At the 2026 Southern American Association for Agricultural Education Conference, held January 31-February 3 in Kentucky, Dennis Baffour-Awuah delivered an oral research presentation from the Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchard project, for which the Lamm Lab leads the human dimensions research. His presentation was titled Adopters’ Perspectives on the Gains and Struggles of IPM Implementation: A Focus Group Study in the Eastern United States.
The study examined eastern peach and apple tree fruit growers’ experiences with adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and the factors shaping sustained use. Guided by Diffusion of Innovations theory, the research drew on seven focus groups with 82 growers across the eastern United States to explore perceived benefits, challenges, and decision-making processes related to IPM adoption.
The findings indicated growers recognized the relative advantage and compatibility of IPM, particularly its effectiveness and ecological benefits. However, adoption was often constrained by perceived complexity, economic costs, regulatory pressures, and limited opportunities for trialability and observability. The presentation highlighted the important role of extension education and agricultural communication in reducing complexity, supporting learning through demonstrations and peer exchange, and aligning IPM recommendations with growers’ operational realities.
The Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchard project is funded by USDA SCRI (Award #2024-51181-43213). Co-authors included social scientists, entomologists and extensionists from 7 universities and USDA ARS working collaboratively to serve apple and peach tree-fruit growers as they tackle pest challenges amidst a changing climate: Dr. Chin-Ling Lee, Dr. Alexa Lamm, Dr. Allison Byrd, Dr. Gigi DiGiacamo, Dr. Jaime Pinero, Dr. Monique Olivera, Dr. Brett Blaauw, Dr. Christelle Guedot, Dr. Anne Nielsen, Dr. Juliana Wilson, and Dr. Tracy Leskey.
