Transcript Intro to Pest Management

Intro to Pest Management
Topic #2045
Aaron Gearhart
The Problem With Pests
• Compete for Natural
Resources
• Have Caused Famine
• Vectors of Major
Disease Epidemics to
both plants and
animals
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/hemiptera/stinkbug/brown_stink_bug_adult.html
What are Pests?
• Pests are plants, animals, or microorganisms
that are detrimental to humans and human
activities.
• Examples: Weeds, Insects, Diseases,
nematodes, and Rodents
Most Common Method of Control
• Pesticides
• Examples
• Insecticide (insects)
• Herbicide (plants)
• Fungicide (fungi)
• Nematicide (nematodes)
• Rodenticide (rodents)
Why do We Control Them?
• The control of
competitive pests
allows for us to obtain
larger yields
http://www.agednet.com/subs/cs208.htm
Examples
Product
------Corn
Yield
Increase
-------25%
Major
Pests Controlled
---------------weeds, rootworms, corn borers, blights
Cotton
100%
pink boll weevils, nematodes, rots
Alfalfa seed
160%
weeds, alfalfa weevils
Potatoes
35%
tuber rots, black-leg, soft rots, blights
140%
Onions
botrytis blights, neck rot, smuts, maggots
Who Cares?
• With increased use of
pesticides, concerns
about dangers of
pesticides has also
risen
• Your role is to be
informed about, to
practice, and to
encourage safe use of
pesticides.
http://www.barrysclipart.com/photos/
Who Cares?
• EPA Environmental Protection Agency
• In charge of reviewing all pesticides and
registering those pesticides considered safe
for use in the environment.
When you need pesticides
• Healthy plants are less
susceptible to attack
by pests, and good
cultural practices can
reduce pest outbreaks.
• Before you purchase
any pesticides you
should ask some
important questions.
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/plantpath/corn/cearworm/3936.56cearwormdam.html
Some Questions to Ask Before
Purchasing Pesticides
•
•
•
•
•
Is a pest actually causing the damage?
If it is a pest, what kind is it?
Are there non-chemical ways to control it?
Is the pesticide cost effective?
At this stage in the pests life cycle is a
chemical going to be effective?
Things to think about
• Just because you see a
pest does not mean it
is a problem
• Certain amount of
pests will always exist
• Eradication is not
economically feasible
• Over use of pesticides
can damage the
environment
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/T/W-CO-TOFF-MP.001.html
Good Cultural Practices Will Help
Reduce the Need for Pesticides
• Select plants adapted or native to your area.
• Control weeds – use mulches and handpulling if possible. Weeds can harbor
insects.
• Water adequately – Over watering and
under watering can be equally damaging
Good Cultural Practices Continued
• Do not crowd Plants –
planting to close
weakens plants and
increases disease
• Fertilize properly – to
little fertilizer equals
weak plants, to much
can damage plants and
polute ground water.
http://www.carefreegarden.com/cgi-bin/garden/start/apps/store/list.html?catcode=7
Good Cultural Practices Still
– Add organic matter
such as compost to
the soil – rich soil
leads to healthier
plants
– Control pests before
they establish by
hand removing
insects or diseased
leaves if possible
http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/blphoto451.htm
Integrated Pest Management
• Otherwise known as IPM
• A pest management system designed to use
fewer pesticides
Steps in IPM
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identification
Scouting
Prevention
Prediction
Decision
Evaluation
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/T/W-CO-TOFF-MP.001.html
Identification
• Identifying pest problems the farmer is
likely to have.
• Identification of predators and parasites will
help in selecting which pesticides to use.
Prevention
• Tactics to help prevent
pests from becoming a
problem.
• Examples:
• Changing planting
date
• Preparing land
properly
Scouting
• Monitoring pests in a field to keep aware of
developing problems
• Also monitoring for beneficial insects
which can help, manage or reduce pest
populations.
Prediction
• With information
gained from scouting
the farmer can predict
developing problems.
• Can also predict
potential risks and
losses.
http://www.rebelartist.com
Decision
• The farmer decides whether or not to begin
treating his field or to wait a while longer
based on what he found scouting and by
what he predicted his economic outcome to
be should he wait.
Evaluation
• An important step to
see how your IPM
program is working
Advantages of IPM
•
•
•
•
Improved pest control
Reduced environmental risk
Better quality crop
Can help farmers save money
Disadvantages of IPM
• Must hire a reliable scout
• Takes up more time
• Sometimes farmer must “wait out” a pest to
see if its natural enemies destroy it
• Sometimes IPM requires more pesticide
applications.
Consequences of the Chemo
Technology Revolution
• Development of pest
resistance to pesticides
• Chemical contamination
of environment
• Human health risks
• Harm to non-target
beneficial organisms
• Evolution of new pests
http://www.agednet.com/subs/cs210.htm