December 7, 2000

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has announced $10.9 million in grants for pest management programs. The grants will be used to research safe and effective strategies for managing destructive farm pests. Grants were awarded in four separate pest management programs.

More than $4.3 million in grants will be awarded to four newly created regional pest management centers to provide an information network that responds quickly to the public's pest management needs. The Centers, announced by Glickman in October include the University of California-Davis, University of Florida, Michigan State University and Pennsylvania State University. They will work with USDA to identify, prioritize, coordinate, and facilitate research, education, and extension programs.

More than $3.7 million will fund research at the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Florida, Kansas State University, and Michigan State University to develop safer pest management options in all aspects of crop production from the planted seed to the marketed product. More than $1.8 million will support the discovery and implementation of pest management alternatives for commodities affected by the methyl bromide phase-out. The awards went to the University of California-Davis, University of California-Riverside, University of Florida, University of Idaho, Michigan State University, and North Carolina State University.

Approximately $1 million will help scientists at the University of Idaho, Iowa State University, University of Massachusetts, Oklahoma State University, and Oregon State University to assess safer pest management options for at-risk crops or cropping systems.

Information on the individual grants is available at: http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2000/12/fy00pest.htm.