The University of Arizona Vegetable IPM team is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions that help desert vegetable growers protect yield and quality while reducing reliance on broadly toxic pesticides. This mission comes to life each year through the Lettuce Insect Losses & Insecticide Use Workshop, where PCA surveys provide a snapshot of pest management practices across the desert.

At this year’s Lettuce Insect Losses & Insecticide Use Workshop, survey results continue to show the industry’s steady shift toward selective, reduced-risk products, while still relying on broad-spectrum tools when necessary. Paired with intensive scouting—nearly four visits per week—this approach allows PCAs to make smarter, more sustainable decisions that protect both crops and the environment.

Bottom Line: Twenty years of lettuce IPM research have given us stronger tools and smarter choices. Advances in chemistry, combined with the leadership of experts like Dr. John C. Palumbo have built grower confidence to lead with selective, reduced-risk products—protecting today’s lettuce crops while sustaining the tools we depend on for the future.

Figure 1. Survey results from the Lettuce Insect Losses & Insecticide Use Workshop
show total desert lettuce acreage treated with insecticides across three broad categories
of toxicity and selectivity: reduced-risk/selective, broad-spectrum, and broadly toxic.

CEU Event Coming 9/3
Don’t let the season slip by without meeting your CA and AZ PCA license requirements—UA Extension will host one more major session before the season heats up.The meeting will cover the highly desired Laws and Regs CA DPR category, giving you the chance to finish your renewals before the first pest outbreak of the season (hopefully). Details below:

2025 Laws & Regulations Update
Date: Tuesday, September 3
Location: Yuma Agricultural Center
Credits: 4 CA DPR Laws (requested) | AZDA hours pending
Time: 10:30a-3:30p

Agenda can be found HERE. We will need a headcount for lunch, please RSVP to Macey via email (maceyw@arizona.edu) or text (928-580-5785). 

If your schedule doesn’t allow for in-person attendance, UA Extension also offers online, on-demand CEU videos so you can earn credits at your convenience. You can find them here: Continuing Education Units | UA Cooperative Extension