Who We Are

 

The Southern Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center serves as the hub of a multi-state partnership and communication network linking researchers, growers, extension educators, commodity organizations, environmental groups, pest control professionals, government agencies and others. 

We are one of four regional centers funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to promote IPM. 

The regions include:

Western IPM

North Central IPM

Northeastern IPM

Southern IPM

From our home office in Raleigh, North Carolina, we serve 13 Southern states, and two territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia.

The Center coordinates, enhances and facilitates the flow of resources and information in integrated pest management on a regional basis, including grants management, data acquisition and sharing, infrastructure development, and the documentation needed to provide accountability for resources used. The Center focuses on national efforts , while maintaining the regional  nature required for effective IPM programs.

What we do

Ultimately the goals of the Southern IPM Center  are those of IPM: to enhance environmental, economic and human health through application of optimal decisions driven by strong science. Our intermediate role in the context of those global goals includes the following as defined by the Request for Applications (RFA) that funds us. We:

  1. Serve as a focal point and facilitator of communications that promote sound IPM-related decisions in the Southern Region
  2. Involve diverse stakeholders in identifying and prioritizing research, outreach/education, and regulatory needs
  3. Assist scientists, educators and other stakeholders in development and promotion of extension, research, and regulatory solutions to IPM-related challenges
  4. Organize timely responses to emerging issues of regional importance
  5. Promote efficiency by optimizing innovative activities and minimizing duplication of effort across the Southern Region
  6. Document the impacts and value of IPM strategies, techniques, programs and projects
  7. Build support for IPM among the general public and public policymakers

How we do it

The Southern IPM Center  provides leadership and coordination for the identification of priority IPM needs and issues through multi-state and multi-organization collaboration in the southern region. It provides the infrastructure for the development and sharing of current and new pest management technologies among federal and state agencies, impacted organizations, and pest managers.