2026 Updates to the PENN IPM Hotline
1-800 PENN IPM Updates for 2026
The PENN IPM hotline has been in service in its modern incarnation since 2020. It was designed to facilitate the communication of important, seasonal production information to growers who lack access to the internet, the primary means of communication of Penn State Extension. 2026 brings a major new section for producers: field & forage crops.
When growers call this toll-free service at 1-800 PENN IPM (1-800-736-6476), they are presented with a spoken-word menu listing available content by simply pressing an associated key. Some keys take the caller to another menu where more focused content is available on a variety of subjects. The vegetable section is an example of this, with separate lines for onions/alliums, tomatoes and potatoes, etc. Others, like the line for small fruit, go directly to the content.
Messages are compact, most distilled down to roughly three minutes in duration–enough time to learn key production recommendations while on the phone. Messages may be repeated as many times as the caller wishes, which is helpful when there are a lot of things happening in the field, and notes need to be taken to remember them all.
The line has grown over the years to include more than the original core commodities of tree fruit, vegetables, small fruit, and Spanish-language translations. Recent additions include support for the cut flower industry and Christmas tree producers, and—by far the most popular offering—the weekly weather outlook report.
New for 2026 is a major section under keypress 8 for field and forage (agronomic) crops. This topic includes dedicated content on weed control, insect management, and more. It also includes a complete team directory to connect callers directly to an Extension educator in their region.
For information on what else is new, simple instructions for navigating the system, and a complete breakdown of what is available, see the recently updated perennial article, The 1-800-PENN-IPM Hotline.
