Integrated Pest Management
(book excerpts)Integrated pest management (IPM) is a balanced, tactical approach in managing diseases, insects, weeds, and other pests utilizing a wide range of pest control strategies or tactics. It involves taking action to anticipate pest outbreaks and to prevent potential damage to crops in the vineyard. The goal of this strategy is not eradication but to prevent pests from reaching economically or aesthetically damaging levels with the least risk to the environment. IPM programs are very site-specific. IPM is based on the identification of pests, accurate measurement of pest populations, assessment of damage levels, and knowledge of available pest management strategies or tactics that enable the grower to make intelligent decisions in controlling pests. IPM is adaptable to vineyards and involves specific techniques in managing pests. Successful IPM programs use a six-tiered implementation approach: (1) monitoring crops for pests; (2) accurately identifying pests; (3) developing economic thresholds; (4) implementing integrated pest control tactics; and (5) record keeping. The focus of IPM is to use a combination of integrated pest management control tactics—cultural, mechanical/physical, biological, biorational, and chemical—to deal with existing pest problems, rather than relying solely on pest control materials such as insecticides. This involves knowledge of pest life cycles and an understanding of crop production.
Click on the following topics for more information on vineyard soil properties.
Topics Within This Chapter:
- Monitoring for Crops Pests
- Visual Observation
- Scouting Frequency
- Scouting Patterns
- Pest Sampling Techniques
- Beating Tray
- Sweep Net
- Pheromone Traps
- Sticky Traps
- Phenology Calendars and Growing Degree-Day Models
- Phenology Calendar
- Growing Degree-Day Tracking
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Pest Monitoring
- Geo-Referencing and Image Processing
- Pest Identification
- Identifying Insects
- Identifying Pathogens
- Identifying Weeds
- Developing Economic Thresholds
- Treatment Thresholds
- Integrated Pest Management Control Tactics
- Cultural Pest Control
- Biological Pest Control
- Biorational Pest Control
- Biopesticides
- Biorationals Approved for Organic Crop Production
- Chemical Pest Control
- Chemicals Allowed for Organic Crop Production
- Record Keeping
- Monitoring Forms and Maps
- Selected References
