Just got the comments back from an annual landscape IPM meeting I coordinate with support from the Port of San Diego. Because the training is centered on reducing pesticides in runoff, many of the topics we covered were not "how to control x, y, or z" but how to manage landscapes through improving plant health and how to reduce irrigation runoff thereby reducing movement of pesticides into waterways.

It seems that some attendees were not real happy with approach.  Not enough information about pests (although many people followed similar comments with wanting more information about using native plants in landscapes), too much information about managing irrigation.  One person even said he/she will not attend if we don't get at least 5 hours of continuing education units from DPR.  

As you might imagine, this is somewhat frustrating to me.  People can get loads of information about pest control straight up (see PAPA, CAPCA meetings). What they often have a hard time getting is information about the other parts of IPM, the parts that make it an INTEGRATED system.  The basis of IPM is prevention and appropriate plant culture is key.  Also preventing the offsite movements of pesticides is a high priority for California and most of the country.

So please understand, if you just want to know what spray on a given pest or are only interested on getting your CEUs, this might not be the meeting for you.  But if you want to raise the bar on how an integrated pest management system can work in landscapes, please join us next year.