Cornell IPM Marks 40 Years of Protecting Crops, Communities

The invasive spotted lanternfly officially hit home this year, appearing on Cornell’s Ithaca campus and across the Finger Lakes region. Its presence is especially concerning for local vineyards, as this pest poses a serious threat to grape production. But for Cornell IPM, this is exactly the kind of challenge it was built to face.

Established by the New York State Legislature in 1985, Cornell IPM has reduced high-risk pesticide use through science-based strategies like predictive mapping and targeted scouting. Over time, the program has expanded beyond agriculture to tackle pests in schools, homes and urban landscapes, as well as tick- borne diseases affecting 60% of Northeastern residents –  demonstrating how integrated approaches protect crops, public health and the environment.

The integrated pest management movement took shape in the mid-20th century as concerns grew over the ecological impact of synthetic pesticides like DDT. In 1970, President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency and directed the USDA to develop IPM programs focused on prevention, monitoring and diverse control strategies.

Cornell quickly emerged as a leader in IPM decades ago, and continues to advance
research today.
Image provided.

Cornell University quickly emerged as a leader. In 1973, Jim Tette and colleagues at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station launched a project to reduce pesticide use in apple production. Marking 40 years in 2025, Cornell IPM has grown to 40 specialists addressing pests across agriculture, human health, invasive species, pollinator protection, pesticide safety and more.

“Integrated pest management is a science-based approach that combines multiple strategies to manage pests,” explained Alejandro Calixto, director of Cornell IPM. “The goal is to reduce risks, not only from pests themselves but also from the tools used to control them.”

Tette, the program’s first director who died in November, reflected on its origins, last summer. “The initial vision was simple: Cut back on pesticide use,” he said.

That vision has stood the test of time.

“IPM programs have been highly successful in reducing reliance on high-risk pesticides while maintaining crop productivity and protecting human health and the environment,” said Calixto.

But the benefits go far beyond using fewer chemicals: Smarter pest management also makes economic sense. “Our data show that timing and reducing harsh pesticide applications translate into real savings for farmers,” he said.

An analysis by the program’s economist, Allan Pinto, estimates Cornell IPM has delivered roughly $1.41 billion in economic benefits to New York agriculture since 1985 – driven by reduced pesticide use, improved yields, and lower environmental and health risks. The findings underscore IPM’s value as a long-term state investment that safeguards farm productivity and public health, Calixto said.

Strategies and Tools

There are many ways to reduce the use of high-risk pesticides. One strategy is forecasting and mapping when and where pests are more active so that pesticide applications are timed for maximum effectiveness and reduced risks. Cornell IPM’s Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA) is a digital tool to help inform these types of pest management decisions.

“Since its launch in 1995, NEWA has leveraged real-time data from over 1,000 weather stations nationwide to deliver short-term pest and disease risk forecasts for 32 crop models – from fruits and vegetables to ornamentals and field crops,” said Calixto. He noted that NEWA helps growers prevent an estimated $30,000 in annual crop losses per farm while cutting pesticide sprays by 20–30%.

Cornell IPM also tailors solutions to local needs, said Ken Wise, associate director of agricultural IPM. In the Hudson Valley, specialists partner with apple growers to combat fire blight using predictive models and reduced-risk fungicides. In western New York, teams work with grape producers to monitor and manage downy mildew and grape berry moth.

Responding to the threat of the spotted lanternfly, Cornell IPM developed and maintains an interactive map of the pest’s activity around the country. The map helps growers and state agencies to determine “when they really need to step up their scouting to see if the spotted lanternfly is in their vineyard,” said Brian Eshenaur, associate director of cross-commodity IPM and invasive species coordinator.

A drone flying over a research vineyard.
Image provided.

Another approach is precision application: treating only the areas most affected by spotted lanternfly. Research shows these pests cluster along vineyard edges, especially near tree of heaven (another invasive species), black walnut and willow trees, Eshenaur noted. Studies also indicate that if fewer than six adults are found on a plant, treatment isn’t necessary. Cornell IPM trains growers to scout and target pesticides where needed, rather than spraying entire vineyards.

Often, pesticides aren’t the only answer. Traps and other methods can disrupt an insect’s lifecycle without chemicals. One of IPM’s earliest successes was a pheromone-based trap for spongy moths, formerly called gypsy moths, whose caterpillars can severely damage fruit crops like apples, strawberries and blueberries.

“IPM works closely with other research groups, including Cornell AgriTech, to ensure solutions are timely, regionally relevant and grounded in evidence,” said Calixto.

Real world impacts

Cornell IPM expertise has proven critical time and again. About five years ago, the Lake Ontario region faced the sudden arrival of the European cherry fruit fly. Initially, USDA restricted all cherry shipments from the area. Cornell IPM stepped in, partnering with USDA scientists to develop pest control measures that allowed growers to manage the fruit fly while continuing to ship cherries to processing facilities outside the quarantine zone.

The value of Cornell IPM is evident to Christopher Logue, director of the Division of Plant Industry at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. “Having the program written into the actual laws of the state and having it in place for as long as it has been, really has been groundbreaking,” he said. “We rely upon IPM very much for technical assistance, interpretation of research and connecting with the growers.”

Looking ahead, Cornell IPM is helping farmers prepare for the New York State Birds and Bees Protection Act, which will phase out neonicotinoid seed treatments, commonly used to protect young plants but harmful to pollinators and aquatic life. The law will begin restricting use on corn, soybean and wheat seeds in 2029.

“This legislation not only limits pesticide use. It also mandates the adoption and implementation of IPM practices, including pest surveillance and forecasting using tools like NEWA and other decision-support systems developed by Cornell IPM,” said Calixto. “To support this transition, Cornell IPM has launched the largest on-farm research and demonstration project of its kind, in collaboration with entomology faculty, Cornell Cooperative Extension and over 80 farms statewide. These demonstrations showcase how field crops like corn and soybean can be grown using sound IPM strategies, emphasizing limited pesticide use – only when significant pest risk is demonstrated – resulting in reduced environmental and economic impacts.”

Anthony Lamanno, section supervisor of enforcement and compliance assurance for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bureau of Pesticide Management, touted Cornell IPM as essential to New York growers and recognized the program’s ongoing partnership and expertise.

“The IPM program has supported the DEC by providing real-world solutions to the pest problems of New York state,” Lamanno said. “The relationship between the two programs has been forged over many years and most recently has led to a cooperative effort to research and identify alternatives to neonicotinoid pesticide use in New York to protect pollinators and other environmental resources. This forward-thinking research is why Cornell IPM is one of the nation’s leaders in integrated pest management.”

While the program’s original focus in 1985 was agricultural pests, by 1999 it had expanded to community outreach with support from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. That year, Cornell launched its Community IPM program, hiring a wildlife biologist and an entomologist to raise awareness in schools, municipalities and among New Yorkers statewide.

“The application of IPM isn’t limited to agriculture,” said Cornell IPM’s Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, associate director of community and urban IPM. “The management of household, industrial, landscape and public health pests relies heavily on IPM.”

Today the Community IPM team is much larger, with educators focused on managing rodents, ticks, bed bugs, turfgrass pests, weeds and many other non-agricultural pests. The team educates the public and pest management professionals on housing-related pests, including prevention and control in homes and hotels.

“All New Yorkers, including farmers and farmworkers, are potential audiences for the Community IPM team,” Gangloff-Kaufmann said.

PM work in urban spaces includes agricultural needs as well as pests of public health concern, like urban rodents.
Image provided.

To strengthen outreach in New York City – “where pest pressures intersect with complex socioeconomic challenges,” Calixto said – the program recently hired a public housing IPM specialist. “The new specialist focuses on integrated strategies for managing pests such as cockroaches, rodents and bed bugs in multi-unit housing, and works closely with housing authorities, public health agencies and community organizations to promote safe, effective and equitable pest control,” he explained.

Cornell IPM also added a bilingual program specialist to serve Spanish-speaking communities, which make up nearly 20% of the state’s population, primarily in the lower Hudson Valley and Long Island, areas where pest issues are common and outreach was previously limited.

In 2023, Cornell IPM expanded its reach by merging with the Cornell Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), which strengthened its ability to provide pesticide safety education for the public, certified applicators and industry professionals. The integration also enhanced IPM’s capacity to advise state agencies on pesticide regulations, ensuring compliance and promoting practices that protect health, the environment and productivity.

“PSEP’s been the primary source of pesticide applicator training in New York state for over 50 years, particularly through our pesticide applicator certification training manuals. We’ve also been a trusted pesticide information resource for all New Yorkers,” PSEP lead Mike Helms said. “While we’ve had a great working relationship with Cornell IPM for decades, the merger of our two programs has helped open more opportunities for us to collaborate on projects and to share resources, ultimately strengthening both programs.”

Looking to the Future

Calixto said the IPM program has five main goals to advance pest management across agricultural and urban settings:

• First, it aims to promote restoration ecology and ecological resilience by increasing biological control agents and biodiversity in agricultural and urban systems.
• Second, it’s expanding digital IPM infrastructure with decision support systems for pest identification and effective and environmentally friendly pesticide selection.
• Third, the program is ramping up efforts against invasive species through research and education, building on successful responses like the spotted lanternfly initiative.
• The fourth priority targets pests of public health concern, particularly ticks and urban rodents.
• Finally, the program seeks to ensure IPM tools and information, including pesticide safety
  education, reach all state residents regardless of socioeconomic, cultural or language barriers.

“As we learn more and more about the impacts of climate change, the challenges of invasive species coming in and potentially damaging crops and natural resources, I think the work IPM does continues to be important and gets more important in the future,” Ag & Markets’ Logue said.

As the late Tette said, “In our pursuit of perfection in fruits and vegetables, like the perfect apple, we’re destroying our health and the environment. Sometimes when you’re striving for perfection, you’re giving up something that you might not see right away.

But through 40 years of innovation, Cornell IPM has shown that farmers can achieve both quality harvests and better health for people and the environment – demonstrating that the best approach to pest management isn’t perfection through chemicals, but balance through science.

This article originally appeared in CALS News.