1997 NCR-148 Meeting Summary

Migration and Dispersal of Insects and Other Biotic Agents
Ohio Agricultural Research & Developement Center
Wooster, OH
October 20-21, 1997

David Byrne chaired the 1997 meeting of NCR-148 at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center (OARDC) of the Ohio State University on 20-21 October 1997. The meeting convened at 8:08 AM and was attended by representatives from Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Texas (a complete list of participants appears at the end of these minutes), Administrative Advisor, Michael Chippendale, and our new CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) Representative, Rick Meyer. Program Leader for Entomology, Rick Meyer replaces Bob Riley, who retired last year.

The committee was welcomed to the beautiful campus and Dept. of Entomology of OARDC by Dr. Lowell R. Nault, Associate Director of OARDC and Dr. Tom Payne, Director.

Administrative Advisor Mike Chippendale stated that NCR-148 was approved through the year 2000. The committee will be due for a mid-term review through NCA-15 (North Central Administrative group), which meets in February 1998 in Fort Collins, CO. Ed Armbrust, Center for Economic Entomology at the Illinois Natural History Survey will report on NCR-148 to NCA-15 at this meeting.

Chippendale distributed a provisional list of North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors for 1998 and phase 1 of the North Central Regional Association Research Prioritization Process. The following criteria were to be met by all regional research projects:

• Solving Regional problems in high priority research areas
• Multidisciplinary, addressing complex problems, considering economic, social & policy components as well as biological & physical science components
• Multi-state cooperation
• Assure accountability, by identifying potential performance indicators and measures
• Direct impact/outcome to society/people, including implications to public policy
• Leverage support from other federal or state agencies, private sources
• Information & technology transfer, dissemination of information

Site for 1998. David Byrne, 1997 chair of NCR-148, then lead introductions of participants and assigned Scott Isard, Stuart Gage, and Gail Kampmeier to the site committee to recommend a meeting place and time for the 1998 meeting. Proposed sites included the American Meteorological Society's Conference on Biometeorology & Aerobiology, which will meet in Albuquerque, NM (2-7 November 1998), the week before the joint Entomological Society of America and American Phytopathological Society meetings in Las Vegas, NV Nov. 8-12, 1998. NCR-148 has met in the past in conjunction with the AMS, but the joint meeting of the ESA and APS presents a unique opportunity to involve more plant pathologists, in particular, as well as other entomologists. Don Aylor and Mike Irwin are also planning a symposium at the joint meeting, entitled Aerial Dispersal of Pests, Pathogens, and Their Natural Enemies: Implications for the Development and Deployment of IPM Strategies. The symposium is currently passing through planning committees of both Societies and has been put in a position of high priority for funding by APS. It was decided that NCR-148 would seek meeting space the evening following the symposium for the presentation of state reports and conducting business. Those attending the symposium will be invited to participate in the meeting and encouraged to participate in future activities of NCR-148.

Nominations. Casey Hoy, John Westbrook, and David Byrne, all recent chairs ('98, '96, '97 respectively), made up the nominations committee. Gail Kampmeier was asked to continue as Secretary/Treasurer in 1999 and she accepted with the provision that the Committee move to conducting its business electronically. This method was defacto in 1997 as time constraints precluded the distribution of paper copies of the minutes and state reports. Isard moved and Gage seconded that NCR-148 conducts all future business electronically; the motion passed. All participants will be notified by email of updated WWW pages and state reports and minutes will appear on the WWW as well.

Nominations for 1999 chair included Armon Keaster (MO), who declined, and Rich Hellmich (IA), who accepted and was elected by those present.

Minutes approved. Scott Isard moved and John Westbrook seconded the motion that the minutes for 1996 be approved, which was passed unanimously.

Much of the rest of Monday was spent hearing state reports of current research. In addition, after lunch, Larry Madden provided a tour of his precipitation generating facility that is used to study dispersal of plant diseases that disperse in rain splashes.

Social arrangements Lunch Monday was shared with members of NC-125, Biocontrol of Plant Pathogens, who were meeting concurrently elsewhere on campus. Arrangements were made by Casey Hoy for the group to enjoy a wonderful dinner at the Olde Jaol in downtown Wooster, and a subsequent informal gathering at the 1820 Barnhardt Rice Homestead with NC-125, and members of the Departments of Entomology & Plant Pathology at OARDC.

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Tuesday, October 21, 1997. The meeting resumed at 8:10 AM.

H. J. (Rick) Meyer welcomed. We were joined by Rick Meyer, our new Cooperative States Research Education & Extension Service (CSREES) representative and newly appointed (June 1997) Program Leader in Entomology at CSREES Plant & Animal Systems Unit. Formerly from the Department of Entomology at North Dakota State University, his strengths are in veterinary entomology, public health entomology, livestock pest management, and insect physiology/toxicology. Rick Meyer gave us an update on major issues, needs, and news from CSREES. He also complimented the WWW pages for migration & dispersal and mentioned that they were used as a resource and model by both him and Dennis Kopp.

Alliance for Aerobiology Research (AFAR). A symposium organized by Stuart Gage and Estelle Levetin entitled Aerobiology Network and Information Systems was held in June 1997 in conjunction with the meeting of the Pan-American Aerobiology Association (PAAA). The AFAR Governing Board also met and scientists attending the PAAA meeting were encouraged to join the GB in discussions about the proposal A long-term aerobiological research corridor for characterizing and forecasting the aerial flow of biota between the subtropical and continental interior regions of North America.

This template for monitoring long range transport of various biota has received a mixed reaction as the scale is too large for many people's perceptions, although the view of its importance has been building among the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Forest Service. Various Fund for Rural America (FRA) panelists also thought that the proposal might be considered by that agency in the next funding cycle in 12-18 months. Stuart Gage will present the proposal to NSF as a possible LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) project when he goes to a meeting of heads of current LTER sites.

Support from CSREES is sought, not necessarily in funding but in clout, encouragement, and direction. A lot of energy has been expended in defining and refining this proposal and while a number of groups are interested, solid backing has been lacking.

All of us in NCR-148 and AFAR think that long range transport of biota is important, and there is currently no framework upon which to lay our individual projects. There are a lot of unknowns. While good models exist to track pollution, they are not viable for animals. It is clear that the problem needs to be dealt with at the systems level, but few want to deal with standards for sampling a wide range of biota. Rick Meyer offered to examine and discuss this with Dennis Kopp if Stuart Gage would join the discussion.

The newly created Office of Pest Management, which was designed to make the USDA more responsive to the agricultural community in developing alternative pest management practices to meet critical needs that develop as a result of the pesticide regulatory process, may also offer opportunities for furthering the proposal. Rick Meyer offered to discuss it with Al Jennings, Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary, USDA.

NC-94, Agricultural Meteorology. This regional committee, on which Stuart Gage reported, has developed a database of 20 years worth of daily weather, soils, and crop productivity for the north central region. These data are available for use. Contact Gage for more information.

Gage and Richard Carlson (Iowa State Univ.) will compose the new 5-year plan for NC-94, which will probably have an emphasis on pest management in crop production systems. Prediction of pest buildup in source areas might be a potential linkage of NCR-148 with this group rather than transport mechanisms because most members of NC-94 are climatologists. Their new administrative advisor is George Ham, former advisor to NCR-148. Gage proposed that NCR-148 consider meeting with NC-94 in 1999.

USDA-Agricultural Research Service sponsored a Heliothis research planning meeting in which ARS designed 'virtual' projects that do not involve moving people from present positions. John Westbrook is leader for the migration project (one of six projects). The overall project statement, due 1 Jan 1998, will delineate the approach and team membership. There will be a public web page that may be accessed in the 1st Q98. Like AFAR, ARS wants to leverage resources to stimulate research progress.

NC-193 Potato leafhopper group, is undergoing a change in focus for regional research in the next five years. They will be concentrating on stand longevity rather than movement issues.

PMSS MAD, Pest Management Strategies Subcommittee's Working Group on Movement & Dispersal is in limbo because of the likely restructuring of PMSS. One of the gains made earlier by MAD of getting movement and dispersal language into the NRI (National Research Initiative) proposals, was lost as there is now no longer any reference to it in the request for proposals (RFP).

Part of the role of PMSS is to influence the funding situation in pest management research and RFPs by identifying target areas of research. PMSS is not a funding source. There is a dichotomy between wanting quick demonstrable results in the political arena (accountability to public for money spent) and the reality of conducting complex, often long-term research. Increasingly, the focus tends to be short range: do the work and have the results implemented in the field within two years. The movement is away from sound research, doing away with replication, which allows statistical analysis of results, and doing "demonstration research". We need to educate both the public and the legislative aids to the concept of conducting good research that is demonstrable.

Eldon Ortman, chair of PMSS, has encouraged entomologists to advance success stories to help lend credence to supporting research funding. Scientists, however, are sometimes reluctant to think of their projects as done, particularly since implying that results have been obtained can result in the loss of subsequent funding (if you've solved the problem then what do you need more money for?), even if those results have only led to more questions. Ortman is seeking the guidance of the movement & dispersal community and asks if MAD is a viable group anymore within the PMSS structure.

Elson Shields (chair of MAD) indicated that there are "teachable moments" upon or approaching us as people realize we know little to nothing about organisms in the atmosphere, and that there are viable reasons to understand movement and to be able to quantify it. Examples are the rapid spread of ergot in sorghum; Bt resistance management; and spread of human diseases.

Upcoming meetings:
American Meteorological Society's Conference on Biometeorology & Aerobiology will be meeting 2-7 November 1998 in Albuquerque, NM. Scott Isard and John Westbrook are organizing a symposium for this meeting (call for papers due 1 April 1998; photo-ready manuscript by 8 August 1998) and invite all participants in NCR-148 to join them at this meeting and in traveling to the joint American Phytopathological Society and Entomological Society of America meeting to be held 8-12 November 1998 in Las Vegas, NV. As mentioned earlier, this meeting will also have an NCR-148 and AFAR-sponsored symposium organized by Mike Irwin and Don Aylor and NCR-148 will have their annual meeting also during this time.

6th International Congress on Aerobiology will be held in Perugia, Italy from 31 August to 5 September. For further information, contact freng@unipg.it or see their WWW page at http://www.fisbat.bo.cnr.it/AERO/News.html.

Finances. Dues of $20 were collected from state representatives and committee administrators at the meeting. After meeting costs, $130.50 was deposited in the account at UIUC, bringing the total to $467.32.

Thanks were extended to David Byrne for his work as chair, Casey Hoy for local arrangements, and Gail Kampmeier, as Secretary/Treasurer. The meeting adjourned at 10:47 AM

After adjournment, the group got a tour of Casey Hoy's laboratory and flight chamber setup.

Participants (*state representatives)
David Byrne (AZ)*
Leann Beanland (OH)
Mike Chippendale, Admin. Adv.
Stuart Gage (MI)*
Gary Hein (NB)*
Rich Hellmich (IA)*
Casey Hoy (OH)*
Rufus Isaacs (AZ now MI)
Scott Isard (co-IL)*
Gail Kampmeier (IL) Secy./Treas.
Armon Keaster (MO)*
Larry Madden (OH)
Rick Meyer, CSREES rep.
Elson Shields (NY)*
Joe Spencer (IL)
John Westbrook (TX)*
Jianhua Zhang (OH)

state representatives absent from this meeting
Tim Casey (NJ)
Gerrit Cuperus (OK)
Abner Hammond (co-LA)
Tom Holtzer (CO)
Bill Hutchison (co-MN)
Mike Irwin (co-IL)
Seth Johnson (co-LA)
Charles Main (NC)
Ken Ostlie (co-MN)
Jim Venette (ND)