Quick Guide to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Goal: Keep pest populations low enough to prevent significant damage.
- Methods: Monitor pests, set action thresholds, use cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls.
- Benefits: Protects the environment, saves money, and reduces pesticide resistance.
What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
Pesticides have traditionally been the primary solution for controlling pests in agriculture and urban environments. However, excessive pesticides can cause:
- Pollution in soil and water
- Loss of beneficial insects
- Pests becoming resistant to chemicals
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines several strategies to control pests while protecting:
- Human health
- Beneficial organisms
- The environment
The goal of IPM is not to eliminate pests, but to keep pest populations low enough that they do not cause significant damage.
Principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM is built on several principles:
1. Monitor and Identify Pests
- Monitor for pests regularly.
- Correct identification will help determine if control actions are needed.
- Early detection allows for timely interventions and helps prevent pest populations from reaching damaging levels.
- University Extension services and diagnostic labs are invaluable for accurate pest identification and control recommendations.
Early detection allows for timely interventions and helps prevent pest populations from reaching damaging levels.
- Tools for Scouting: A pen, paper, pruners, and zip-top bags.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A Sustainable Approach to Pest Management
Example of Scouting: The brushing technique is excellent for finding spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, and other small, soft-bodied insects.
Drew Jeffers, ©2020, Clemson Extension
2. Set Action Thresholds
- Action thresholds indicate when pest populations reach a level requiring control to prevent economic or aesthetic damage.
Types of thresholds:
- Aesthetic Thresholds: Used in landscapes, where aesthetic thresholds vary based on the desired plant appearance.
- Economic Thresholds: When pest populations reach a level where the cost of the treatment is less than the cost of the potential future damage and crop loss.
Note: Farmers often use “economic thresholds” to decide when to treat pests.
3. Combine Control Methods
IPM uses a combination of control methods to reduce the reliance on any single approach, which can lower the risk of pest resistance.
Methods of IPM Pest Control
The control methods used in IPM fall into four categories, each playing a vital role in managing pests while preserving ecological balance:
1. Cultural Controls
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- Consists of preventive measures to create an environment less conducive to pests.
- Practices: Crop rotation, proper plant spacing, fertilization, and adequate irrigation.
Example: Proper nitrogen management can prevent pest infestations, as over-fertilized plants are more susceptible to pests.
- Related HGIC Resources:
2. Mechanical and Physical Controls
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- Directly remove or exclude pests from a specific area.
- Practices: Hand-picking, tillage, mulching, and using barriers (e.g., nets and fences) protect plants without chemicals.
Example: Tillage, for example, can disrupt pest habitats and reduce populations, while fencing prevents access to larger pests like deer.
- Related HGIC Resources:
3. Biological Controls
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- Uses natural enemies to manage pest populations.
- Promotes biodiversity and reduces chemical dependency.
Beneficial insects, ladybugs and parasitic wasps are natural predators of aphids and caterpillars, respectively.
- The introduction or conservation of these beneficial species supports a natural pest control mechanism that is sustainable and low impact.
- Related HGIC Resources:
4. Chemical Controls
- Use only as a last resort.
- Apply pesticides selectively and use the least toxic options.
- Systemic insecticides, such as those derived from neem oil*, protect plants without directly affecting the surrounding environment.
- Only neem products containing azadirachtin provide systemic protection. More commonly available neem products made from clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil are only effective as a contact insecticide.
Related HGIC Resources:
Benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Protects the environment: Reduces soil and water contamination, protecting beneficial organisms.
- Saves money: Fewer pesticide applications lower costs over time.
- Reduced pest resistance: Rotating control methods and emphasizing non-chemical options prevent pest resistance.
How to Develop an IPM Plan
- Set Clear Goals: Identify clear goals. (e.g., better yields, fewer pests).
- Decide on Pest Tolerance: Determine acceptable pest levels.
- Implement Preventive Care: Proper watering, fertilizing, and pruning to support plant health.
- Enhance Biodiversity: Plant flowers that bloom throughout the growing season to attract beneficial insects.
- Use Least Impactful Controls First: Before chemicals, start with cultural, mechanical, and biological controls.
Additional Resources
- Bryant T, Reay-Jones FPF. Integrated Pest Management: Concepts and Strategies. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2020 May. LGP 1051. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/integrated-pest-management-concepts-and-strategies/
- Chong J. Phytophagous Mites and Their Management on Ornamental Plants. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2022 Nov. LGP 1154. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/phytophagous-mites-and-their-management-on-ornamental-plants/
- Jeffers DH, Chong J. Biological Control Strategies in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2021 May. LGP 1111. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/biological-control-strategies-in-integrated-pest-management-ipm-programs/
- Jeffers DH, Chong J. Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Fungus Gnats in Ornamental Plant Propagation. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2021 Dec. LGP 1131. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/integrated-pest-management-strategies-for-fungus-gnats-in-ornamental-plant-propagation/
- Jeffers, AH, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Aphids. Clemson Cooperative Extension Clemson HGIC Factsheet. 2019 Jul. HGIC 2009 https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/integrated-pest-management-i-p-m-for-aphids/
- Jeffers, AH, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Cabbage Looper. Clemson Cooperative Extension Clemson HGIC Factsheet. 2019 Jan. HGIC 2016 https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/integrated-pest-management-i-p-m-for-cabbage-looper/
- Jeffers, AH, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Spider Mites. Clemson Cooperative Extension Clemson HGIC Factsheet. 2017 Nov. HGIC 2010 https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/integrated-pest-management-i-p-m-for-spider-mites/
Originally published 08/99
