MU Extension Launches Mizzou Crop & Pest News

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

   University of Missouri Extension has launched Mizzou Crop & Pest News, an electronic newsletter for agriculture professionals and extension specialists that provides information on current agronomic challenges.

   Mizzou Crop & Pest News is an updated version of the Integrated Pest & Crop Management (IPCM) newsletter. The new format will provide readers with more concise information, including estimated read times and one- sentence summaries of articles, said Mandy Bish, MU Integrated Pest Management coordinator.

   “The idea to launch Mizzou Crop & Pest News stemmed from a 2021 survey of over 500 Missouri professionals in row crop production,” Bish said. “Respondents ranked electronic newsletters as a highly preferred source of information and indicated extension as the most trusted source.”

   Bish said the newsletter will include new topics as well as content that subscribers to the IPCM newsletter have come to expect, such as state extension weed specialist Kevin Bradley’s weed management articles.

   “We believe that this newly formatted newsletter will prove to be a valuable source of information for producers and other agricultural professionals throughout Missouri,” Bradley said.

   “We have a series of ‘Top Three’ newsletters lined up for early March,” Bish said, “and we plan to include info on crop insurance considerations, climate, mental health resources and more. These are topics that go hand in hand with crop production and pest management but have not traditionally been covered in the newsletter.”

   Following the “Top Three” series, the newsletter will be published as questions and needs arise throughout the season, she said.

   To sign up for email notifications when new issues are published, visit ipm.missouri.edu/subscribe or email ipm@missouri.edu. ∆