Pesticide Management Strategic Plan for Beef Cattle in Tennessee and Kentucky

The beef cattle industry is an important contributor to the economies of many states including Tennessee and Kentucky. Tennessee and Kentucky are the top two states east of the Mississippi River in numbers of beef cattle. There are numerous arthropod (insect and mite) pests which cause direct and indirect losses to the beef cattle industry. To identify the critical needs and priorities for managing these pests we propose to develop crop profiles, and conduct workshops for developing a pest management strategic plan (PMSP), for beef cattle in Tennessee and Kentucky. A crop profile will be developed for each state. Also, each state will conduct a separate workshop, the results of which win be compiled in a single PMSP. This document will identify the essential educational, research and regulatory needs and prioriti~s for beef cattle pest management, providing a framework for future endeavors. A survey, to be offered online at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service website, and distributed at commodity meetings, will provide additional information on current beef cattle producer pest management practices and the status of pests in both states.