An Integrated Pest Management Adoption Survey of Sweet Corn Growers in the Great Lakes Region

Abstract

Sweet corn is one of the most common fresh market vegetable crops grown throughout the north central and north east regions of the United States. In 2008, the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group measured integrated pest management (IPM) practice adoption by growers of this crop using online and hardcopy surveys over a 10-mo period. The survey asked growers from nine states and Ontario, Canada, which pest management practices they used on their farm operation in the following sections: education, preplant, at-plant, in-season, postharvest, scouting, and demographics. Each individual survey question was ranked by a panel of university specialists and designated as a low, moderate, or high IPM valued activity, with points assigned accordingly. On survey completion, the total points accumulated by the grower would place them into one of three categories; low, moderate, or high IPM adopter. Of the 407 respondents, 130 were placed in the low IPM adoption category, 251 were deemed moderate IPM adopters, and 26 were placed in the high IPM category. Some key general attributes of a high IPM adopter include someone who has grown vegetables for at least 10 yr and has a farm >51 acres (67%) and raises between 21-50 acres of sweet corn (44%). Some key general attributes of a low IPM adopter include less experience on smaller acreage, with 56% having grown vegetables for fewer than 10 yr with 57% on farms smaller than five acres.