Integrated Pest Management Research/Extension

The Entomology Department is globally recognized for excellence in IPM as evidenced by the high degree of international participation in our graduate and post-graduate training programs. Regionally, we are the host institution for the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center, and within the state we have an outstanding reputation for delivering applied research and Extension programs to our diverse clientele. The department is in the top three for number of joint programs with Extension educators. Major programs address apiculture, Christmas trees, field crops, floriculture, forestry, fruit, greenhouse, medical, nursery, turf, and vegetables. All programs have close interaction with the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, MSU Diagnostic Services, and the MSU IPM Program.

Faculty and Staff

George Bird Professor	Christina DiFonzo Professor
Ed Grafius Emeritus Professor	Matt Grieshop Assistant Professor
Larry Gut Professor	Lynnae Jess Extension Associate
Zachary Huang Associate Professor	Rufus Isaacs Associate Professor
Douglas Landis Professor	Joy Landis Academic Specialist
Karim Maredia Professor	Deborah McCullough Professor
Walter Pett Assistant Professor	Larry Olsen Professor
David Smitley Professor	Zsofia Szendrei Assistant Professor
Howard Russell Academic Specialist	Fred Warner Academic Specialist
Edward Walker Professor	John Wise Assistant Professor
Mark Whalon Professor	David Epstein Academic Specialist

1. MSU IPM Program
Web site: Integrated Pest Management

The MSU IPM Program links MSU Extension field staff and campus faculty with growers, consultants, public agencies and private organizations. Our goal with these partners is to advocate for practices that protect agricultural plant production and the resulting products from pests while maintaining environmental health.

2. North Central IPM Center
Web site: North Central IPM Center
Contact: Lynnae Jess.

The North Central IPM Center is one of four regional centers in a national network established to strengthen USDA's connection with pest management stakeholders in production agriculture; residential, urban, and institutional settings; research and extension programs; natural resource and wildland spaces; and public areas throughout the United States.

3. Organic Pest Management
Web site: Organic Pest Management
Contact: Matt Grieshop.

The Organic Pest Management Laboratory conducts research, teaching and extension in a variety of agricultural commodities. Our overall goal is to provide economically viable pest management tactics for organic farming systems designed through a better understanding of agroecosystem dynamics, pest natural history, and behavior. We are particularly interested in pest management systems where off farm inputs are minimized and pest management services are derived from system components that provide multiple benefits (e.g. pollination services, nutrient management, additional salable products). The OPM lab conducts collaborative research with labs in the MSU departments of Plant Pathology, Horticulture, Crop and Soil Science, and Animal Science.

4. WorldTAP and international IPM
Web site: WorldTAP and international IPM
Contact: Karim Maredia.

MSU is recognized as a center of excellence in international training, capacity-building and technology transfer around the world. The MSU Institute of International Agriculture (IIA) serves as the focal point in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to facilitate exchanges of knowledge, information and technologies throughout the global community. Maredia’s group organizes an international short course in Food Safety, Agroecology and IPM and other topics. They also have research/extension projects around the world including the USAID IPM CRSP project in Central Asia.

5. Pesticide Alternatives Research
Web site: Pest Alternatives Laboratory
Contact: Mark Whalon.

The Pesticide Alternatives Laboratory is committed to researching the most innovative arthropod pest management strategies, tactics and tools available to help agricultural producers and private land owners transition to more economical and environmentally friendly reduced risk and organic pest management.