From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Subject: News from ATTRA: Insect Pest Management
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 04:32:48 GMT

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR RURAL AREAS, P.O. Box 3657,
Fayetteville, AR  72702; 1-800-346-9140


            ATTRA Summary:  Integrated Pest Management


     Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive planning
and decision-making tool used to develop strategies for
controlling economic losses to agricultural pests.  IPM programs
provide farmers with a complete system for assessing pest problems
and for identifying and implementing practical options for
controlling damaging pest activity.

     IPM is characterized by:

     - the use of monitoring techniques to identify signs of pest
       activity and aid in properly targeting pests

     - the use of a variety of pest management measures which are
       combined, or "integrated," to form an effective management
       strategy

     Developing an integrated strategy to manage pests can offer
advantages over less-planned approaches to crop protection. 
Applying a combination of measures tailored carefully to a
particular pest problem can provide more effective, cost-efficient
crop protection than if measures are applied alone, in unplanned
mixes, or without adequate pest information.

     A key consideration in developing effective IPM strategies is
that they be designed to produce few or no counterproductive
environmental impacts or other side effects.  For example,
measures that result in damage to the health of humans, animals,
or cropping systems, or that interfere with the natural control
activity of beneficial organisms, are avoided if possible in IPM.


IPM Programs

     In practice, what is commonly identified as "IPM" varies
widely, and not all applications of IPM are in the form of fully
integrated programs.  "IPM" is sometimes applied narrowly to mean
the design of an integrated pesticide strategy directed at a
certain pest.  In its broadest application, "IPM" is used to
develop pest management programs that are fully integrated and
that encompass the whole ecology of the farm.

     To date, the primary application of IPM has been to develop
programs for managing crop insect and mite pests.  IPM programs
have been developed for many crops, including:  cotton, corn,
alfalfa, soybeans, citrus, walnuts, apples, and some vegetables. 
ATTRA can provide further information on the different kinds of
IPM programs that are already established or are being developed.


     The role of monitoring:

     A monitoring system is the primary decision-making tool in
IPM and is used to indicate whether, what, and when pest
suppression tactics are needed.  Pest monitoring provides timely
data on pest developmental stage and on evidence of pest damage to
crops.  Conditions favorable to pest infestation are tracked, as
well, by monitoring environmental factors such as:

     - soil temperature and moisture
     - wind direction and speed
     - rainfall
     - air temperature and humidity
     - water table level

     For each pest species, the presence of individuals at a
certain developmental stage, combined with the right plant growth
stage and environmental factors, can signal the onset of harmful
pest activity.  There may also be a particular developmental stage
when the pest is vulnerable and can most easily be suppressed. 
Through careful monitoring, farm managers can take advantage of
this "window of opportunity" and be prepared to suppress pest
outbreaks with a properly timed, well-designed management
strategy.


Managing Pests

     IPM programs make full use of general types of preventive and
good management practices to avoid the introduction of pests to
crop areas or to prevent contact between crops susceptible to
attack and existing pest infestations.  For example, introduction
of pests can be avoided by using pest-free seeds and plant starts. 
Or, planting rotations can be used so crops susceptible to attack
can be located away from infested areas.

     Another type of general practice relied on in IPM is to
support habitat for natural populations of beneficial insects and
other organisms that are natural enemies of crop pests.  IPM
strategies may include only general types of practices such as
these, or they may include more-specialized tactics to directly
suppress pest populations that reach problem levels.

     Decisions to directly suppress a pest population in IPM are
based on knowing the kind and degree of crop damage that is likely
to bring an unacceptable amount of economic loss to a farm
operation.  Pest populations that cause this amount of economic
loss are said to have grown to the "economic injury level." 
Suppression tactics are applied in IPM when pest populations grow
to what is called the "economic threshold":  the point where
intervention is needed to keep a population from reaching the
economic injury level.

     Pest suppression tactics used in IPM can take many forms. 
Although chemical tactics to suppress pests are included in IPM, a
wide range of non-chemical tactics are often used in IPM programs
in combination with, or in place of, chemicals.  These include
cultural, physical, and biological forms of pest suppression.  If
chemicals are included, preference is given to those that
dissipate quickly, are "host specific" (affect just a narrow range
of -- or a single -- species), and cause little harm to beneficial
organisms, or to the environment.


Developing a Program

     In general, developing a full-scale IPM program requires
extensive inputs from a range of technical expertise.  New
technologies, materials, and management skills may also be needed. 
Factors like these can put IPM program development outside of the
individual technical and financial capabilities of most farmers. 
For instance, determining the economic injury and threshold pest
population levels for a particular farm, crop, and pest situation
is a complex task that requires proficient economic skills and
access to detailed biological information.  New equipment or
materials may be needed to set up recommended pest monitoring and
management systems.  Learning new management skills can mean an
additional investment of money as well as time.

     Resources are available to assist farmers who want to set up
an IPM program.  These range from government-supported technical
assistance and, possibly, funding, to private IPM consultants.  In
each state, federal funding is applied for IPM program development
and there is an Extension IPM Program Coordinator as well as some
level of university-based efforts in IPM research and extension.


Basic Applications of IPM

     If the kinds of resources needed to fully develop a
particular IPM program are not available, farmers can still
benefit by applying some basic aspects of IPM to their farm
operations.  For example, monitoring pest activity can help in
fine-tuning pest management decisions to ensure effective,
cost-efficient results.  Pest management measures can also be
selected with an eye toward how they could complement or interfere
with each other, or affect other aspects of a farm system.


     Monitoring tools:

     Monitoring tools that many farmers could use to better target
pests include, for example, assorted types of traps.  Some of
these are "visual" traps -- such as colored sticky cards -- which
are effective for attracting and trapping a number of different
pest species.  Another option is "pheromone" traps, which use a
synthetic sex attractant to lure and entrap males of one
particular species.


     General practices:

     The general types of preventive and good management practices
encouraged in IPM can be applied in any cropping situation to help
avoid pest problems.  For instance, in addition to using clean
seed and transplants, another step to help keep pests from getting
established is to practice good sanitation in growing areas by
cleaning up infected plant material.  Physical barriers, such as
screens or row covers, can be effective in preventing pests from
first entering a growing area.

     Crop rotations are a good way to keep pest populations from
getting well established in growing areas.  Planting crop
varieties that are more resistant to the types of pests which are
present is another way to bypass pest problems.


Pest Suppression Tactics

     Cultural and physical:

     Approaches to pest suppression used to advantage in IPM can
be beneficial with or without a full-scale IPM program in place. 
Cultural and physical suppression tactics, for instance, are
important in IPM and are used to prevent or reduce a pest problem
by making the crop environment less suitable to the pest.  Common
cultural tactics are:  tillage, crop rotation, sanitation,
changing planting and harvesting dates, and managing water and
fertility.  Common physical techniques to suppress insect pests,
for example, include removing or dislodging them from plants, or
trapping them.

     ATTRA has further in-depth information available on types and
applications of cultural and physical pest suppression tactics for
many types of field crop production.


     Biological:

     Biological tactics for pest suppression are also important in
IPM and fall into two categories:  "natural" and "applied." 
Natural biological suppression of pests is provided by the action
of pest enemies -- predators, parasites, and pathogens -- that are
naturally present in a farm ecosystem.  Conserving and encouraging
natural populations of these beneficial organisms is a valued
practice in IPM and can be used to assist pest management efforts
in a variety of farm situations.

     Applied biological suppression of pests is provided by the
action of populations of pest enemies that farmers supplement or
establish by directly releasing organisms into the field.  Applied
biological pest suppression tactics can be an effective part of an
IPM strategy and may be used successfully in many pest management
programs that include the support of habitat for natural enemies.

     ATTRA can supply further information on sources and specific
uses for beneficial organisms.


     Chemical suppression:

     Chemical suppression tactics are used in IPM if monitoring
shows they are necessary and if they satisfactorily meet IPM
guidelines for careful targeting of pests and for limits on
harmful side effects.  Chemicals of this type are sometimes called
"biorational pesticides."  These materials are typically the
least-toxic types of chemicals that can be used against a certain
pest.

     Examples of insecticides that are usually considered
"biorational" are:

     - botanical "insecticides" made from toxic extracts from
       plants

     - insect growth regulators

     - synthetic pheromone treatments

     - mass-produced microorganisms (bacteria, nematodes, or
       viruses)

     - soaps or oils that act as insecticides or herbicides

     - minerals such as sulfur dust

     - certain synthetic pesticides


Getting Started

     Farmers can begin developing an integrated approach to pest
management by learning all they can about the nature of the pest
problems they face and about the management options available to
them.  They will then be better prepared to choose tactics that
work well together and do a good job of targeting pests.  Even if
no well-developed IPM programs exist in their state or area for
the crops they grow, farmers may be able to get help obtaining the
information they need on pests, management tactics, and monitoring
techniques through their state Cooperative Extension program.


For More Information

     This publication summarizes material from the ATTRA
Information Package:  "Integrated Pest Management," prepared by
ATTRA Sr. Technical Specialist Christine Rugen.  To request the
full Package, or for help with a specific question, call ATTRA
toll-free at:  1-800-346-9140.


            ATTRA Summary:  Integrated Pest Management

     Written by:  Holly Winger
     Editorial and Project Director:  Christine Rugen
     (PageMaker Version Design/Layout:  Jim Tracy)

     July 1991


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of the Interior, and managed by the National Center for
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information transfer.  Their combined training and experience
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