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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?.
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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 Yield Major Product Increase Pests Controlled ------- -------- ---------------- Corn 25% 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 Onions 140% 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 hand-pulling 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