Biocontrols Conference & Expo

Biocontrols Conference & Expo, March 3-4, 2016, Monterey, California

Learn everything you need to know about agricultural biocontrols from the experts.

Join your peers, leading organizations and industry experts at the Biocontrols Conference & Expo for two days of hands-on education devoted solely to the use of biocontrols in agriculture presented by Meister Media Worldwide, a media solutions provider for worldwide specialized agriculture, in cooperation with the Biopesticides Industry Alliance (BPIA), and the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA). The Biocontrols Conference offers educational sessions, continuing education credits (CEUs) for pest control advisers (PCAs), certified crop advisers (CCAs) and other state certification programs, and an expansive Expo with top suppliers of biocontrol products and related services.

New for 2016!

Two optional, concurrent add-ons on the last afternoon of the event (additional fees may apply):

1.Tour of two leading Monterey-area specialty-crop growing operations that use biocontrols as part of their integrated pest management programs:

-Biocontrols USA Tour

-Pacific Plug and Liner, Watsonville, CA

2.Hands-on workshop on the use of beneficial insects in a greenhouse environment

Agenda Sampling:

-8 Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Biocontrols Program

-A look at the most common active ingredients and how to handle them to get the best results, Lance Osborn, UF IFAS

-What’s Next In Biocontrol?

-Regulatory Update, Bob McNally, EPA

-Pipeline Update – what types of new products are coming?

-The Future Isn’t Biocontrol. It’s IPM

-Understand The Value of Biopesticides – Do they Pencil Out for You?

-How To Evaluate/Field Test a New Research Biopesticide

-Biopesticides and Beneficials: Make Them Work Together, Frank Sances, Pacific Ag

-Fruit and Tree Nuts: Hands-on, How-To Topics

-Using Green Lacewings in almond and pistachio, Brad Higbee, The Wonderful Co.

-Vegetables: Hands-on, How-To TopicsMycorrhizae: Why it Makes Sense in Strawberries, Johan Pienaar, Mycorrhizal Applications.

Monterey Bay, the conference location, is in close proximity to the heart of major California specialty-crop production: vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals in Monterey County and the Salinas Valley, and affords you the opportunity to tie-in a long weekend in the Monterey Bay area.

Meister Media Worldwide and its leading family of brands including American Vegetable Grower®, Western Fruit Grower® / American Fruit Grower® and Greenhouse Grower®, CropLife®,

Having celebrated its 15th anniversary in September 2015, BPIA is dedicated to fostering adoption of biopesticide technology through increased awareness about their effectiveness and full range of benefits to a progressive pest management program.

Dedicated to the professional development and enhancement of its members’ education and stewardship, the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) represents more than 75% of the nearly 4,000 California EPA licensed pest control advisers (PCAs) that provide pest management consultation for the production of food, fiber and ornamental industries of this state.

EPA Calls for Nominations for 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its call for nominations for the 2015 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that helps protect public health and the environment.

“The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge is an opportunity for EPA to recognize green solutions and help solve critical environmental problems,” said Jim Jones, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Green chemistry is about designing products and processes that reduce energy, chemicals and water waste while cutting manufacturing costs, and sparking investments. Ultimately, these chemicals and products are safer for people’s health and the environment. This year, EPA is excited to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the awards.”

Nominations for innovative technologies in six categories are due to the agency by December 31, 2014. The categories are: academic; small business; greener synthetic pathways; greener reaction conditions and designing greener chemicals; and a new category for climate change. The awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington D.C., in July 2015.

Since the inception of the awards 20 years ago, EPA has received more than 1500 nominations and presented awards to 98 technologies. It has resulted in the reduction of more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, savings of 21 billion gallons of water, and elimination of 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide releases to air.

More information on past award winners and how to submit entries may be found at: http://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry .