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Assessing the Current State of Conveying Scientific Literature Regarding Integrated Pest Management Systems to the Public of Suffolk County

by Kevin Tritschler
September 26, 2025 ISBN: 979-8-89480-845-1 NYCSEA Journal

 

Abstract: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems have been proposed as a method to mitigate excessive pesticide misuse. While prior research has extensively confirmed the efficacy of individual IPM-related solutions, three major issues have prevented sustainable policies from being adopted: a lack of field studies, policy development, and agricultural communication with the public. This study investigates the latter issue, concerning Suffolk County, NY, which was chosen due to its agricultural economy. Data was collected using a survey-based needs assessment distributed across Suffolk County, asking participants about their current agricultural perceptions, stance on different news mediums, and awareness of IPMs. The results show that 35 of the 48 respondents reported no prior awareness of what IPM systems were, indicating ineffective communication on the topic. These findings indicate a need for improvements to the agricultural news efforts in Suffolk County, although similar research across other locations is insufficient for further generalization of this research.

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