Integrated Pest Management

1. What is
Integrated Pest
Management
(IPM) ?

2. Learning Objectives
Create an understanding of IPM
Importance of IPM to Producers
Importance of IPM to the environment
Importance of IPM to human health and
safety
What are IPM strategies
Advantages and limitations to IPM

3. Why Study IPM?
Why a new approach to pest
management is needed:
– 1920’s cotton pest management
– “Pesticide Treadmill” of 1960’s – 1970’s
Pesticide resistance
Secondary pest outbreaks
Environmental concerns
– IPM concept “reborn” in 1970’s

4. IPM is:
A pest management philosophy that
utilizes all suitable pest management
techniques and methods to keep pest
populations below economically
injurious levels. Each pest
management technique must be
environmentally sound and compatible
with producer objectives.

5. “A pest management
philosophy….. “
– Recognizes there is no “cure-all” in pest control.
Dependence on any one pest management method will have
undesirable effects.
– Determine and correct the cause of the pest problem.
Understanding Pest biology and ecology is essential.
Manipulate the environment to the crop’s advantage and to
the detriment of the pest.
– Recognizes that eradication of a pest is seldom
necessary or even desirable, and generally not
possible.
Some damage is unavoidable and acceptable

6. IPM is a continuum, not an end.
Poor
Fair
Good
Better
Best

7. “Utilizes all suitable pest
management tactics…………..”
Pesticides
Cultural
Mechanical
Sanitary
Natural
Biological
Host Plant Resistance
NOTE: Some tactics fall
Into several categories.

8. Should Pesticides be used in an
IPM Program?
Pesticides can to be used in an IPM program,
however only as a last resort and of course in a
manner that is legal.
Pesticides are to be used when there is no risk of
environmental damage or when benefits outweigh
the risks. Use pesticides only when other control
practices aren’t available, economical or practical.
Must monitor pest populations in the field.
– Identify the pest
– Compare pest population and the economic threshold
– Life stage susceptible to pesticide?
– Crop stage and preventable loss.

9. What is “Cultural Control”
Agronomic practices that are designed to:
– Optimize growing conditions for the crop.
Anything that increases a crop’s competitive
edge will result in increased tolerance to pests
often resulting in reduced pesticide use.
– Create unfavorable conditions for the pest

10. What is Mechanical Control?
Uses machinery and/or other tools to
control pests
– Tillage
– Physical barriers

11. What is Sanitary Control?
Methods to avoid introducing a pest into a
field
– Cleaning field equipment
– Planting certified seed
– Quarantines

12. What is Natural Control?
– Enhancement of naturally occurring pest
management methods
Beneficial insects
Beneficial diseases

13. What is Biological Control?
Manipulation of biological organism to
control pests
– Release of predators/parasites/disease of an
insect or weed
– Can be time consuming, expensive and
difficult

14. What is Host Plant Resistance?
Manipulating the crop to withstand or
tolerate pests
– Natural breeding method
– Genetically modified plants
– Not a permanent method of control
– Examples: Glandular-haired Alfalfa, Bt Corn,

15. “To Keep Pests Below the
Economic Injury Level”
Economic Injury Level:
– Cost of control = $ amount of damage caused by
the pest
Includes amount of pest damage
Cost of each control practice
– Are determined through extensive research
– Economic Injury Level is the information that is
necessary to develop an Economic Threshold,
which is used by crop advisors

16. Economic Threshold
Pest Population at which a grower must
take action to prevent a pest populations
from reaching the economic injury level
– Economic threshold is slightly below the
economic injury level
– Pest populations must be increasing

17. Time
Pest
Density
Economic Injury Level
Economic Threshold
Pest Population

18. Economic Threshold Example:
European Corn Borer on Corn
Field Sampling Data needed:
– % plants infested
– Ave. number of larvae/plant
Crop Management Data Needed
– Expected yield (bu/A)
– Expected selling price of the crop
Cost of pest control

19. 1st Generation
European Corn Borer
Economic Threshold Worksheet
(1) ___% of 100 plants infested x ___average # of borers/plantA =
___average borers/plant.
(2) ___average borers/plant x 5% yield loss per borer = ___% yield
loss.
(3) ___% yield loss x ___expected yield (bu/A) =___ bu/A loss
(4) ___bu/A loss x ___$ expected selling price/bu =___ $ loss/A
(5) $__ loss/A x___ % controlB = $ ___ preventable loss/A
(6) $___ preventable loss/A - $ ___cost of control/A = $ gain (+) or loss
(-) per acre if treatment is applied
A Determined by checking whorls from 20 plants.
B Assume 80% control for most products

20. 1st Generation
European Corn Borer
Economic Threshold Worksheet
(1) 0.67 (% of 100 plants infested) X 2 (average # of borers/plant)A+ = 1.34
(average borers/plant).
(2) 1.34 (average borers/plant) X 5 (% yield loss per borer) = 0.067 (% yield
loss).
(3) 0.67 (% yield loss) x 120 (expected yield in bu/A) = 8.04 (bu/A loss)
(4) 8.04 bu/A loss x $2.25 expected selling price/bu = $18.09 $ loss/A
(5) $18.09 (loss/A) x 80 (% controlB) = $ 14.47 (preventable loss/A)
(6) $14.47 (preventable loss/A) - $ 15.00 (cost of control/A) = - $0.53 (gain (+)
or loss (-) per acre if treatment is applied)
A Determined by checking whorls from 20 plants.
B Assume 80% control for most products

21. Potato Leafhopper Threshold for
Alfalfa
Alfalfa Height Economic Threshold
(leafhoppers/sweep)
< 3 inches 0.2/sweep
6 inches 0.5/sweep
8-11 inches 1.0/sweep
> 12 inches 2.0/sweep

22. Economic Threshold Concept
doesn’t work for all pests and
pest types
Insects
Weeds
Diseases

23. “Each Pest Control
Technique Must be
Environmentally Sound”
Risk vs. Benefits

24. And
“Compatible with With
Producers Objectives”

25. What IPM Is and Isn’t
Stresses a multi disciplinary approach to
pest management
– Entomology
– Plant Pathology
– Nematology
– Weed Science
– Crop Sciences (Horticulture/Agronomy)
– Soil Science
– Ecology

26. IPM is not static
New Pests
– Soybean aphids, bean leaf beetle,
New Races/strains of pests
– Western corn rootworm
Weed Species shifts
– Roundup ready technology
– Tillage system
Pesticide Resistance
– Colorado Potato Beetle
– Common lambsquarters

27. Four Basic Principles of IPM
1) Thorough understanding of the crop,
pest, and the environment and their
interrelationships
2) Requires advanced planning
3) Balances cost/benefits of all control
practices
4) Requires routine monitoring of crop
and pest conditions

28. 1a. Understanding Crop Growth
and Development
How do you grow a healthy
crop?
When is the crop most
susceptible to pest damage?
When is the crop under stress?

29. 1b. Understanding the Pest
Proper ID
Understanding of Pest Life cycle
– When is it present
– When is it most susceptible to control-
– ”Weak Link”

30. Meadow Spittlebug
nymph
Potato Leafhopper nymph

31. Giant foxtail
Large crabgrass

32. 1c. Understanding the Pest and
Their Life Cycle
When is the pest present
When is it most susceptible to
control-”Weak Link”
When is too late to control

33. 1d. Understanding the
Environment
How does it affect crop growth
–Stress
–Time within susceptible stage
How it affects pest
development
–High mortality
–High survival

34. Basic Principles of IPM
1) Thorough understanding of the crop,
pest, and the environment and their
interrelationships
2) Requires Advanced Planning
3) Balances cost/benefits of all control
practices
4) Requires routine monitoring of crop
and pest conditions

35. Basic Principles of IPM
1) Thorough understanding of the crop,
pest, and the environment and their
interrelationships
2) Requires Advanced Planning
3) Balances cost/benefits of all control
practices
4) Requires routine monitoring of crop
and pest conditions

36. Basic Principles of IPM
1) Thorough understanding of the crop,
pest, and the environment and their
interrelationships
2) Requires Advanced Planning
3) Balances cost/benefits of all control
practices
4) Requires routine monitoring of crop
and pest conditions

37. Potato leafhopper scouting
Equipment:
– 15 in diameter insect sweep net.
Timing:
– Start on regrowth of second crop alfalfa
Frequency:
– Scout once each week.
Scouting pattern:
– walk a W-shaped pattern in the field

38. Potato leafhopper scouting
Take 20 consecutive sweeps in each of 5
areas along the W-shaped pattern (100 total
sweeps)
Count the total number of Potato leafhopper
nymphs and adults divide by 100 (total
number of sweeps)

39. Potato Leafhopper
Economic Threshold
Alfalfa height Treat if PLH number
are = or > than listed
3 inches 0.2/sweep
6 inches 0.5/sweep
8-11 inches 1.0/sweep
> 12 inches 2.0/sweep

40. Benefits of an IPM Program
Protects environment through
elimination of unnecessary pesticide
applications
Improves Profitability
Reduces risk of crop loss by a pest
Peace of Mind

41. Disadvantages of an IPM
Program
Requires a higher degree of
management
More labor intensive
Success can be weather dependent

42. Career opportunities in IPM
Crop Advisors
– Independent
– Industry
Ag. Industries
– Sales (chemical, seed)
– Research
– Technical services
Teaching
– Cooperative Extension
– High school
– Technical college

43. Education
2 or 4 year degree
Major Field of Study
– Agronomy
– Soil Science
Areas of interest
– Weed science
– Entomology
– Plant Pathology

44. Possible coursework
Crop Management
Weed Management
Entomology
Plant Nutrition
Soil Conservation
Ecology
Plant Pathology
Plant Physiology
Business Management