What is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common sense practices.
IPM programmes use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment.
This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.
The IPM approach can be applied to both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, such as the home, garden, and workplace. IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides.
In contrast, organic food production applies many of the same concepts as IPM but limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources, as opposed to synthetic chemicals.
How do IPM programmes work?
IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing IPM, growers who are aware of the potential for pest infestation should follow a four-tiered approach.
The four steps include:
Set Action Thresholds
Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.
Monitor and Identify Pests
Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial.
IPM programmes work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.
Prevention
It is common knowledge that prevention is better than cure and it surely is in terms of cutting costs and its effectiveness. As a first line of pest control, IPM programmes work to manage the crop or indoor space to prevent pests from becoming a threat.
In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock.
These control methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment.
Control
Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programmes then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk.
Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding.
If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.
Do most farmers use IPM?
With these steps, IPM is best described as a continuum. Many, if not most, agricultural growers identify their pests before spraying. A smaller subset of growers use less risky pesticides while a majority of our farmers due to ignorance, just quickly pick on the readily available pesticides and then use them.
It is of paramount importance that we move growers further along the continuum to using all appropriate IPM techniques other than just rushing to use pesticides which are the least recommended in IPM.
Integrated pest management (IPM) uses environmentally sound ways to keep pests from invading your home and damaging your plants. Successful IPM combines several methods to prevent and manage pest problems without harming you, your family, or the environment. In IPM, using pesticides may be an option, but when non-chemical methods are used first, pesticides are often not needed.
Follow these steps to manage pests around your farm:
1. Identify your pest correctly.
Identify your pest to be sure the management method you choose will be effective. If you aren’t sure what your pest is, it is highly advisable to contact your nearest AGRITEX office for help. Find out if the pest is a problem that needs to be controlled and learn about its life cycle and biology.
2. Determine if there are preventive or non-chemical methods you can use to reduce the problem.
For best results, combine several methods from the following categories:
Prevention
Prevent pests from invading or building up their populations in the first place. This might include removing the pests’ sources of food, water, and shelter, or blocking their access into buildings or plants.
Cultural controls
Cultural practices are things you can do to discourage pest invasion such as good sanitation, removing debris and infested plant material, proper watering and fertilizing, growing competitive plants, or using pest resistant plants.
Physical or mechanical controls
Control pests with physical methods or mechanical devices such as knocking pests off of plants with a spray of water, using barriers and traps, cultivating, soil solarisation, or heat treatments.
Biological control
Biological control is the use of beneficial organisms (called natural enemies to manage pests.) Encourage natural enemies by planting flowering and nectar-producing plants and avoiding the use of broad-spectrum pesticides.
3. If effective non-chemical methods are not available, consider using pesticides.
Pesticides
Pesticides can be part of IPM, but use them only as a last resort and only after you have tried other methods. Be sure that your pest problem is serious enough to warrant a pesticide treatment.
Always use the least toxic, yet effective, materials available and use them in ways that reduce human and pet exposure and protect the environment.
Combine pesticide treatments with other preventive methods
Once pests are controlled, use preventive non-chemical methods to keep them from coming back.