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IPM NOTES Integrated Pest Management: involves biological control, cultivation techniques, and minimal use of synthetic pesticides

ides to reduce pest populations Pest and crop part of ecological system Goal of IPM: reduce pest population to economically acceptable level Strategies of IPM: crop rotation, creation of habitat of predators for pest, pest resistant crop varieties, intercropping makes spread of pests more difficult, altering planting times , vacuums, spraying plants with hot water, Narrow spectrum pesticides used only when potential crop loss is > than cost of spraying pesticides Advantages: reduction of environmental and health problems related with synthetic pesticides Disadvantages: education for farmers, not as immediately effective as synthetics, solutions vary from farm to farm, initial cost of IP programs may be higher than conventional pesticide spraying

Biological Pest Control Introduction of predator species to control pest species Microorganisms, plants, and animals used Refer to use of chemicals that are directly derived from living organisms Advantages: control of pest population without negative env. impacts related to pesticide use Use for organic agriculture Disadvantages: non-target species impacted by control species, disruption of native food chain, unwanted proliferation of introduced species, can be costly, complete eradication of pest population not possible Epic Failures: cane toads in Australia, lady bugs negatively impacting native species, worldwide introduction of cats leads to overpopulation of native birds SUCCESS: use of nemotodes to control lawn and garden pests, flea beetles to control leafy spurge in North Dakota, bats to control mosquitoes, insect pheromones to attract pests to a trap, sterilization and release of male members in pest species

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