A recent survey of growers in the U.S. state of New Jersey revealed a willingness to adopt IPM tactics, but also showed that there remains significant confusion about which farming practices actually constitute "IPM," and confirmed a nagging perceived communication-education gap between growers and various sources of IPM information.

In the article, "75% Adoption of Integrated Pest Management by 2000? A Case Study from New Jersey," (in AMERICAN ENTOMOLO- GIST), G.C. Hamilton and colleagues report their findings. A 33- question survey, complete with definition of IPM and designed to divulge why growers did or did not participate in IPM programs, was sent to 270 growers of various crops. Only 52 forms were completed and returned, but upon analysis the results offered several clear trends.

Both those growers claiming to follow IPM practices and those who said they did not pointed to regulations, crop values, and labor costs as primary obstacles to continuing to farm, but not necessarily related to practicing IPM. The investigating team of scientists and extensionists found that marketing played a key role in IPM adoption. Changing the way they market their crops showed promise as an avenue to help non-IPM growers increase use of IPM tactics.

All growers in the survey indicated that greater access to state, university, and privately sponsored IPM programs (infor- mation, counsel, demonstrations) would help accelerate IPM adop- tion. However, perceptions of useful information sources differed between growers, and county extension agents and chemical indus- try representatives who were also queried. The latter group placed more emphasis on neighbors as a source of information for growers than did the growers themselves.

FMI: G.C. Hamilton, Room 101, John Smith Hall, Cook Campus, Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. Phone: 1-732-932-9801.

--excerpted from: AMER. ENTOM., 43(2), 74-78, Summer 1997.