Integrated Pest ManagementSeptember 2017 Carissa Spencer, MN NRCS State Agronomist

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)• NRCS Pest Management Policy • Related Conservation Practices• Integrated Pest Management

Conservation Practice Standard• Assessments of Hazards of Pest

Suppression Activities.• Associated Conservation Practices

and Measures to Mitigate Hazards

NRCS Roles in Pest Management

1. Evaluating Risks Associated with Pest Suppression Strategies

2. Providing Technical Assistance to Mitigate Environmental Risks of Pest Suppression Strategies

NRCS Roles in Pest Management3. Assisting Clients in the Adoption of

IPM Techniques that protect the Natural Resources

4. Assisting Clients to:a. Inventory, assess, and suppress

noxious weeds on non-cropland.b. Provide assistance to suppress weeds

to ensure successful implementation and/or maintenance of vegetative conservation practices

Specific Policy Relating to NRCS Assistance with Pest Management• Policy applies to all land uses, all crops,

and all pests• Pest Management activities must comply

with all Federal, State, Tribal, and local laws.

• NRCS shall not:• develop chemical pesticide recommendations• change pesticide label instructions• recommend specific formulations, rates, timing,

or application methods. • General Manual (GM) 190-404.10.C. (2)

Specific Policy Relating to NRCS Assistance with Pest Management• NRCS shall not develop biological pest

suppression recommendations except for biological weed suppression utilizing grazing animals.

• NRCS may provide clients with the most current biological and chemical suppression references.

Specific Policy Relating to NRCS Assistance with Pest Management• NRCS may assist with development of

appropriate cultural and mechanical methods of pest suppression.

• NRCS shall evaluate the environmental risks of cultural, biological, and chemical pest management suppression techniques.

• When chemicals selected for pest suppression present environmental risks, NRCS shall assist with adoption and implementation of a conservation plan that addresses the appropriate pesticide loss pathways.

Specific Policy Relating to NRCS Assistance with Pest Management• When providing assistance with IPM that

includes pesticides, the minimum treatment is following the pesticide label.

• NRCS shall cooperate with the appropriate agencies when assisting clients with pest management

• NRCS shall assist APHIS and appropriate State Agencies when assisting clients with pest that may require quarantine or eradication.

Specific Policy Relating to NRCS Assistance with Pest Management• NRCS will assist clients in the

assessment of pest management risk to beneficial animals and in the development of appropriate mitigation

• NRCS shall not provide assistance in suppressing pests on or in animals

• It is the client’s responsibility to insure that all pesticides used are registered and that the label instructions are adhered.

Related Conservation Practices

• Suppression of Noxious Weeds on Non-Cropland

• Brush Management (314)• Herbaceous Weed Control (315)

• IPM—Integrated Pest Management (595)—on lands where pests will be managed.

Related Conservation Practices• Conservation Practices to Establish Permanent

Vegetation Cover—may include components to suppress weed competition to ensure successful implementation and/or maintenance.

• Run WIN-PST on the following practices and enhancements were chemicals are used as a component:

• 314 Brush Management• 315 Herbaceous Weed Control• 327 Conservation Cover• 332 Contour Buffer Strips• 340 Cover Crop• 490 Tree/Shrub Site Preparation• 512 Forage and Biomass Planting• 601 Vegetative Barrier• 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat Management• 650 Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation• 660 Tree/Shrub Pruning• 666 Forest Stand Improvement

Related Conservation Practices• Run WIN-PST on the following practices and enhancements were

chemicals are used as a component:• B000BFF1 Buffer Bundle #1• B000BFF2 Buffer Bundle #2• B000CPL7 Crop Bundle #7—Soil Health- “Organic”• E390126Z Increase Riparian Herbaceous Cover Width to Reduce Sediment Loading• E390136Z Increase Riparian Herbaceous Cover Width to Enhance Wildlife Habitat• E391118Z Increase Riparian Forest Buffer Width for Nutrient Reduction• E391126Z Increase Riparian Forest Buffer Width to Reduce Sediment Loading• E391127Z Shade Stream to Reduce Temp• E391136Z Increase Riparian Forest Buffer Width to Enhance Wildlife Habitat• E612130Z Planting for High Carbon Sequestration Rate• E612133X1 Adding Food-Producing Trees and Shrubs to Existing Plantings• E612133X2 Cultural Plantings• E612133X3 Sugarbush Management• E612136Z Tree/Shrub Planting for Wildlife Food• E612137Z Tree/Shrub Planting for Wildlife Cover• E666118Z Enhance Development of the Forest Understory to Capture Nutrients—Surface Water• E666119Z Enhance Development of the Forest Understory to Capture Nutrients—Groundwater• E666132Z1 Crop Tree Management for Mast Production• E666132Z2 Reduce Forest Stand Density to Improve a Degraded Plant Community• E666133X Forest Stand Improvement to Rehabilitate degraded hardwood stands• E666134Z Enhance Development of the Forest Understory to Create Conditions Resistant to Pests• E666136Z1 Reduce Forest Density and Manage Understory Along Roads to Improve Wildlife Food

Sources• E666136Z2 Reducer Forest Stand Density to Improve Wildlife Food Sources• E666137Z1 Snags and Den Trees, and Coarse Woody Debris for Wildlife Habitat• E666137Z7 Enhance Development of the Forest Understory to Provide Wildlife Cover and Shelter

IPM in NRCS• NRCS utilizes IPM technology to:

• Prevent or mitigate the environmental risks of pest management activities—not to control pests.

• Standard Differences:• Pest Management (code 595)

• Enhance crop quantity and quality (not our job)• Minimize the negative impacts of pest

management on natural resources (yes!)• Being replaced by:

• Integrated Pest Management (code 595)• Its only purpose is to prevent or mitigate the

environmental risks of pest management activities

Applying IPM (code 595)In the conservation planning process, we identify site-specific natural resource concerns (SWAPA+HE) related to pest management activities:

– Water Quality impacts from leaching, solution runoff and adsorbed runoff of pesticides

– Air Quality impacts from Drift and Volatization of pesticides.

– Direct Pesticides impacts on pollinators and other beneficial species in or near the application area.

– Cultural Pest Suppression Risks including erosion/sedimentation from cultivation for weed control and air quality impacts from burning.

Pesticides and IPM• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

carefully regulates pesticide uses nationally:• Mitigation requirements may be on the pesticide label;• However, significant risks may still occur based on site-

specific conditions.

Pesticides and IPM• In contrast, NRCS starts at the field level and

first identifies site-specific natural resource concerns.

• For example, to evaluate water quality concerns:• Is groundwater or surface water the concern?• What are the waterbody characteristics?• What are the watershed characteristics?• What is the flow path to the waterbody?

• Unsaturated zone characteristics for groundwater

• Overland flow characteristics for surface water• What are the characteristics of the field?

Pesticides and IPM• Water quality concerns are site-specific and often

apply to sediment and nutrients as well as pesticides

• Some sites require careful management to adequately protect sensitive natural resources from pesticides.

• Other sites require nothing more than “follow the label”.

• We can help producers understand how pesticide label mitigation requirements apply to their site.

• We must integrate pesticide label mitigation requirements into the overall conservation plan and each conservation practice applied—”the label is the law”.

IPM Practice Standard (595)• Definition

• A site-specific combination of pest prevention, pest avoidance, pest monitoring, and pest suppression strategies

• Purpose• Prevent or mitigate pest management risks to natural

resources, including:• Offsite pesticide risks in water and air• Direct pesticide impacts on pollinators and other

beneficial species• Risks from cultural techniques including tillage and

burning

• Criteria• An IPM plan will be developed with specific

techniques that will be utilized to prevent or mitigate risks to natural resources

• IPM guidelines from the University of Minnesota or University of Minnesota Extension will be utilized.

• In the “real world” of IPM, there are often many pests, and some have lots of good IPM information including specific thresholds, and some have very little information. For preventing risks, a full IPM system that utilizes all available information is preferable.

IPM Practice Standard (595)

• Criteria• IPM guidelines are a great reference for what IPM

is available for a particular crop as are the IPM Centers’ Crop Profiles• https://www.ncipmc.org/about/roadmap.php• https://www.ncipmc.org/planning/profiles.php• https://www.ncipmc.org/states/minnesota.php

IPM Practice Standard (595)

IPM Practice Standard (595)• Criteria

• Mitigating a specific risk with IPM can get into pesticide selection and pesticide application details, so it is best to handle these situations “live” with an Extension expert or crop consultant.

• 595 prescribes minimum mitigation levels for water quality resource concerns based on WIN-PST Soil/Pesticide Interaction Hazard Ratings:

• Low or Very Low= No Mitigation Needed• Intermediate= 20 points• High= 40 points• Extra High= 60 points

IPM Practice Standard (595)• Criteria

• Mitigation credit for IPM techniques applied is combined with mitigation credit for other conservation practices applied to meet the minimum criteria

• Plans and Specifications• Plan Map and Soils Map• Environmental Risk Interpretations• Appropriate Mitigation Techniques• Prevention and Avoidance Techniques• Scouting Plan and Thresholds

IPM Practice Standard (595)• Recordkeeping

• Monitoring or Scouting results• When and where suppression technique was

implemented• When and where special IPM techniques were

implemented to mitigate site-specific risks.

• Note that a full IPM system is preferred (PAMS), especially for preventing environmental risks, but the minimum requirements of the new 595 will be met when identified natural resource concerns are adequately mitigated. In a limited number of cases, even just one IPM technique may be adequate for mitigation, but more IPM is always better.

NRCS IPM• Agronomy Technical Note 5

• Describes how to implement the new 595 standard• Rates the leaching, solution runoff, adsorbed runoff,

and drift mitigation potential for IPM techniques and other conservation practices (similar to the old 595 mitigation matrix).

• Includes mitigation information for pesticide volatilization and for direct pesticide impacts on pollinators and other beneficial species.

• Other Conservation Practices• As they are revised, we will try to include more

information on mitigating pesticide risks.

NRCS IPM• Water Quality Example

• A corn field with a high runoff soil slopes to an adjacent stream that supports a cold water fishery.

• Insecticides to control corn rootworm beetle may be needed.

• Insecticide selection on this particular field is a concern because runoff is likely to impact the fishery.

• The producer can select any insecticide registered to control corn rootworm beetles based on recommendations from Extension or a crop consultant

Applying IPM (595)• Water Quality Example

• If a selected insecticide has a Very Low or Low WIN-PST Soil/Pesticide Interaction Solution Runoff Fish Hazard rating, no mitigation is required beyond label instructions

• If the selected insecticide has an Intermediate, High, or Extra High WIN-PST Soil/Pesticide Interaction Solution Runoff Fish Hazard rating. 20, 40, or 60 mitigation credits (respectively) will be needed.

Applying IPM (595)• Water Quality Example

• The required mitigation credits can come from IPM techniques like only applying an insecticide based on monitoring that indicated an economic pest threshold has been exceeded. IPM techniques are documented with the application of the new IPM practice standard.

• Mitigation credits can also come from other conservation practices like a Filter Strip installed between the field and the stream. These practices are documented with their own conservation practice standards.

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)

• Improves WIN-PST 3.0• New to version 3.1

• Faster soil load times—soils are now cached inside the tool

• Pop-up tips that explain columns and buttons• Extensive help file available

• Includes glossary• Help for importing data mart soils

• Search functions improved for soils and pesticides

• Ability to hide inclusions—based on map unit percent

• Reports will hold correct format better• Spot treatment added as new application area

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)• Installed on NRCS computers• Available to partners via website• https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/nati

onal/water/quality/?cid=stelprdb1044769• Over 900 Active ingredients—including many

biologicals• Over 20,000 registered products• Uses SSURGO access template for soils

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)• Step 1 Choose Soils

• Set correct site conditions (e.g. slope, water table)

• Modify organic matter and depth of first layer• Add to Queue

• Choosing Soils• Predominant• Most Limiting

• High water table, slope, high infiltration• Greater than 20% of the field

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)• Step 2 Choose Pesticides

• Remember to set application area, method, and rate• Broadcast, Banded, Spot• Surface Applied, Foliar Applied, Incorporated• Standard, Low, and Ultra Low

• Currently used pesticides• Probable pesticides

• What pesticides could be used on that crop/rotation• Work with extension or consultant to develop list• What happens if an unforeseen pesticide is used?

• It’s OK for producers to use with WIN-PST analysis• Add that pesticide to list of probable pesticides

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)• Step 3 Create Reports

• Soils and pesticides placed in queue will be automatically ready for reports

• Using Reports• Base mitigation needs off of Interaction Hazard

report• Use Hazard ratings for Aquatic (fish) or Humans

based on identified resource concern

WIN-PST 3.1.3

• Base database will have soils for Massachusetts

• User will have to import their own soils from Web Soil Survey or Minnesota F: drive Section 2

Soils Selection

WIN-PST 3.1.3Soils Features• Headings on program

• SLP=Soil Leaching Potential

• SSRP=Soil Solution Runoff Potential

• Most columns are fixed. You can change the following:

• SLOPEGR=Slope greater than 15%

• CRACKS=Cracks that go at least 24 inches deep

• HWT_LT=High Water Table Less than 24 Inches under the Surface

Map Unit Symbol

Inclusions

• 2nd column• PCT_COM=

Component Percent

• Exclude

Add Soils• Highlight

soils you want to add

• Click on Add Button

• Soils chosen will appear in Soils in Queue Box.

Select Pesticides

Select Pesticides by Product Name or Active Ingredient

Select Pesticides

Select Pesticides by Product Name or Active Ingredient

Add Pesticides• Highlight

Pesticides you want to add

• Click on Add Button

• Pesticides chosen will appear in Pesticides in Queue Box.

List AIs Button

Save Scenario

Click on Reports button

Printing the Report3 Reports• Pesticides• Soils• Interactions

Loss and toxicity report is located in Human and Fish Hazard. “Red" = Mitigation.

Always go with the highest hazard rating for field.• Integrated Pest Management Policy• Integrated Pest Management

Conservation Practice Standard• Assessment of Hazards of Pest

Suppression Activities• Associated Conservation Practices and

Measures to Mitigate Hazards• WIN-PST

National Agronomy Technical Note 5

Table 1 Mitigation Techniques

Table 2 Mitigation Practices

Knowledge Level

One of the roles of NRCS in Pest Management is to evaluate the risks associated with pest suppression strategies.

Answer: True or False

Knowledge Level

NRCS can develop chemical pesticide recommendations.

Answer: True or False

Knowledge Level

NRCS utilizes IPM technology to prevent or mitigate the environmental risks of pest management activities-not to control pests.

Answer: True or False

Knowledge Level

The minimum requirements of the new 595 standard will be met when identified natural resource concerns are adequately mitigated.

Answer: True or False

Knowledge Level

One item in Plans and Specifications is a measurement of residue.

Answer: True or False

Questions?Contract

Carissa SpencerState Agronomist

651-602-7866 Carissa.Spencer@mn.usda.gov

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