Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable system that uses cultural, biological, and chemical methods to manage pests. It aims to provide the most cost-effective and environmentally sound pest control. IPM was developed after WWII and involves monitoring pest levels, preventing infestations, and only using pesticides as a last resort. Methods include mechanical controls, biological controls like ladybugs that eat aphids, and responsible use of chemicals. IPM requires constant monitoring but provides benefits like reduced economic risks and more sustainable pest management.
2. What is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management or IPM, is a system of
managing pests which is designed to be sustainable.
It involves using the best combination of cultural,
biological and chemical measures for particular
circumstances, including plant biotechnology as
appropriate. This provides the most cost effective,
environmentally sound and socially acceptable
method of managing diseases, insects, weeds and
other pests in agriculture.
3. History of Integrated Pest Management:
Shortly after World War II, when synthetic insecticides became widely
available, entomologists in California developed the concept of “supervised
insect control”.
In 1972, President Nixon directed the US Government to take steps to
advance the concept and application of IPM.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter established an interagency IPM Coordinating
committee to ensure development and implementation of IPM practices.
In 1989, IPM Task Force was established and in 1990. IPM Working Group
(IPMWG) was constituted to strengthen implementation of IPM at
international level.
In 1997, Smith and Adkisson were awarded the World Food Prize for
pioneering work on implementation of IPM.
Smith and Adkisson received
the world food prize
4. Basic Components of IPM:
An IPM System has 6 basic components and they are as follows:
Acceptable pest levels
Preventive cultural practices
Monitoring
Mechanical controls
Biological controls
Responsible pesticide use
5. Principles of IPM:
Identification of key pests and beneficial organisms.
Monitoring of pest.
Defining the management unit. i.e.: Agroecosystem
Development of management strategy.
Establishing economic thresholds.
Development of assessment techniques.
Evolving descriptions of predictive pest models.
7. Methods used in IPM:
Some methods elaborated below help in decreasing the amount of pesticide used.
1. Mechanical control:
It can be achieved through eradication.
Plant quarantining, which is the legal restriction of movement of agricultural commodities, also
plays a huge role in this.
Other methods that are used for eradication purposes include:
Crop rotation
Field sanitation
Chemical and heat treatment.
Eradication of alternate hosts
Protection
8. Small scale eradication is carried out in local farms to
control diseases like:
Loose smut of wheat
Covered smut of barley
Red rot of sugarcane
Wilt of arhar
Mechanically, the insects and pests can be controlled by
using traps. For example, Japanese beetles are caught
using traps.
Japanese beetle and the
Japanese beetle trap
9. Biological Control:
As this method does not pose any environmental threat, besides
being inexpensive, it has therefore gained significant prominence.
Uses Viruses, bacteria, fungi and sometimes insects for control of
pests.
Besides these, sowing resistant varieties also plays a crucial role in the
biological control.
The 2 types of genetic resistantance to pathogen in plants are-
MONOGENIC and POLYGENIC.
An example of a natural enemy of the pests are Lady bugs feeding
on the Aphids.
Ladybug feeding on aphids which are pests
10. Microbes as Biological Control:
Mycoviruses: These viruses reside in a particular fungi and successfully attack a pest fungi. For
eg.- Penicillium stoloniferum filterate destroys Agaricus bisporus.
Mycoparasites: Few soil fungi and bacteria effectively reduce the infection of pathogenic fungi on
the host plant. For eg: Trichoderma harzianum reduces the infection of Sclerotium.
MYCONEMATICIDE- Few fungi feed on nematodes. Genera of fungi such as- Arthrobotrys,
Dactylaria etc. are predacious on nematodes and kill them.
11. Chemical Control
The chemicals used in the plant protection can be classified as:
Eradicants
Surface protectants
Systemic protectants.
Bordeaux mixture was discovered accidentally in France by the
Millardet in 1882.
Burganday mixture is generally formed by replacing lime with the
sodium carbonate and it was discovered in 1987.
Sulphur is the earliest known fungicide and it is useful against
Powdery Mildew.
Copper is one of the best known fungicide ,and it is present in the
Bordeaux Mixture.
12. Some systemic fungicides includes:
AVAX- It controls Basidiomycotina besides Verticillium,Monilia etc.
PLANTVAX- It controls Basidiomycotina besides Dueteromycotina, Curvularia, Botrytis and also
toxic for the diseases like Smut of Wheat.
VITAVAX- It is highly toxic to Basidiomycotina.
BENLATE- It is a broad spectrum fungicide and effective against Rice blast, Powdery mildew,
Apple scab etc.
BAVISTIN- It controls both Ascomycotina and Deuteromycotina effectively.
BENOMYL- It affects DNA synthesis of microbes and protein
13. Essential requirements during Chemical Control:
SAFENER- It reduces the phytotoxicity of another chemical.
Glyceride oils are good safeners.
SPREADER- It improves the contact between the fungicide and
sprayed surface. Mineral oils and soaps are commonly used for this.
STICKER- It is a substance added to spray or dust which improves
the adherence to plant surfaces. Gum arabic ,dextrins,oils etc.are
commonly used as stickers.
14. Pheromones and IPM:
Pheromones can be utilized to catch or detect insects.
Pheromones are chemicals emitted by an animal that signals
another animal of the same species.
Example: female gypsy moths emit a pheromone to attract
a male.
Diagram of Pheromone trap
15. Advantages of IPM:
To the agricultural producers- By reduction in the producer economic risk, by the promotion of
low cost of carefully targeted pest management practices.
To the environment- By the promotion of sustainable bio based pest management alternatives.
To pest management professionals and organizations- As a result of demand for new, innovative
and marketable products and services.
To the general public- Assurance of safe, reliable, low cost pest control through improved pest
management.
16. Disadvantages of IPM:
Integrated Pest Management systems are extremely complex and require a higher level of
understanding to utilize.
An IPM system of pest control involves a lot more time and is sometimes more costly than the
traditional method of spraying pesticides to eliminate pests.
In order for an IPM to work effectively, it needs constant monitoring.
Also, the natural enemies of pests used in some IPMs can later become pests themselves.
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