USDA Regional IPM Centers

Grants to support Integrated Pest Management

Project Overview

HI024
Project Type: IPM Centers Grant
Funds awarded in 2026: $0.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2028
Grant Recipient: University of Hawai’i Manoa
Region: Western
State: Hawaii
Cooperating States: none
Project Coordinator:
Mark Dragich
University of Hawaii at Manoa

Establishing A Restricted Use Pesticide Training Program for the State of Hawai’i

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Target Pests

Not pest specific

Practices

  • Pest Management: biological control, biorational pesticides, chemical control, cultural control, decision support system, economic threshold, genetic resistance, host resistance, monitoring/scouting, pesticide application timing, pesticide resistance management, pesticides, precision pesticide use, weather monitoring, weed ecology
  • Crop Production: application rate management, cover crops, crop rotation, cropping systems, drainage systems, forestry, pollination/pollinator health/habitat
  • Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, drift/runoff buffers, wetlands, wildlife
  • Soil Management: soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: public policy, sustainability measures

Proposal abstract:

Currently there is no class approved and conducted by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa or from the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture offering the knowledge to pass the Restricted Use Applicators Certification Exam. Pass rates for the exam are low (57%) and violations are higher than the expectations for the HDOA Pesticides Branch Enforcement (90 violations in 2024). Currently it is mid-cycle for the Pesticide Safety Educa􀆟on Programs (PSEPs) so no standard funding source is available to get the program started at this time. The Hawaii PSEP coordinator Mark Dragich started the role in Feb. 2025.

Project objectives from proposal:

The project objectives are to create a financially self-sustaining course for the general public in order to give the knowledge necessary to safely and responsibly use pesticides and pass the RUP certification exam. Curriculum will be aligned with the HDOA Pesticides Branch. The budget will be utilized for initial equipment and travel. The expected outcomes from are to increase RUP certification exam pass rates to 75% for class participants from the 57% overall pass rate now, and to create a course fee structure which self sustains the costs of the course in the future.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Regional IPM Centers.