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Michael J Weaver, PhD

Title Professor & Director, VTPP Phone (540) 231-6543 Fax (540) 231-3057 E-Mail mweaver@vt.edu Address 302 Agnew Hall - 0409 Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs Blacksburg, VA 24061 Web Additional Web Site Education B.S. (1974) Edinboro University of Pennsylvania M.S. (1977) West Virginia University Ph.D. (1982) Virginia Tech

Dr. Weaver's appointment as Director of Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs (VTPP) and Extension Coordinator of pesticide programming is 95% Extension and 5% research.  He develops and delivers Extension programs in Pesticide Safety Education (public outreach, pesticide applicator training, pesticide impact assessment, and farm worker protection); Experiment Station programs in Southern Region IPM Center (Pest Management Information Network), in the National Agricultural Program to Clear Pest Control Agents and Animal Drugs for Minor Uses (IR-4), and supports Extension faculty and CALS AREC research and farm staff; instructional programs for the CALS Agricultural Technology curriculum, undergraduate, and graduate education programs; and, International programs in Pest and Pesticide Management, including IPM-CRSP. His interests include pesticide and pest management information systems, pesticide impact assessment, regulatory pest management, IR-4, pesticide residues, environmental impact, and pesticide safety education. Recent work involves the development of a pest management information network, pesticide management programs, crop pest management profiles and pest management strategic plans, pesticide applicator training manuals, computer-based multimedia, a study of lead arsenate residues in Virginia soils, and work with distance learning technologies. Other activities include coordination of the statewide pesticide applicator training program, the IR-4 specialty pest control program for minor crops, and development of systems to disseminate pesticide information worldwide.

Blurb last modified at 2007-09-01 19:51:28.0.

Future Direction

Pesticide application and the use of chemical pest controls will continue for the foreseeable future. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a replacement for what was once a lack of consideration for alternatives to chemical pest control. However, pesticides are an important component of a viable IPM program. What will change is the type of chemical pesticides we use in the future. Old chemistry will continue to be replaced by new and less toxic and less potentially harmful pesticides. In addition, new methods and advanced application technology give the pest manager new ways to apply controls with more precision and less cost. Regulation and education of applicators will always be important forms of preventatives implemented by pesticide control agencies and Extension services (respectively) to enable the public to continue to use pesticides with a minimal impact on human health and the environment. A strong and seamless relationship between pesticide safety educator and regulator is critical to accomplish this goal. Funding for pesticide safety education is critical to the success of this process. Education is the major form of pesticide control since enforcement is expensive and without proper education applicators will violate the law in high numbers. Pursuing large numbers of violators would easily overtax the limited amount of resources provided for enforcement. Education (prevention) is much more economical than enforcement and will remain so in the future. In addition, assessment of pest management strategies and needs will enable regulators to allow continued registration of the most important and viable pest controls. Evaluation (research) of the mistakes and impacts of the past are important to protect the public from future impacts of pesticide misuse. The impact of old pesticides on the environment will remain for years to come. Knowledge of the potential impact of these chemicals on future generations is paramount.

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators
• Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
• Entomological Society of America
• Epsilon Sigma Phi
• Gamma Sigma Delta - Honor Society of Agriculture
• Phi Beta Delta -- International Scholars' Society
• The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance
• Virginia Crop Production Association
• Virginia Extension Service Association

Personnel

• Faculty
  • Hipkins, Patricia A.
• Staff
  • Cheng, Becca
  • Gatton, Holly
  • Linkous, Diane
  • Nessler, Susan E.
  • Parson, Rachel
• Wage or Other Employees
  • Tubbs, Meghan

Former Students and Faculty Associates

• Therese N. Schooley (2006) - (email: tschooley@vt.edu)

Projects

• Natural Resources Conservation Services/Soil and Water Conservation District Staff Training
  Pesticide safety education program for NRCS and SWCD staff training (certification, recertification)
  
  
• Virginia IR-4 Minor Use Pest Control Clearance Program → website
  The IR-4 Minor Use Pest Control Clearance Program was established in 1963 by the state land-grant university agricultural experiment stations. IR-4 is a partnership between agricultural producers, land grant universities, government, and chemical manufacturers. Today, IR-4 conducts research on chemical and biological pest controls. Virginia Tech pest management faculty are active in the IR-4 Project. This involves the indentification of grower needs for pest controls to maintain their minor crops (64% of Virginia crops are minor crops) and research to support the registration of chemical and biological pesticides and animal drugs.
  
  
• Virginia Pest Management Information Program (VPMIP) → website
  The Virginia Pest Management Information Program (VPMIP) is the Virginia component of the Southern IPM Center. VPMIP was originally part of the USDA National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (NAPIAP) established in 1977 to collect pesticide benefit use data for EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs and the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy. PIAP was a joint effort of USDA and the state Land-Grant University - Agricultural Experiment Stations and Cooperative Extension Services. The Southern IPM Center was established at North Carolina State University in 2003. The program is funded by the IPM Center through grants supporting a "Virginia State Contact Project (SCP)" and collaboration with stakeholders through the development of crop pest management profiles and pest management strategic plans.
  
  
• Virginia Pesticide Safety Education Program → website
  Pesticide Safety Education (PSE) in Virginia is a statewide educational program with an overall goal to protect the environment and the public health from improper pesticide use through applicator and public education. The primary target audience includes certified and non-certified pesticide applicators of all kinds, farmworkers, and the general public. Most of the program activity involves training support for a group of approximately 21,000 pesticide applicators who seek training in order to comply with federal and state pesticide certification and licensing requirements. Program efforts are coordinated with other states, state and federal pesticide regulatory agencies, agricultural organizations, manufacturers of pesticide chemicals and alternative control technology, application equipment and engineering control companies, and other related cooperators. The program is supported by Extension agents and specialists from across the Commonwealth. In 2004, Extension agents from over 90 Virginia localities dedicated their time and resources to this program. That group is responsible for holding over 300 annual training meetings and field days designed to benefit pesticide applicators across Virginia and the region. The agents train applicators, develop training media and programs, answer public inquiries, and advise the public on proper and safe pesticide use and the selection of proper pest management strategies including non-chemical alternatives to pesticides.
  
  

Courses

• AT 0554 AT0554 - Chemical Application → website
  Proper application of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals used in landscape and turf management, in production agriculture, and industrial/institutional pest control, including application methods, equipment calibration and configuration, occupational health and safety, and pesticide laws and regulations. Most lectures are online (student centered instruction) and class meetings are dedicated to discussion, review and laboratory activities.
  
  

Resources

• AT0554 - Chemical Application Web Site → website
  Web site for the Agricultural Technology course - AT0554/Chemical Application. The course is located on the Virginia Tech Blackboard Server and requires a VT PID and course registration to enter.
  
  
• American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators Web Site → website
  The official web site of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE). AAPSE is an international association of pesticide safety educators who work in government, educational institutions, and industry.
  
  
• Journal of Pesticide Safety Education (electronic journal web site) → website
  The official scholarly peer reviewed journal of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE).
  
  
• Virginia IR-4 Program → website
  Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs is actively involved in providing information on minor use crops in the state to interested parties, such as the national IR-4 program. The IR-4 Minor Use Pest Control Clearance Program was established in 1963 by the state land-grant university agricultural experiment stations. IR-4 is a partnership between agricultural producers, land-grant universities, government, and chemical manufacturers. Today, IR-4 conducts research on chemical and biological pest controls. The purpose of IR-4 is to establish pest controls for minor use crops (commodities with low acreages nationally, i.e., fruits, vegetables, and other specialty uses). Minor crops represent about 40% of the total sales of U.S. agricultural producers. Because an investment in minor use pest control products presents little benefit to chemical manufacturers, IR-4 conducts the research necessary to register minor use labels. IR-4 has provided data to clear over 50% of the minor use registrations since 1970. Virginia IR-4 has historically been a very active program with five experiment stations around the state. IR-4 is important to Virginia's agricultural industry because ours is one of the more diverse industries in the United States.
  
  
• Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs → website
  As a clearinghouse for technical information on pesticides and other toxic chemicals, Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs serves the citizens of the Commonwealth through Virginia Cooperative Extension. We are located in Blacksburg, Virginia at Virginia Tech in the Department of Entomology. Our department is part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. We provide educational opportunities and information to people who use pesticides as part of their livelihood, to consumers with questions about the use and impact of pesticides in their everyday lives, to students at Virginia Tech and at other institutions, and to decision-makers such as local, state and federal government regulators and legislators.
  
  

Most Recent Publications (last five years).

• Schooley, T. N., Weaver, M. J., Mullins, D. E., Eick, M. 2008. The History of Lead Arsenate Use in Apple Production: Comparison of its Impact in Virginia with Other States. Journal of Pesticide Safety Education, V. 10, p. 22-53.
• Gatton, H., Fell, R. D., Weaver, M. J. 2007. Crop Profile for Honeybees in Virginia. National IPM Centers. [http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/vahoney.html] .
• Gatton, H., Kuhar, T. P., Jennings, K., King, S. W., Monks, D., Rideout, S., Toth, S., Waldenmaier, C., Weaver, M. J., Wilson, H. 2007. Pest Management Strategic Plan for Tomato in Virginia, North Carolina, and Delaware. Southern Region IPM Center, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University, and University of Delaware. 58pp.
• Whitford, F., Weaver, M. J. 2007. A Review of Vegetable Insect Management. Journal of Pesticide Safety Education, Volume 9, 4pp.
• Weaver, M. J., Surles, W. W. 2005. Protect Virginia’s Sensitive Areas - Control Your Drops and Control Your Drift. (eight page color leaflet) with Virginia Cooperative Extension, published by Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Virginia Pesticide Control Board. Also on web - [https://www.vtpp.ext.vt.edu/index.php/html/main/CYD_1005.html] 8pp.
• Weaver, M. J. 2005. Virginia Tech On-Line Training in Pesticide Safety - Pesticide Safety Education Center (PSEC) Preparatory Courses. Paper published in Proceedings of 2005 North American Pesticide Applicator Certification & Safety Education Workshop - Breakout Sessions #6C and #7C, Univ. Wisconsin, Madison. August 15-18, 2005. [http://ipcm.wisc.edu/workshop2005/data/Weaver_online%20training_PSEC.pdf.] 11 pp.
• Toth, S., Weaver, M. J., Sidebottom, J. R., Owen, J. H., Schooley, T. N., Hensley, D. D. 2004. Pest Management Strategic Plan for Christmas Tree Production in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.. Southern Region IPM Center, North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech, and University of Tennessee. 81pp.
• Weaver, M. J., Beegle, D. K. 2004. Demonstration and Research Manual (Category 10). VA Coop. Extension (Pub. 456-227). Blacksburg, VA 240pp.
• Weaver, M. J., Nessler, S. E., Ingrassia, L., Mitchell, G. 2004. National CD-ROM for Teaching Recordkeeping Compliance to the FACT Act of 1995. USDA and Virginia Tech. [CD-ROM].

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