Alberta Research Council to update military’s Pest Management Manual

Vegreville, AB March 26, 2003 The Alberta Research Council (ARC) says it has won a contract to update the Department of National Defence (DND) Integrated Pest Management Manual.

DND is responsible for protecting the health of its personnel and the integrity of its property from the harmful effects of a broad spectrum of pests and diseases, both at home on Canadian bases and abroad.

The Research Council develops methods and commercializes products to manage insect, plant disease and weed pests in an effective, environmentally friendly and economical manner.

“Managing these pests safely and effectively poses a major challenge for Canadian Forces bases,” says Robert Cretain, project technical manager with DND. “The current guidelines were developed in 1995 and need to be updated to reflect technological advances and regulatory changes.”

Following a competitive bidding process, the Alberta Research Council was contracted to rectify this situation and bring the manual up to date.

“We specialize in developing integrated pest management approaches that reduce pesticide use,” says Dr Paul Sharma, manager of ARC’s Integrated Pest Management group. “Our clients have access to multidisciplinary research teams of scientists with expertise in assessing chemical, cultural and biological control strategies, as well as state-of-the-art facilities.”

An updated Integrated Pest Management Manual will ensure that National Defence engineers, land management specialists, medical support and operational planners have access to sound, science-based information and control strategies. Used as a consolidated resource tool, the manual will ensure personnel make the best decisions when identifying and handling a broad spectrum of pest problems on Canadian Forces bases.