Does the word “pest” bring to mind your little sister or a nosy neighbor? A pest, by definition,is any unwanted organism. In garden, landscape or lawn management, insects, animals, bacteria, fungi,viruses and weeds may all be pests. Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a pest management strategy that has received increased attention in recent years. As a homeowner, you can practice IPM on your own property, whether you are growing and maintaining trees and shrubs, turfgrass, herbaceous perennials, flowering annuals, or a fruit and vegetable garden.
What is IPM?
First, determine if there is really a problem. Most insects have no negative effect on plants and many provide important services like pollination. Frequent inspections or scouting of valuable plants, once every one to two weeks, will enable you to catch pest problems early when they can be more easily treated. If you cannot diagnose the problem, have a sample analyzed for correct identification. For example, it is completely ineffective to treat unusual leaf spots with a fungicide if bacteria, insects, or poor environmental conditions are actually causing the problem. Your local Cooperative Extension office or Agricultural Experiment Station can help you make proper identification of your pest problems.
IPM begins with the establishment of the proper growing environment. Soil preparation and cultural practices such as proper mowing, pruning,fertilization and irrigation are extremely important to plant health. If a plant is not in the correct growing conditions (improper soil, too much or too little moisture, and excessive or inadequate sunlight), it will be prone to problems. Also, try not to wound plants unnecessarily. Mow and prune correctly and avoid mower and other mechanical injury to healthy trees and shrubs. It is also necessary to recognize the fact that plants, like other living organisms, age. Plants that are old and dying, or stressed, are more susceptible to pest problems.
What is IPM?
IPM is a decision-making process that uses biological, chemical and cultural practices to manage pest problems in the production and maintenance of plants, in a way that minimizes risks to human health, society and the environment.The most common misconception about IPM is that it does not include chemical pesticides, which would be an “organic” approach. This is not true. IPM may involve the use of chemical pesticides, but in a way that minimizes the overall reliance on them as the only pest control method. A more intelligent use of these products reduces their negative impacts on the applicator and the overall environment. An example of the IPM approach is to spot spray only the problem plants, rather than treating the entire area. Homeowners taking care of their property, whether it is the lawn, landscaping or gardens, can have a significant impact on the overall health of the landscape. Many people may not be aware of simple cultural
practices that can prevent or reduce their most troublesome pest problems without using chemicals. The following information will assist with pest control, while also protecting the environment and water quality. Accurate pest identification is needed for successful pest management, especially if you want to use biological control organisms that are host specific. First, determine if there is really a problem. Most insects have no negative effect on plants and many provide important services like pollination. Frequent inspections or scouting of valuable plants, once every one to two weeks, will enable you to catch pest problems early when they can be more easily treated. If you cannot diagnose the problem, have a sample analyzed for correct identification. For example, it is completely ineffective to treat unusual leaf spots with a fungicide if bacteria, insects, or poor environmental conditions are actually causing the problem. Your local Cooperative Extension office or Agricultural Experiment Station can help you make proper identification of your pest problems.
Where Do I Begin?
IPM begins with the establishment of the proper growing environment. Soil preparation and cultural practices such as proper mowing, pruning,fertilization and irrigation are extremely important to plant health. If a plant is not in the correct growing conditions (improper soil, too much or too little moisture, and excessive or inadequate sunlight), it will be prone to problems. Also, try not to wound plants unnecessarily. Mow and prune correctly and avoid mower and other mechanical injury to healthy trees and shrubs. It is also necessary to recognize the fact that plants, like other living organisms, age. Plants that are old and dying, or stressed, are more susceptible to pest problems.
- Do not allow pests to become established.
- Purchase plant material that is free of disease or insect problems. You may never have a problem with certain insects if you do not introduce them into your landscape.
- Given the opportunity, use pest-resistant plant varieties to reduce pesticide usage in your landscape.
Proper sanitation will help prevent many pest problems. - Many pests survive the winter among weeds or in plant debris. Remove weeds and any decaying plant material. If possible, when a plant has died due to a pest problem, replace it with a pest-resistant variety of the same species or with a different species to prevent repeating the problem.
- Exclusion barriers, such as plastic netting for birds and Japanese beetles, or plastic or woven landscape fabric for weeds, can also prevent or reduce pest damage.
Soil solarization, the practice of covering soil with clear plastic to raise the soil temperature for two to three weeks, will kill many weed seeds
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