Integrated Pest Integrated Pest ManagementManagement

Chapter 5Lesson 5.2

PA Academic Standards for PA Academic Standards for Environment & EcologyEnvironment & Ecology

Standard 4.5.10.B Analyze health benefits and risks associated with

integrated pest management. Identify the health risks associated with chemicals

used in common pesticides. Assess various levels of control within different

integrated pest management practices including increased immunity to pesticides, food safety, sterilization, nutrient management and weed control.

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

Students will identify the health risks associated with chemicals used in common pesticides.

Students will identify the health benefits of the use of integrated pest management.

IPM in PracticeIPM in Practice

The Six Steps of IPM1) Properly identify pest damage and responsible pests.

2) Learn pest and host life cycles and biology.

3) Monitor or sample the environment for pest populations.

4) Establish action threshold (economic, health, and aesthetic).

5) Choose an appropriate combination of management tactics.

6) Evaluate and record results.

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 1 Properly identify pest damage and responsible

pests.• 10 million insect species worldwide• Only 3,500 species considered key pests

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 2 Learn pest and host lifecycles and biology.

• Insects go through several stages in their lifecycle, and may be more vulnerable in some stages than others.

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 3 Monitor or sample the environment for pest

populations.• After the pest has been correctly identified,

monitoring must be started before the pest becomes a problem.

Can you actually see the pest or do you just see the damage? (Example. Termites)

Where do you find the pests? Is the pest population increasing, decreasing, or

remaining relatively the same?

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 4 Establish action threshold.

Economic, health, or aesthetic How much can be tolerated?How much can be tolerated?

How much crop loss in a field is enough to warrant action?How much crop loss in a field is enough to warrant action?

How many dandelions can you tolerate seeing in your yard?How many dandelions can you tolerate seeing in your yard?

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 5 Choose an appropriate combination of

management tactics.• Cultural Methods• Physical Methods• Genetic Methods• Biological Methods• Chemical Methods• Regulatory Control

The Six Steps of IPMThe Six Steps of IPM

Step 6 Evaluate and record results.

• Did the steps you took effectively control the population?

• Was this method safe enough?• Where there any expected side effects?• What is the next step?

Multiple Methods…Multiple Methods… Why use multiple methods?

• Avoid outbreaks• Keep pest populations off balance• Avoid the development of resistance

Use pesticides only as a last resort!!!

IPM TacticsIPM Tactics Use multiple methods when possible. Use pesticides sparingly. Evaluate all risks and benefits before using an

IPM tactic on a pest population.

Cultural MethodsCultural Methods

Suppress pest problems by minimizing the conditions they need for life (water, shelter, food).

Multicropping Definition: practice of growing many crops together in

the same field

• DownsideDownside• Requires more labor,

planning, and initial expense than growing fields of the same crop.

• UpsideUpside• Pests that feed on one

crop will not overrun the entire area.

Physical Methods

Prevent pest access to the host or area, and if the pest is already present, remove them by some means.

Genetic MethodsGenetic Methods

Uses classic plant breeding to create pest-resistant plant varietiesExample: Bt corn

Counteracts the tolerance developed by pest species and allows host to develop a natural defense

Host Plant ResistanceHost Plant Resistance Definition: natural defense mechanisms of a plant,

including physical adaptations, natural chemical resistance, and a tolerance to pest damage and defoliation, that ward off pests

Biological controlBiological control

Definition: using other living things that are enemies of a pest in order to control it

ParasitoidParasitoid Definition: insect that develops on or within an insect

host, ultimately killing the host

Goal: Eggs laid on, near, or in host, eggs hatch, immature parasitoids feed and kill host.

PredatorsPredators Definition: natural enemy that feeds on an insect or pest

Feeding StrategiesTwo major types of feeding strategies commonly

used by predators and foragers1) Specialists

• Organisms that have a narrow range in their diet

Example: Koala bear

2)2) GeneralistsGeneralists• Organisms that have a wide range in their diet

Example: Humans

PathogensPathogens Definition: a disease-causing organism that infects

insects, plants, humans, and other animals

What do they do?Kill pests, reduce their ability to reproduce, slow their

growth, or may shorten their lifespan.

Weed feederWeed feeder

Definition: arthropod (such as an insect), other animal, or pathogen that feeds on weed pests

Chemical MethodsChemical Methods Pesticides are classified according to how they are

used.• Differ in their persistence, toxicity, and range of action.

Conventional Pesticides• Synthetic chemical pesticides are the most widely used

method of pest control.

• 100,000 pesticides are commonly used worldwide.

• Why are synthetic chemicals a ‘mixed blessing’?

A ‘Mixed Blessing’ for A ‘Mixed Blessing’ for Synthetic PesticidesSynthetic Pesticides

Why?• Prevented deaths of millions from insect-transmitted

diseases.• Increased food supplies.• Lowered food costs by preventing crops loss.• Birth defects from exposure to pesticides.• Pesticides are persistent and remain in the environment

for long periods of time. • May kill beneficial organisms as well as target species.

Chemical MethodsChemical Methods Conventional Household Pesticides

• Pesticides are common items around the house.• Control pest populations in homes.• Important to remember, these are mainly

synthetic pesticides!

OrganophosphatesOrganophosphates

Kill pests by disrupting the function of insect nervous systems and brains.

Early childhood exposure may disrupt neurological development.

EPA has restricted the use of this class of pesticides to

areas without small children.

Chemical MethodsChemical Methods Conventional Agricultural Pesticides

• Commonly deter pests from feeding.• Prevent crops loss, therefore keeping yields high, and

cost low.• Generally do not breakdown readily and disappear.• Remains as residues on fruits and vegetables taken to

market.• Health concerns for even low level exposure of farmers.

Natural PesticidesNatural Pesticides Definition: pesticide that is made of natural (not

synthesized) ingredients such as minerals mined from the earth (kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth), bacterial extracts, or plant extracts

Ingredients are not synthesized meaning they come from ingredients such as minerals, biological extracts, or plant extracts.

Typically pose less of an environmental and health risk than synthetic pesticides.

Breakdown rapidly when exposed to heat, light, and water.

Biorational pesticidesBiorational pesticides Definition: naturally occurring compound or chemical

such as a toxin or growth regulator derived from a living organism

These may include …

• Microbial Pesticides

• Insecticidal Soap

• Botanical Insecticides

• Water Spray

Microbial PesticidesMicrobial Pesticides• Naturally occurring bacterium used to produce toxins

that attack pests intestinal tracks.

Example: Bt, like the gypsy moth control agent from last week.

Insecticidal SoapInsecticidal Soap• Made of salts from fatty acids, the principal

components of fats and oils in plants and animals.• Harmless to humans, mammals, and bees.• Work best of soft-bodied organisms.• New popularity in an environmentally friendly world.

Botanical InsecticidesBotanical Insecticides• Made from living plants.

Example: Pyrethrum, a flower extract which is deadly to many insects but harmless to mammals.

Water SprayWater Spray• High-pressured water used to remove pests.• Spray can remove many common insects.• Inexpensive, harmless.

Regulatory ControlRegulatory Control Government Agencies

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)• U.S. Department of Homeland Security

What is the primary goal of IPM?What is the primary goal of IPM?

Reduce pests to acceptable levels rather than eradicate them.

Less use of pesticides means fewer negative impacts that are associated with chemical pesticide use.

Benefits of IPMBenefits of IPM

Safer for people and the environment. Only uses pesticides when other methods of pest

control have failed, at the smallest effective dose.