply these products.
2) Prior to applying these products in 2018, applicators must complete dicamba or auxin-specific training.  Two of the labels further specify training will be required annually.…

Here is a great opportunity to see a novel weed management tool!  Dr. Adam Davis, USDA/ARS weed ecologist at the University of Illinois, will host a field demonstration of the Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD) on October 12.  The HSD will be run several times during the tour, so please attend even if you are not able to arrive exactly at 1:00 p.m.  The following news release, written by Lauren Quinn, provides more details about the field demonstration.…

Only a short time ago, many agricultural professionals were optimistic Illinois would somehow be “spared” the incidents of off-target damage caused by dicamba that continue to plague several states to our south.  The recent preponderance of evidence (observations made traveling the state, stories on social media, an increasing number of pesticide misuse complaints filed with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), etc.), suggests otherwise.  Instances of soybean demonstrating symptoms of exposure to dicamba have greatly increased over the past two weeks and it’s nearly certain the number of affected acres will continue to rise. …

Each year, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) receives approximately 120 pesticide misuse complaints, of which 60% are pesticide drift complaints.  Neighborly discussions before pesticides are applied are important so applicators understand if sensitive plants are growing near the application site.  In the unfortunate case that drift has occurred, it’s a good idea to know the basics of the complaint process and what resources are available to you.
Before doing anything, both parties should make an effort to discuss the suspected drift incident and rule out other possible causes of the damage. …