Debido a una enmienda de última hora a la Ley Agrícola de 2008, los fondos no se asignarán a las universidades de cada estado de manera proporcional. En cambio, el Secretario de Agricultura otorgará competitivamente un número limitado de subvenciones. Este cambio erosiona la naturaleza nacional de la red IPM, dice WSSA.
“The new funding model reduces our capacity to respond quickly and effectively to emerging pest threats,” said Lee Van Wychen, WSSA science policy advisor. “That means critical expertise will wither away in states that lose funding, leaving entire regions of the country vulnerable to insects, diseases, and weeds that know no geographical boundaries.”