Page 9 - July-December 2019 [Compatibility Mode]

ENVIS newsletter ENVIS newsletter

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Set Action Thresholds: Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at
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which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a
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single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic
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threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.
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Monitor and Identify Pests: Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many
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organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial. IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify
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them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This
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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.
Record-Keeping: A record-keeping system is essential to establish trends and patterns in pest outbreaks.
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Information recorded at every inspection or treatment should include pest identification, population size,
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distribution, recommendations for future prevention, and complete information on the treatment action.
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Prevention: As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the crop, lawn, or indoor space to
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prevent pests from becoming a threat. In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such as
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rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock. These control
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methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment.
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Control: Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and
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preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method
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both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted
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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
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additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying
of non - s pe c i f i c pe s t i c i de s i s a l a s t r e s or t .
of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.
Evaluation: A regular evaluation program is essential to determine the success of the pest management
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strategies.
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