The Wayne County Extension office will again be offering an integrated pest management (IPM) scouting program during the 2015 growing season from the end of April through August.  The scouting program is offered for the agronomic crops of alfalfa, corn and soybeans, and for commercial horticulture production including both fruit and vegetable crops.  For fruit crops scouting is offered in tree fruit (apples, peaches, plums and nectarines) and small fruit (grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries).  Vegetable production scouting includes both field and high tunnel grown vegetables.

The IPM crop scouting program involves trained pest management scouts walking grower fields once a week and looking for problem weeds, insects and diseases.  These scouts provide a written report on crop growth stage along with any potential pest problems.  If a pest is at an economic threshold level recommendations are provided to treat the pest. 

The IPM scouting program is primarily self-funded.  There is a fee to enroll in the program that includes a base fee per farm plus a per acreage charge.  In 2015 the base fee is $200 for Wayne County farms and the acreage fees are $6.50/acre for corn and soybeans, $6.00/acre for alfalfa and $45/acre for small fruit and vegetable crops.  There are discounts for large acreages of any single crop.  More information about the scouting program, including program fees and enrollment forms are posted on the Wayne County Extension web site at http://go.osu.edu/agwayne: then click on the IPM link in the left-hand column.  Enrollment deadline is March 6.