Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management Field Guide ...

Use of IPM Field Guides and Educational
Materials Survey: Agricultural Educators
INTRODUCTION
With rising input costs and the recent resurgence
and introduction of new diseases and
insect pests, the need for Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) to maintain productivity
and profitability has increased. The objective
of this project is to contribute to the longterm
economic and environmental performance
of corn and soybean production.
An important step toward the realization of
this goal is education of the next generation
of growers.
In 2008 and 2009, the Iowa State University
(ISU) Corn and Soybean Initiative staff collaborated
with the Iowa Soybean Association
and Iowa State University faculty and staff in
the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
and ISU Extension to create a series of field
guides.
• Soybean Disease and Pest Management
Field Guide
• Soybean Aphid Management Field
Guide
• Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN)
Management Field Guide
• Corn Field Guide
Development and distribution of the field
guides was funded by the Iowa Soybean Association,
the Iowa Certified Crop Advisers
(CCA) board, industry sources, the ISU Corn
and Soybean Initiative and ISU Extension. To
date, more than 250,000 copies of the field
guides have been produced, with reprints for
several of the titles currently pending.
In 2009, ISU Extension developed a series of
IPM educational modules that, together with
the Soybean Disease and Pest Management
and Corn Field Guides, serve as curricula for
IPM educational activities.
In May 2010, agricultural educators were surveyed
to assess their experiences with the
educational modules and field guides and to
obtain opinions about strengths and potential
areas for improvement. This publication
contains a summary of the survey results.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY
Agricultural educators were asked a series of questions about the effectiveness of the
materials and potential avenues for improvement. Of the 51 educators who completed
the survey, 49 percent had used the materials in their classrooms and 43 percent had
reviewed the materials and planned to use them in the future. This summary reports the
results for the teachers who had used the IPM materials in the classroom.
Teachers who had employed the field guides and modules in their classrooms had used
them in an average of 6.4 class periods, and taught an average of 21 students in each
classroom.
How effective were the guides as teaching tools?
One hundred percent of respondents who had used the materials in their classrooms
rated the field guides as effective or very effective.
Effecve
Soybean Disease &
Pest Management Guide
Very effecve
38%
62% 65%
35%
Corn Field Guide
How effective were the modules?
Respondents were asked to assess the effectiveness of each of the educational
modules. All six modules were rated as effective or very effective by at least
three-quarters of respondent.
Introducon to IPM
Scoung
Disease management
Insect management
Weed management
Consequences
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percent
Somewhat effecve
Effecve or very effecve
Did not use
September 2010