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Agricultural IPM
Agricultural professionals like farmers, fisherman and ranchers have been using IPM techniques for centuries. Crop rotation is one example because it disrupts the life cycle of many pests. In many agricultural settings, the principles of IPM apply:
- Use knowledge about the pest's habits, life cycle, needs and dislikes
- Use the least toxic methods first, up to and including pesticides
- Monitor the pests' activity and adjust methods over time
- Tolerate harmless pests, and
- Set a economic threshold to decide when it's time to act
In agriculture, IPM strategies can be large-scale, even nation-wide. Quarantines and import inspections help to exclude pests from counties, states or whole regions. Open communication helps everyone monitor the activity of important pests. Weather information can be used to predict pest activity, as well. The United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) supports a network of IPM Centers around the country to promote research and information sharing.
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (7:30am-3:30pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.
Additional Resources:
- Commodity and pest information - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- National Plant Diagnostic Network - Supported by USDA and many others
- National Agricultural Pest Information System - Purdue University
- Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management Database - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
- National Organic Program - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- How to Manage Pests of Agriculture, Floriculture, and Turf - University of California Statewide IPM Program
- Agriculture IPM - University of Florida
- Pesticides: Water-Related Risks of Active Ingredients - University of California Statewide IPM Program
- IPM Pest and Plant Disease Models and Forecasting - Integrated Plant Protection Center
