Southern IPM Center

What Southern IPM Center does

The Southern IPM Center (legal name: Southern Integrated Pest Management Center; DBA: SIPMC) is a non-profit regional coordination organization headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 2003 to foster the development and adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across the Southern United States. It is one of four USDA NIFA-funded regional IPM Centers and operates under cooperative agreement 2022-70006-38002, administered in partnership with NC State University and the University of Georgia. The Center serves 13 Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) and two territories (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), reaching growers, Land-Grant University researchers, extension specialists, pest management professionals, and working groups focused on entomology, plant pathology, weed science, nematology, and human/animal health vectors.

The Center's core technology assets include the National IPM Database (ipmdata.ipmcenters.org) — a shared resource across all four regional IPM Centers housing over 2,000 damaging pests, 600+ Active Ingredient PC Codes, Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMSPs), Crop Profiles, and IPM Elements, with API access for data contribution. It supports the MyIPM for Vegetables mobile app (launched December 2023 on iOS and Android, with over 40 pest profiles and 734 active users across 44 states by October 2024), and integrates with EDDMapS and AgPest Monitor for invasive species reporting under Early Detection and Rapid Response programs. Supporting technology stack includes Basecamp for project management, Slack for collaboration, MailChimp for newsletter distribution, and YouTube for on-demand webinar archives.

The Center's business model is non-commercial: it is funded almost entirely by federal appropriations through USDA NIFA and operates as a pass-through grants administrator and coordination hub, providing services at no cost to stakeholders. Annual competitive grants (Southern IPM Grants) distribute roughly $250,000-$350,000 per year across working groups, seed projects, and capstone projects, while additional programming includes the IPM Hour monthly webinar series, the Friends of IPM awards program (with cash prizes up to $3,000), IPM Ambassador Travel Grants (up to $1,500), and the SERA3 multi-state technical committee. The Center claims a 467% ROI on leveraged funding since 2022, reflecting cost-share and in-kind contributions from partner universities rather than commercial revenue generation.

Name

Southern IPM Center

Legal name

Southern Integrated Pest Management Center

Website

https://southernipm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Southern IPM Center is a USDA NIFA-funded non-profit that coordinates Integrated Pest Management research, grants, and outreach across 13 Southern states and 2 territories, partnering with Land-Grant Universities to administer the National IPM Database, working groups, and the MyIPM mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Extension Coordination Services

NAICS

Exterminating and Pest Control Services (56171), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs & Monitoring (AFACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisory (AFACABAE), Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs (General) (HSAMAAAI), Pest Management & Integrated Pest Control (EDAOAOAH)

Keywords

• Integrated pest management
• Agricultural extension services
• Pest management research
• Grant coordination programs
• Invasive species monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. USDA NIFA Federal Funding: The Southern IPM Center is primarily funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Crop Protection and Pest Management Regional Coordination Program (Project Award No. 2022-70006-38002). This federal funding supports all Center operations including grants management, data acquisition, infrastructure development, and stakeholder engagement.
2. Southern IPM Grants Program: Annual competitive grants program addressing global food security challenges including invasive species, endangered species, pest resistance, and regulatory impacts. Funded projects include Seed Projects, Capstone Projects, and Working Groups. Target total funding is $250,000 with most projects limited to $30,000 and Working Group proposals up to $40,000.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Southern IPM Center (legal name: Southern Integrated Pest Management Center) is a USDA NIFA-funded regional coordination hub that fosters the development and adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across 13 Southern states and 2 territories. It administers annual competitive grants, maintains the National IPM Database, runs the MyIPM for Vegetables mobile app, hosts monthly IPM Hour webinars, manages the Friends of IPM Awards program, and provides Evaluation, Communication, and Technology services to researchers, extension specialists, growers, and pest management professionals.

Product overview

The Southern IPM Center operates as a regional coordination hub offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services for integrated pest management. The core offerings include the annual Southern IPM Grants program (funding Seed, Capstone, and Working Group projects), the IPM Data National IPM Database (containing PMSPs, Crop Profiles, and APIs), the MyIPM for Vegetables mobile app, IPM Hour Webinars, Friends of IPM Awards, and IPM Ambassador Travel Grants. Supporting services include Evaluation, Communication, and Technology services (project management, content delivery, pest monitoring via EDDMapS/AgPest Monitor). The center coordinates through SERA3, a multi-state technical committee linking state IPM coordinators across 13 Southern states and 2 territories, all aligned with the Public IPM Enterprise strategic plan. The center leverages partnerships with the Bugwood Center for content delivery and API access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southern IPM Grants Annual competitive grants program addressing important regional issues related to global food security challenges including invasive species, endangered species, pest resistance, and regulatory impacts. Includes Seed Projects, Capstone Projects, and Working Groups with funding up to $40,000 per proposal. Target audience: researchers, extension specialists, and working groups across 13 Southern states and 2 territories.
• IPM Data (National IPM Database) Database-driven application serving all four regional IPM Centers containing Pest Management Strategic Plans, Crop Profiles, IPM Elements, and Timeline documents. Records over 2,000 pests and 600+ Active Ingredient codes, with APIs for data contributions.
• Friends of IPM Awards Recognition program honoring individuals and groups with extraordinary contributions to IPM research, extension, or implementation. Award categories include Hall of Fame, IPM Educator, IPM Communicator, IPM Implementer, Bright Idea, Pulling Together, Future Leader, and Graduate Student awards with monetary prizes up to $3,000.
• IPM Hour Webinars Monthly webinar series presenting research, issues, and programs in Integrated Pest Management from the Southern Region. Typically held first Wednesday of the month at 1pm Eastern, with past recordings available on YouTube.
• IPM Ambassador Travel Grants Travel grant program providing up to $1,500 for individuals to attend conferences, meetings, or workshops to bring IPM awareness to new audiences in the Southern Region.
• MyIPM for Vegetables App Mobile application available on Apple and Android devices supplying producers with IPM information for disease and insect management in cucurbits and tomatoes. Provides visual and audio content for pest and disease identification in the field.
• IPM Enterprise Strategic planning framework uniting public IPM programs including researchers, extension educators, and state/territory IPM programs. Supported by USDA NIFA's Crop Protection and Pest Management program.
• Evaluation Services Consultation services provided by Evaluation Specialist Tegan Walker covering formative and summative evaluation. Includes evaluation planning as a 4-step process, logic model development, and methodology guidance for IPM programs.
• Communication Services Support from Communication Director Kayla Watson for social media strategy, communication services, campaign structuring, and promotion of project activities.
• SERA3 Working Groups Multi-state technical committee providing venue for research and extension professionals to discuss IPM-related projects annually. Includes state IPM coordinators from 13 Southern states and 2 territories across seven priority areas: Arthropods, Diseases/Pathogens in Plant Health, Nematodes, Weeds, and Animal/Human Health topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 467% ROI on leveraged funding from 2022 to present
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NC State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution providing unique strengths to the Center. Home office is in Raleigh, NC. The Center is leveraged through collaboration with NC State University.
• University of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution providing unique strengths to the Center. The Center's unique strengths are leveraged through collaboration with University of Georgia.
• SERA3 (Southern Region Information Exchange Group for IPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-state technical committee that provides a venue for assembling research and extension professionals annually to discuss research and education projects related to IPM programs. Consistently provides leadership and input for funding priorities to Southern IPM grants programs.
• Bugwood CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing content delivery including maps, pest data, presentations, images, video, and invasive species reporting tools. IPM Centers work closely with Bugwood Center to provide content that can be used in any Extension program.
• EDDMapScoreTechnology or IntegrationEarly Detection and Rapid Response tool for invasive species and pest monitoring. Provides applications for pest reporting, data verification, mapping and visualization. Part of the Bugwood Center partnership.
• Land-Grant Universities (Southern Region)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 13 state-based extension IPM implementation programs at Land-Grant Universities across the Southern United States. Includes State IPM Coordinators in each state who facilitate regional IPM coordination and stakeholder engagement.
• Gulf South VECTORcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGulf South Vector Education Center for Training, Outreach, and Resources led by Dr. Claudia Riegel. Comprises 55 individuals including mosquito control professionals, environmental health groups, and university Extension agents. Has trained 32,771 professionals and 6,660 students since 2022.
• Mosquito BEACONS Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiodiversity Enhancement And Control of Non-native Species working group. Year 5 of program improving capacity for monitoring and control of invasive mosquito species in the Southern Region through in-person and online training.
• IPM EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Public IPM Enterprise includes researchers, extension educators, and others developing and deliver IPM solutions. Includes 53 state and territory IPM programs and four Regional IPM Centers supported by USDA NIFA.
• Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) StakeholderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network including grower associations, US EPA, Federal and State Departments of Agriculture, private industry, producers, and non-profit agencies who participate in PMSP workshops to identify pest management priorities.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Plant Diagnostic Network: USDA-coordinated plant disease and pest diagnostic network across Land-Grant Universities. Overlaps with SIPMC's mission on pathogen/pest surveillance and shares many of the same institutional partners.
• Cooperative Extension System (USDA NIFA): National extension network hosted at Land-Grant Universities — the same institutions through which SIPMC delivers its coordinators. Extension agents are SIPMC's primary stakeholder base and execute much of the on-the-ground IPM work that SIPMC funds.
• APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA): Federal agency responsible for invasive species and pest management policy at the national level. SIPMC's invasive species and PMSP work frequently intersects with APHIS PPQ regulatory priorities and stakeholder engagements.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program: USDA-funded regional program also serving growers and extension professionals with grants and applied research, including sustainability-themed pest management projects. Operates in adjacent space with broader sustainability mandate.

Direct peers

• North Central IPM Center: Second of three sister regional IPM Centers (University of Illinois). Runs the same funding model, regional coordination mandate, PMSP/Crop Profile contributions, and shared database, providing direct comparison across regions.
• Northeastern IPM Center: Sister regional IPM Center hosted at Cornell and funded under the same USDA NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management program. Operates an identical grants program, working-group model, IPM Hour webinar series, and shares the National IPM Database, making it the closest functional peer.
• Western IPM Center: Third sister regional IPM Center (Utah State University), covering Western and Pacific states/territories. Uses the same USDA NIFA cooperative agreement structure, grants programs, and database, serving as a near-identical comparator.

Emerging players

• Gulf South VECTOR (led by Claudia Riegel, New Orleans Mosquito Control): SIPMC-funded working group that has built a vector-borne disease training, outreach, and resources network serving mosquito control professionals across the Gulf region — a focused subset of SIPMC's broader scope that has grown from a funded project into a credible regional program.

Others

• Bugwood Center (University of Georgia): Core technology partner delivering content (maps, pest images, presentations, APIs) and the EDDMapS invasive-species reporting platform that underpins SIPMC's monitoring stack. Functionally an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• USDA NIFA Crop Protection and Pest Management Program: The federal program that funds all four regional IPM Centers. Relevant as the funding/regulatory counterpart that defines operating scope, report structure, and renewal terms for SIPMC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@southernipmcenter?si=a0asRwTjW20RS6i5
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthernIPM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southernipm
• Xx.com/southernipm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern IPM Center