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Integrated pest management (IPM) is socially
acceptable, environmentally responsible and
economically practical crop protection.
Traditionally a pest is defined as any organism that
interferes with production of the crop. We generally
think of pests as insects, diseases and weeds, but
there are many other types including nematodes,
arthropods other than insects, and vertebrates. We
now also deal with pests in many non-crop
situations, such as human health and comfort.
Process:
Efficiently collect and use valuable information to
make good crop protection decisions.
A Framework for Practicing IPM:
Integrated pest management is a process, defined by
each particular situation. One way to understand IPM is
to consider the following general framework which can be
applied with modifications to most specific situations:
Preparation:
Be aware of the
potential problems and opportunities in your fields.
What pests can you expect, what practices can you take
to avoid them, and when and how should you watch for
them? What control tactics are available if, despite
your best efforts, pests attack the crop. What are the
beneficial species that will help you out? What are the
strengths and limitations of your operation (labor,
equipment, markets, $) ? Prevention:
Use practices that contribute to crop protection for
the long term. These include:
- Biological controls; Preserve biological diversity.
- Crop rotation; breaks pest life cycles, often
improves tilth and fertility.
- Host plant resistance; Use varieties that are
resistant to common pest species.
- Sanitation; Remove or destroy debris and other
sources of pest infestation.
- Site selection; Plant only on sites suited to the
crop needs
Monitor the Crop; "Scouting":
Collect valuable information in time to use it in
making good decisions. Which of the expected pests are
in your field? Know both "what" and "how many"
by properly sampling the field. Use recommended scouting
techniques toaccurately and efficiently collect
this information. Analysis:
Scouting indicates what pests you have, and how many
of each. Now you must decide whether these pests should
be controlled. Compare the sample count of pests you find on the
crop to the "economic threshold" or "action threshold"
to determine if action is necessary. The economic
threshold is the pest count at which the benefit of
taking action is greater than the cost of taken action.
Crops can tolerate a certain number of pests before
economic loss is incurred because all control actions
have costs as well as benefits. Determine whether the
benefits derived from control justify the costs
incurred. Management options:
If action is called for, choose those that optimize
cost and effect while minimizing adverse effects.
Examples of different control options:
- Cultural: eg. Crop rotation to avoid corn rootworm
damage
- Mechanical eg. Cultivation of corn weeds
- Biological eg. Release of parasitic wasps for fly
control
- Genetic eg. Plant disease-resistant alfalfa
varieties
- Chemical eg. Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides
Implementation:
If a control is justified, do so properly and at the
right time. For instance, weed cultivation is often most
effective before weed seedlings are even visible above
the soil surface. Releases of biological control agents
must be in the proper place, at the proper time. "If a
job is worth doing, it is worth doing right." Re-evaluation:
Short term. Was the management decision
correct and did the action have desired results? How
much has the situation changed from last week/yesterday?
New judgments are required. Long term. What worked well during the
season, and what did not? Is the alfalfa stand healthy
enough to keep in another year? Should the corn field be
rotated out? Is a soil insecticide necessary?
Adapted by J. VanKirk from Sutton and Waldron, New York
ProDairy Forage Manual, pp. 254-256.
see also: Ode to Integrated Pest
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