Within program areas, reporting categories focus on specific issues, topics, crops or animal products. Working groups plan, implement, and evaluate projects and activities within the reporting category . They are led by "coordinators", which may be the State Extension Specialist or another Extension faculty member with expertise in that area.

Campus-based partners include the Departments of Plant Sciences, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and the Water Resources Research Center.

Outputs

• CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM Working Group
  Integrated Pest Management/Indoor Air Quality (IPM/IAQ) programs for schools provide the most efficient pest management with least exposure to pesticides at a cost that is comparable to most school’s traditional calendar spray programs.
  Coordinator: Dawn Gouge, Assistant Entomology Specialist, Maricopa Agricultural Center.
  
  
• CLIMATE AND NATURAL RESOURCES Working Group
  The impact of climate variability and change on natural resource management is garnering much attention in recent years. Over eight years of intense drought conditions, record setting wildfire events in the summers of 2002 and 2003, large-scale forest mortality due to the interaction of climate and insect outbreaks, water resource concerns and the most recent wide extremes between winter precipitation and flooding events and prolonged drought have brought climate to the center of public attention. Confusion now exists over whether the drought has ended and how quickly many natural resource sectors will recover from its long-term impacts. These extreme climate events have also raised questions on the role of global climate change in impacting Arizona's climate.
  Coordinator: Chris Jones, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Gila County Cooperative Extension.

• PLANT DISEASE Working Group
  This group works to (1) advance the partnerships between the plant disease diagnostic lab and county offices and (2) establish guidelines for the use of digital diagnostics and enhance use of digital photos in the disease identification process.
  Coordinator: Mary Olsen , Extension Plant Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology.
  
  
• URBAN/HOME HORTICULTURE Working Group
  This group is designed to serve the needs of home owners, gardeners, and other Arizona residents interested in environmentally sustainable gardening and landscaping in a semiarid climate. Coordinator: Rob Call , Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Cochise County Cooperative Extension.
  
  
• URBAN IPM Working Group
  This group addresses arthropod problems found in homes and buildings. The program includes integrated pest management training for school facilities.
  Coordinator: Dawn Gouge , Urban Entomologist, Entomology Department
  

• MASTER GARDENERS Working Group
  The Master Gardener program provides a minimum of 36 hours of training in all aspects of horticulture. Trained volunteers are expected to provide educational experiences to their community in exchange for the training.
  Coordinator: John Begeman, Horticulture Agent, Pima County Cooperative Extension.