Tulare County IPM Demonstration Project
2004 Data 2003 Data 2002 Data 2001 Data
The purpose of the Tulare County Citrus Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Demonstration Project is to compare the costs and efficacy of various citrus pest management practices. Within the project, some of the growers depend primarily on natural enemies and selective pesticides to solve their pest problems while others depend primarily upon pesticides. In this program, the pest control advisors and University of California staff intensively monitor all of the pests and natural enemies in ten commercial citrus orchards in the Orange Cove, Cutler, Redbanks, and Ivanhoe areas. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation Pest Management Alliance Program provided funding during 2001-2002. The Citrus Research Board provided funding during 2001-2003. Funding supports Neil O'Connell (Tulare County Farm Advisor) and Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell (IPM Specialist and Research Entomologist, Kearney Agricultural Center) in their efforts to assess the pest densities and fruit damage in the cooperating orchards and to conduct regular field days in the area. Eta Takele (Agricultural Economist, Riverside County) will be evaluating the costs and returns to the growers. Lisa Munoz is the University of California technician in charge of conducting the sampling. The growers are generously allowing us to sample the blocks and evaluate the effectiveness and costs of their various control tactics. In a subset of the blocks, Neil O'Connell is also conducting trials to evaluate the effects of reducing herbicide rates or application numbers on weed management.