Monitoring techniques are integrated into a practical, regular program that forms the basis for decision making. The program reflects the biology and seasonality of the pests. Some pests are monitored throughout a season. Others are evaluated only once or twice a year. The frequency of monitoring is determined by economic considerations and required accuracy.
Pest populations vary considerably from one field to the next, even in adjoining fields.
For this reason, sampling results from one field cannot be used reliably to make decisions about other fields. Spider mite populations vary between fields . . . Many farmers aren't familiar with pest identification and are inclined to take preventative chemical measures that may not be necessary. John Clark, Clark's Berry Farm Raspberries and Strawberries Lynden, WA Regular monitoring and good record keeping allow growers to continually refine pest management decision-making. Deciding When to Control Decision-making in IPM is usually based on a combination of pest and beneficial population estimates, pest life cycle stage, crop stage and susceptibility, availability of and labeling restrictions on pesticides, personal field experience, and specific field history.