Management of pest species in agricultural environments has become highly technical since the introduction of synthetic chemicals as pesticides. The judicious use of these chemical tools, integrated with cultural, mechanical and biological controls to minimize effects on the environment is an integral part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Industry support for a IPM research program has been obtained to establish an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Integrated Pest Management at North Carolina State University. The initial research program at the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Integrated Pest Management will address the impact of pest management on environmental quality, crop loss assessment and economic threshold determinations, genetic engineering for improved pest management, improved understanding of pest biology and ecology, pesticide resistance detection and management, and development of decision support systems for IPM. The Principal Investigator and his colleagues are internationally recognized researchers that have the capability and resources to run the Center. This Center has been coordinated with Dr. F. Heineken, Program Manager of Biotechnology Program. The Program Manager recommends North Carolina State University be awarded $50,000 for the first year of a five-year continuing award. Near the end of each 12 month period the Program Manager and/or the Director of the Engineering Centers Division will review the progress of the Center on a number of criteria, including the following: (1) the extent to which the university-industry interaction and collaboration is developing; (2) the extent to which the support base is expanding; (3) the extent to which a robust research program is developing. If the review is satisfactory, the Program Manager will recommend support of the next period of this continuing award.
