INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT/CROP PROTECTION
Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) is a broad-based
approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests and it aims to suppress pest
populations below the economic injury level (EIL).
These practices involved in IPM are:
1. Cultural methods
Suppress pest problems by minimizing the conditions they need to live (water, shelter, food), for
example planting crops that are adapted to your growing conditions, planting them in the right
place, giving proper attention to their water and nutritional needs and the like. Strong plants
resist diseases, outgrow weeds and are less likely to succumb to insects.
2. Physical methods
Prevent pest access to the host or area, or, if the pests are already present, physically removing
them by some means. For example, this could mean using barriers, traps, vacuuming, mowing or
tillage, depending upon the pest and situation.
3. Genetic methods
Use pest-resistant plant varieties developed by classical plant breeding. Recently, this category
has been expanded to include genetically engineered pest resistance, such as Bt corn or potatoes.
There are also special uses of genetic techniques on pests themselves, such a "sterile male" insect
releases.
4. Biological methods
Use predators, parasites and diseases of pests in a targeted way to suppress pest populations. Use
of microbial diseases of pests have become part of the chemical pesticide registration process
and is treated below under Chemical methods. The use of predators and parasites as a biocontrol
for pests are handled in one or more of 3 ways;
a) conservation and encouragement of naturally occurring biocontrol organisms by cultural
techniques or at least avoidance of harming them
b) augmentation of naturally occurring species by purchasing and releasing more of the same
c) "classical" biological control in which new biocontrol species specific to pests are sought and
introduced
5. Chemical methods
,There are many "chemicals" that are used in pest management situations, but not all chemicals
are alike from the standpoint of their range of action, toxicity, or persistence in the environment.
There will be more information on the classes of chemicals in the Learning to Use Tactics
section, Activity Lessons from Labels.
"Biorational"
Biorational chemicals are those that are less universally toxic and target a specific aspect of pest
biology. An example might be diatomaceous earth used to scratch the surface of insects to
dehydrate them, or microbial pesticides that affect only a specific group of insects.
There are some biorational chemical tactics that are hard to classify by toxicity or that are used
together in innovative ways with other tactics. An example of this would be insect pheromones
used together with sticky traps. Pheromones are the chemicals produced by insects to attract their
mates, and so these substances are not toxic. But they can be used in large amounts to "confuse"
the mating process or to attract insects to a trap. Other examples of such chemicals are repellants,
attractants, and antifeeding agents.
"Conventional"
Conventional pesticides currently refer to synthetically produced compounds that act as direct
toxins (nerve poisons, stomach poisons, etc.) There are many new classes of chemicals being
added to the older conventional pesticides
6. Regulatory
Regulatory control refers to the role played by government agencies in trying to stop the entry or
spread of pests into an area or into the country via inspection, quarantine, destruction of infested
material, and other methods. These practices can be put in a diagram as shown below:
The first box at the top represents chemical control measures.
The second box represents biological control measures.
The third box represents physical/mechanical measures.
,The last box represents cultural measures.
IPM has various steps in order to achieve its objectives. In practice, IPM is an ongoing cycle of
seven critical steps:
Step 1: Inspection
The cornerstone of an effective IPM program is a schedule of regular inspections. For food
processors weekly inspections are common, and some plants inspect even more frequently.
These routine inspections should focus on areas where pests are most likely to appear – receiving
docks, storage areas, employee break rooms, sites of recent ingredient spills, etc. – and identify
any potential entry points, food and water sources, or harborage zones that might encourage pest
problems.
Step 2: Preventive Action
As regular inspections reveal vulnerabilities in your pest management program, take steps to
address them before they cause a real problem. One of the most effective prevention measures is
exclusion, i.e., performing structural maintenance to close potential entry points revealed during
inspection. By physically keeping pests out, you can reduce the need for chemical
countermeasures. Likewise, sanitation and housekeeping will eliminate potential food and water
sources, thereby reducing pest pressure.
Step 3: Identification
Different pests have different behaviors. By identifying the problematic species, pests can be
eliminated more efficiently and with the least risk of harm to other organisms. Professional pest
management always starts with the correct identification of the pest in question. Make sure your
pest control provider undergoes rigorous training in pest identification and behavior.
Step 4: Analysis
Once you have properly identified the pest, you need to figure out why the pest is in your
facility. Is there food debris or moisture accumulation that may be attracting it? What about
odors? How are the pests finding their way in – perhaps through the floors or walls? Could
incoming shipments be infested? The answers to these questions will lead to the best choice of
control techniques.
Step 5: Treatment Selection
IPM stresses the use of non-chemical control methods, such as exclusion or trapping, before
chemical options. When other control methods have failed or are inappropriate for the situation,
chemicals may be used in least volatile formulations in targeted areas to treat the specific pest. In
other words, use the right treatments in the right places, and only as much as you need to get the
job done. Often, the “right treatment” will consist of a combination of responses, from chemical
, treatments to baiting to trapping. But by focusing on non-chemical options first, you can ensure
that your pest management program is effectively eliminating pests at the least risk to your food
safety program, non-target organisms and the environment. You’ll also see higher pest control
scores at audit time.
Step 6: Monitoring
Since pest management is an ongoing process, constantly monitoring your facility for pest
activity and facility and operational changes can protect against infestation and help eliminate
existing ones. Since your pest management professional most likely visits your facility on a bi-
weekly or weekly basis, your staff needs to be the daily eyes and ears of the IPM program.
Employees should be cognizant of sanitation issues that affect the program and should report any
signs of pest activity. You don’t want to lose a day when it comes to reacting to an actual pest
presence.
Step 7: Documentation
Let’s face it, the food safety auditor’s visit can make or break your business. Since pest control
can account for up to 20 percent of your total score, it’s imperative that your IPM program is
ready to showcase come audit time. Up-to-date pest control documentation is one of the first
signs to an auditor that your facility takes pest control seriously. Important documents include a
scope of service, pest activity reports, service reports, corrective action reports, trap layout maps,
lists of approved pesticides, pesticide usage reports and applicator licenses.
Scouting on the other hand is the daily monitoring or assessment of pests and diseases affecting
crops. It is done at an aim of ensuring that the diseases and pests viewed in the farm have been
controlled through the most effective methods.
The crops with which the scouting is done are:
i. Fine Beans/French Beans
Pests
a) Thrips: A common pest found in outdoor gardens, thrips damage plants by sucking their
juices and scraping at fruits, flowers and leaves. Plant leaves may turn pale, splotchy, and
silvery, then die. Injured plants are twisted, discolored and scarred.
Adults are very small (less than 1/25 inch) straw-colored or black slender insects with two pairs
of feathery wings. Without the use of a hand lens, they resemble tiny dark threads.
Damage
Extremely active, thrips feed in large groups. They leap or fly away when disturbed. Host plants
include onions, beans, carrots, squash and many other garden vegetables, and many flowers,
Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) is a broad-based
approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests and it aims to suppress pest
populations below the economic injury level (EIL).
These practices involved in IPM are:
1. Cultural methods
Suppress pest problems by minimizing the conditions they need to live (water, shelter, food), for
example planting crops that are adapted to your growing conditions, planting them in the right
place, giving proper attention to their water and nutritional needs and the like. Strong plants
resist diseases, outgrow weeds and are less likely to succumb to insects.
2. Physical methods
Prevent pest access to the host or area, or, if the pests are already present, physically removing
them by some means. For example, this could mean using barriers, traps, vacuuming, mowing or
tillage, depending upon the pest and situation.
3. Genetic methods
Use pest-resistant plant varieties developed by classical plant breeding. Recently, this category
has been expanded to include genetically engineered pest resistance, such as Bt corn or potatoes.
There are also special uses of genetic techniques on pests themselves, such a "sterile male" insect
releases.
4. Biological methods
Use predators, parasites and diseases of pests in a targeted way to suppress pest populations. Use
of microbial diseases of pests have become part of the chemical pesticide registration process
and is treated below under Chemical methods. The use of predators and parasites as a biocontrol
for pests are handled in one or more of 3 ways;
a) conservation and encouragement of naturally occurring biocontrol organisms by cultural
techniques or at least avoidance of harming them
b) augmentation of naturally occurring species by purchasing and releasing more of the same
c) "classical" biological control in which new biocontrol species specific to pests are sought and
introduced
5. Chemical methods
,There are many "chemicals" that are used in pest management situations, but not all chemicals
are alike from the standpoint of their range of action, toxicity, or persistence in the environment.
There will be more information on the classes of chemicals in the Learning to Use Tactics
section, Activity Lessons from Labels.
"Biorational"
Biorational chemicals are those that are less universally toxic and target a specific aspect of pest
biology. An example might be diatomaceous earth used to scratch the surface of insects to
dehydrate them, or microbial pesticides that affect only a specific group of insects.
There are some biorational chemical tactics that are hard to classify by toxicity or that are used
together in innovative ways with other tactics. An example of this would be insect pheromones
used together with sticky traps. Pheromones are the chemicals produced by insects to attract their
mates, and so these substances are not toxic. But they can be used in large amounts to "confuse"
the mating process or to attract insects to a trap. Other examples of such chemicals are repellants,
attractants, and antifeeding agents.
"Conventional"
Conventional pesticides currently refer to synthetically produced compounds that act as direct
toxins (nerve poisons, stomach poisons, etc.) There are many new classes of chemicals being
added to the older conventional pesticides
6. Regulatory
Regulatory control refers to the role played by government agencies in trying to stop the entry or
spread of pests into an area or into the country via inspection, quarantine, destruction of infested
material, and other methods. These practices can be put in a diagram as shown below:
The first box at the top represents chemical control measures.
The second box represents biological control measures.
The third box represents physical/mechanical measures.
,The last box represents cultural measures.
IPM has various steps in order to achieve its objectives. In practice, IPM is an ongoing cycle of
seven critical steps:
Step 1: Inspection
The cornerstone of an effective IPM program is a schedule of regular inspections. For food
processors weekly inspections are common, and some plants inspect even more frequently.
These routine inspections should focus on areas where pests are most likely to appear – receiving
docks, storage areas, employee break rooms, sites of recent ingredient spills, etc. – and identify
any potential entry points, food and water sources, or harborage zones that might encourage pest
problems.
Step 2: Preventive Action
As regular inspections reveal vulnerabilities in your pest management program, take steps to
address them before they cause a real problem. One of the most effective prevention measures is
exclusion, i.e., performing structural maintenance to close potential entry points revealed during
inspection. By physically keeping pests out, you can reduce the need for chemical
countermeasures. Likewise, sanitation and housekeeping will eliminate potential food and water
sources, thereby reducing pest pressure.
Step 3: Identification
Different pests have different behaviors. By identifying the problematic species, pests can be
eliminated more efficiently and with the least risk of harm to other organisms. Professional pest
management always starts with the correct identification of the pest in question. Make sure your
pest control provider undergoes rigorous training in pest identification and behavior.
Step 4: Analysis
Once you have properly identified the pest, you need to figure out why the pest is in your
facility. Is there food debris or moisture accumulation that may be attracting it? What about
odors? How are the pests finding their way in – perhaps through the floors or walls? Could
incoming shipments be infested? The answers to these questions will lead to the best choice of
control techniques.
Step 5: Treatment Selection
IPM stresses the use of non-chemical control methods, such as exclusion or trapping, before
chemical options. When other control methods have failed or are inappropriate for the situation,
chemicals may be used in least volatile formulations in targeted areas to treat the specific pest. In
other words, use the right treatments in the right places, and only as much as you need to get the
job done. Often, the “right treatment” will consist of a combination of responses, from chemical
, treatments to baiting to trapping. But by focusing on non-chemical options first, you can ensure
that your pest management program is effectively eliminating pests at the least risk to your food
safety program, non-target organisms and the environment. You’ll also see higher pest control
scores at audit time.
Step 6: Monitoring
Since pest management is an ongoing process, constantly monitoring your facility for pest
activity and facility and operational changes can protect against infestation and help eliminate
existing ones. Since your pest management professional most likely visits your facility on a bi-
weekly or weekly basis, your staff needs to be the daily eyes and ears of the IPM program.
Employees should be cognizant of sanitation issues that affect the program and should report any
signs of pest activity. You don’t want to lose a day when it comes to reacting to an actual pest
presence.
Step 7: Documentation
Let’s face it, the food safety auditor’s visit can make or break your business. Since pest control
can account for up to 20 percent of your total score, it’s imperative that your IPM program is
ready to showcase come audit time. Up-to-date pest control documentation is one of the first
signs to an auditor that your facility takes pest control seriously. Important documents include a
scope of service, pest activity reports, service reports, corrective action reports, trap layout maps,
lists of approved pesticides, pesticide usage reports and applicator licenses.
Scouting on the other hand is the daily monitoring or assessment of pests and diseases affecting
crops. It is done at an aim of ensuring that the diseases and pests viewed in the farm have been
controlled through the most effective methods.
The crops with which the scouting is done are:
i. Fine Beans/French Beans
Pests
a) Thrips: A common pest found in outdoor gardens, thrips damage plants by sucking their
juices and scraping at fruits, flowers and leaves. Plant leaves may turn pale, splotchy, and
silvery, then die. Injured plants are twisted, discolored and scarred.
Adults are very small (less than 1/25 inch) straw-colored or black slender insects with two pairs
of feathery wings. Without the use of a hand lens, they resemble tiny dark threads.
Damage
Extremely active, thrips feed in large groups. They leap or fly away when disturbed. Host plants
include onions, beans, carrots, squash and many other garden vegetables, and many flowers,
