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Integrated Pest Management

A strategy to reduce pest population in agriculture A holistic approach to pest management involving biological control, cultivation techniques, and minimal use of synthetic pesticides to reduce pest populations to an economically tolerable level Philosophy of IPM Pest and crop are considered as part of an ecological system The goal is to reduce the pest population to an economically acceptable level, not completely eradicate the pest population IPM Strategies Crop rotation to disrupt pest populations Creation of habitat for predators of pest population Using pest resistant crop varieties Intercropping makes the spread of pest more difficult Altering planting times to disrupt pest life cycles Using physical pest control methods such as vacuums to remove pest, or spraying hot water on the plants to destroy larvae Narrow-spectrum pesticides but this is only used when the potential crop loss is greater than the cost of spraying the pesticides Advantages of IPM Reduction of environmental and health problems associated with synthetic pesticide use Requires a great deal of education for farmers and landowners Can be costly and not as immediately effective as synthetic pesticides Pest population is usually not completely irradiated Disadvantages of IPM Requires a great deal of education for farmers and landowners It can cost a great deal, initial cost of IPM programs may be higher than conventional pesticide spraying Not as immediately effective as synthetic pesticides/pest population not completely irradiated Varies from farm to farm

Biological pest Control


Alternative from using conventional pesticide for controlling pest population in agriculture Biological Pest Control The intentional introduction of predator species to control a pest species Microorganisms, plants, and animals have all been used in certain circumstances to help control pest populations Can also refer to the use of chemicals that are directly from living organisms Advantages of BPM Control of pest population without negative environmental impacts associated with pesticide use Potential for use with organic agriculture Disadvantages of BPM Potential from non-target species to be impacted by the introduction control species Disruption of native food chains by the introduced species Unwanted proliferation of introduced species Complete eradication of pest population is usually not possible Can be costly ti implement and control Big Time FAILURES of BPM Cane toad in Australia Lady bugs have been used to successfully control aphids in some parts of the U.S. while negatively impacting native species Several instances of cats to control rodent population have often led to an overpopulation of cats which have destroyed native bird populations BPM Success Stories Use of parasitic nematodes to control many lawn and garden pest Use of flea beetles to control leafy spurge in North Dakota Using bats to control mosquitos use of insects pheromones to attract pest to a trap Sterilization and release of male members of pest species during mating seasons which leads to a decrease in pest population

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