Photo Credit

Courtesy photo by John Schoolmeesters

Signs of Dutch Elm Disease on an elm tree in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC), based at the University of Minnesota, was founded in 2014 by the Minnesota legislature and is currently co-run by the Northern Research Station. MITPPC is the only research center of its kind in the United States with a focus on terrestrial invasive species. Terrestrial invasive species cost Minnesota approximately 3 billion dollars annually and pose threats to prairies, forests, agricultural lands, and wetlands. The purpose of MITPPC is to conduct cross-disciplinary research on the prevention, detection, and control of the most threatening terrestrial invasive species to Minnesota.

MITPPC provides funding to University of Minnesota researchers and their external collaborators to study terrestrial invasive species. To date, the MITPPC has supported nearly 100 researchers through more than 50 projects, which have yielded more than 120 publications. Funding for MITPPC comes from Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

MITPPC is directed by Robert Venette, an NRS scientist with a joint appointment at the University of Minnesota. Venette sets the goals for MITPPC, leads the selection of research topic priorities, and oversees the peer-review process for research proposals. Several other NRS scientists collaborate on projects conducted through MITPPC. Research collaborations between MITPPC and NRS include research on invasive species detection, prevention, and control more generally, but also focus on the following pests and plants:

• Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
• Oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum)
• Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)
• Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)
• Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum)

To learn more about MITPPC, visit: https://mitppc.umn.edu/