In 1993 a survey was sent out to participating farmers in the fall in order to evaluate the effect of this program on pest management. Growers whose fields were monitored reported reducing pesticide use while achieving satisfactory pest control. All of the farmers who responded to our post-season survey found the strawberry IPM program informative and helpful, and wanted the program to continue. Future educational efforts in Maine strawberry IPM will emphasize alternative management strategies for major pest problems in addition to the pest monitoring and economic threshold information presently taught. Crop rotations and cultivation will be emphasized to supplement or replace herbicides, and biological control agents for insect and disease pests will be tested demonstrated.
Strawberries are a unique and valuable crop in Maine.
Utilizing IPM on these farms will demonstrate to the public that farmers are making an effort to protect and sustain the environment, while still producing a high quality product for their customers. These pages are maintained by the Pest Management Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.