Integrated Pest management

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

Insects & Diseases

IPM Defined:

"IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks."

IPM

Pest management, not eradication, is the goal.

Manage pests below the economic threshold.

Economic Threshold

How would you define it? The point at which the disease or pest

infestation begins to diminish the quality of the crop.

Economic Thresholds Thresholds should be quantitative and

grower driven.For example, thresholds could be based on

the average number of pests per trap each week.

the percent of plants or leaves found to be damaged or infested during visual inspection.

the number of pests dislodged per shake sample.

EIL

ET

Averagedensity

Time

Pes

t d

ensi

t y

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Economic Threshold

Apply controls

Avoid exceeding economic injury level

Economic Thresholds

Vary depending upon the crop. Bacterial Leaf Spot on Poinsettia:

Devastating! Bacterial Leaf Spot on Greenhouse

Tomatoes:Not such a big deal. Why?

Insects & diseases on ornamental crops grown in nurseries:Big deal? Yes or no?

Scouting and Record Keeping

Also called “monitoring’. Perform weekly. In greenhouses focus monitoring near

doorways, vents and fans. 1 card per 1,000 square feet.

Yellow: attracts most flying insectsBlue: for thrips

Replace cards on a regular basis.

Cultural IPM Tactics

Sanitation The goal of sanitation is to eliminate all

possible sources of the pest.weed removal inside and outside the greenhouse.

○ grass flowering-increase in thrips populationweed removal around nurseries.dispose of dead/diseased plants.In greenhouses:

○ quarantine infested plants in a separate room.○ medium pasteurization (especially if it contains soil).○ algae control-fungus gnats.

Watering

Too much moisture:leaf diseasesroot rotsfungus gnatsalgae

Too little moisture:stresses the plants and predisposes it to

diseasehot, dry conditions favor spider mites

Temperature

Plants begin to stress at temperatures of 95 degrees F. and higher.

Temperature fluctuations.

Growing Medium

Should have good aeration/drainage. Monitor EC.

Variety Selection

Choose insect/disease resistant varieties.

If possible, rotate crops.

Physical/Mechanical IPM Tactics

Insect Screening

Biological IPM Tactics

The use of living organisms to control pests.

Lady Bugs

Parasitic Wasps

Predatory Mites

Chemical IPM Tactics:

Biorational Pesticides Conventional Pesticides

Biorational Pesticides:

Insecticidal Soaps Horticultural Oils Bacillus thuringiensis-bacteria Beauveria bassiana-fungus that infects

the chitin exoskeleton of many pests Diatomaceous Earth IGR’s

kill insects by disrupting their development

Conventional Pesticides

Licensed Applicator WPS Re-entry Times Residue Resistance

rotate between groups/active ingredients

Major Insect Pests of Greenhouse-Grown Bedding

Plants:

Aphids Thrips Fungus Gnats Whiteflies Shore Flies Leafminers Mealybugs Spider Mites

Aphids

Immature & Adult Greenhouse Thrips

Thrips Life-Cycle

Greenhouse Whiteflies

Mealybug excreting honeydew

Two-spotted Spider Mite

Red Spider Mite

END