IPM is a combination of pest-management practices that stress environmental safety with acceptable economic returns. If these two insecticides have not been available to producers, use of more hazardous insecticides needing three to six applications per year would have continued. Cost savings per acre are dependent on former practices since the newer insecticides do cost more. The benefits of the new insecticides, however, include less pesticide usage, more bee safety, and fewer application costs. The Future Efforts must continue in the search for new pesticides that will be effective against the major insect pests of alfalfa seed and will be non-harmful to the leafcutter bee.
Insect pests tend to develop resistance rapidly to the synthetic pyrethroids.
Research into biological control methods, such as natural enemies of alfalfa pests, can help assure effective control measures for producer use. Cooperative Extension System , College of Agriculture , University of Idaho . All rights reserved.