Integrated Pest Management

Environmental & Ecology State Standard

4.5.12

What is a pest?

Any organism that spreads disease, destroys property, competes with people for resources such as food, or is just a nuisance.

Undisturbed Ecosystems

Pests have natural enemies such as predators, parasites, and disease organisms to keep them in check.

Naturally, these enemies can control 50 to 90 % of the pest population.

So what’s the fuss?

Natural ecosystems have been drastically altered by replacing diverse forests, meadow, and wetland habitats with orchards, tree farms, lawns, and farm fields.

By changing these ecosystems, we have dramatically decreased the biodiversity of these ecosystems.

This type of planting supports a much smaller range of wildlife and microorganisms- including those that would keep pests in check.

Pest control

Chemical pesticides

Insecticides

Herbicides

Nematicides

Fungicides

Rodenticides

Pesticides

Most of these have chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment.

In the 1960’s, the public became more aware and wanted to decrease their use.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Uses a mix of methods– traps, – disease-resistance

plants – natural pest-killing

substances– Introduction of

predators to control pests

IPM requirements

Understand how a pest lives

What it likes to eat

What it doesn’t like

What its enemies are

Must be economical & not harmful to the environment & human health

PAIPM

Pennsylvania’s Integrated Pest ManagementEstablished 20 years ago

Main Goals of PAIPM

Increase food & forestry while decreasing the exposure of workers to harmful pesticides

To reduce air & groundwater contamination

Reduce pesticide/insecticide use on crops

More cost effective

Maximize the use of natural organisms

School IPM program goals

1. Manage pests on school grounds– Eliminate pests’ food, water, shelter– Use minimal amount of pesticides

2. Teach Pa’s students about benefits, risks, and interdisciplinary nature of IPM

Is it a pest or not???

Honeybees??– Sting and annoy you– but they pollinate many flowers and fruits

Leaf-cutter ants– Destroy foliage– Improves the germination success of the lobeira,

South American shrub, by discarding the seeds onto a pile of nutrient rich wastes

Forests pests

There has been a large decline in the number of forests due to logging.

98% of of the forests of the US have been logged.

Replaced with tree farms, farm fields, and pastures

Forest pests

This has created a much less diverse ecosystem which are more vulnerable to invasion and attack by pests.

Pollution further weakens forest trees, exposing them to pests and the diseases they spread.

Balsam woolly adelgid

A pest that has caused the elimination of Fraser fir and northern bracted balsam fir trees from the southern Appalachians.

Balsam woolly adelgid

It is destroying the population of the Eastern Hemlock.Changed the canopy from an closed canopy to an open canopy, decreasing the bird population

Gypsy moth caterpillar

Feeds on the leaves of oak and many other important tree species

Can completely defoliate some areas of the forest.

Black knot

A fungus that causes black knot (a gall), a warty growth that targets the braches of cherry and plum trees

These galls break open and spread their spores via the wind.

Exotic pests

An insect or other organism that are native to an area and is introduced to that area by some means.

Many are brought in as a result of world trade.

Exotic pests

US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)– Responsible for patrolling US ports and

inspecting imported goods for exotic pests– Between 1985-1998, seized 7,000 exotic

pests from wood items alone.

Exotic pests

Found in logs, wood chips, unseasoned lumber, crates, cable spools, and wood packing material.

Also found on live plants and among seeds.

Exotic pests

The worse aspect of exotic pests is when they enter a new country, the pests have not brought along their natural enemy

Trees are extremely susceptible to exotic pest infestation.– Ex: gypsy moth

Gypsy moth

First appeared in PA in 1932Decreased between 2000 and 2001 because it contracted a fungal and viral diseases (natural pest control program)The fight has cost PA more than $1 million in 2002.Insecticide-Bacillus thuringiensis Btk– Harmful to moth but not to people

Asian long-horned beetle

Came from China housed in crates and pallets

Attacks maples and other hardwoods

Trees have been cut down in an attempt to eliminate further infestation

Dutch elm disease

Caused by a fungus carried on a beetle

It can kill a large elm tree in 4-8weeks

It has killed more than 2/3 of the elm trees in the US

Chestnut blight

Came from China in 1900’s on chestnut trees imported by the Bronx Zoo.Wiped out nearly every chestnut tree on the East coast Disrupted the natural ecosystem of the forest and the diet of many animals

Starling

Came from Europe in late 1800’s

Compete with livestock for food, transmit diseases, pollute livestock food and water, and compete with other birds for nesting and food

Asian lady beetle

Native to Japan

Released to control aphids and other insects

Overpopulated and became a nuisance

Harmless to human but can leave a yellow stain on walls when disturbed

6 steps of IPM

See handout

IPM tactics1. Cultural methods

• Deprive pest of life necessities ( food, shelter, water)

• Multicropping: the practice of growing many crops together in the same field• However, it is labor intensive & expensive • Pests that feed on 1 crop do not overrun the

entire field & more likely to host predators

Multicropping

Native Americans- corn, beans, & squash

Advantages of Multicropping

Hosts predators/beneficial insects

Other plants are scent decoys since some insects are attracted by smell

Provides a physical barrier

IPM tactics2. Physical methods

Physical barriers

Trapping it

Vacuuming

Mowing

Tilling

IPM tactics3. Genetic methods

Genetically engineered crops to be pest resistant– Ex: Bt corn crops have the Bt gene in it so the pest

will die when they feed on the plant– Plant breeders have produced many varieties of

food and grain crops which pests are not attracted to or can tolerate an attack. (host plant resistance)

IPM tactics4. Biological methods

Using other living things that are enemies of the pest to be controlled

Main types:– Parasitoids– Predators– Pathogens– Weed feeders

Parasitoids

An insect that develops on or within an insect host which will feed on the body fluids of the host

Ex: wasps and flies– A wasp may lay its eggs inside an aphid

and as it develops it kills the aphid

Predators

A natural enemy that feeds on the insect or pest

Although some predators may attack many pests, sometimes they also attack the beneficial insects as well

Pathogen

A disease causing organism that infects insects, plants, humans, and other animals.– Bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa– Generally specific to the insect and

lifecycle– Can kill them, reduce their ability to

reproduce, slow the growth, or shorten their lifespan

Weed feeders

An arthropod, other animal or pathogen that feeds on weed pests

Insects control weeds by eating flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, and roots

IPM5. Chemical methods

Conventional pesticides: – Synthetic chemical pesticides are used

worldwide– 2.5 million tons applied to farm fields each

year– Caused lower food costs(green revolution)– Some cause birth defects & cancers

IPM5. Chemical methods

Conventional household pesticides:– Common pesticides in the house– ants & roaches, termites,

Organophosphates: – Malathion: bug spray– Chlorpyrifos: ants, roaches, termites, – Diazion: flea collars

Many restrictions and warnings on the use of the pesticides

Conventional Agricultural Pesticides

Although pesticides deter pests from feeding on a crop, these do not break down quickly and disappearFarm workers suffer illness’ due to use of pesticidesPollutes the groundwater, streams, and wildlife #1 Atrazine

Atrazine

Seeped into drinking water supply

Increased incident of cancer

Strict regulations to reduce the amount used

Conventional pesticides

Unfortunately, conventional pesticides have been more beneficial due to effectiveness, but are used as a last resort due to the health implications.

Biorational Pesticides

A naturally occurring compound or a chemical such as a toxin or growth regulator derived from a living organism

Ex:– Pheromones, synthetic growth horomones, chitin

inhibitors(makes shell hard), molt accelerating hormones

– Natural pesticide

Microbial pesticide

Bacillus thuringiensis Bt– Occurs naturally and it destroys the lining

of the gut of the pest so it can’t eat.

Bacillus thuringiensis Bt

Insecticidal Soap

Made from the salts of fatty acids, the principle components of the fats and oils found in animals and plants.

Work well on soft-bodied pests like aphids, spider mites, fliesBenefits: harmless to humans, kills pest quickly, no residual effect

Botanical Insecticides

Made from natural living plants

Pyrethrum is flower extract which is deadly to insects but safe for many mammals and breaks down quickly

Rotenone the most toxic of natural pesticides, very effective but can be toxic to humans

Neem repels pests, safe for humans, highly selective

IPM6. Regulatory Control

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

EPA, USDA, US Customs

Benefits of IPM

Safer for people & the Environment

Less pesticide residue on food

Less chance of pesticide resistance

Less damage to non-target organisms

Lower costs for farmers

Preserves nutrients in soil

Drawbacks of IPM

May alter ecosystems

Can contaminate the Environment

Does not eliminate all pests

May lose more crops

Can require intensive planning