What is IPM?

 

Integrated Pest Management, more often referred to as IPM, is the concept of using multiple complimentary management strategies to maintain an insect pest population below an economic injury level or threshold (i.e., population that causes observable yield loss). The use of IPM in production systems is recommended because the use of multiple management strategies reduces the selection pressure exerted by each singular strategy. This, in turn, reduces the risk of having a resistant insect pest emerge. The six components that must be considered when developing an IPM program include:

When an IPM program is developed and utilized for pest management, it can work to minimize repeated use of pesticides with a single mode of action, eliminate prophylactic pesticide applications, and prevent low-rate applications. All three of these examples contribute to resistant pest populations because they increase the selection pressure. When pesticides no longer reduce pest populations, the quick response is to start using a pesticide with a different active ingredient or mode of action. However, this approach can lead to further issues and is often referred to as the “pesticide treadmill.” A better approach is to incorporate the use of multiple management strategies to reduce selection pressure for pesticides and improve their longevity.

 

In all cases, an IPM program is solely dependent on the persistent monitoring and scouting of production fields. A producer should know or become familiar with the historic trends and environmental composition of their fields and make management decisions based on that knowledge. One of the first steps in monitoring pest populations is being familiar with what pests may be present and the best methods to employ for scouting. For belowground pests, bait stations and soil samples can be used. For mobile aboveground pests, sweep net sampling, pan traps, or yellow stickycards can be effective. For slow moving pests, such as caterpillars, a beat sheet or bucket can be used to knock plants against to dislodge insects so that they can be counted. Key factors of a scouting program include:

 

When pest populations are observed in the field, they should be monitored and compared to existing economic thresholds. An economic threshold is the number of pests that warrant a management action to occur. They are established to prevent pest populations from reaching the economic injury level. The economic injury level is the population of a pest that will begin to cause observable economic loss. Management recommendations that are provided through SDSU Extension give threshold information along with options for the management strategies that can be used.