Pest Management

There are many other types of pests.

Pest Management Topics-Part 1-

• Important terms

• The 6 Principles of IPM

o Prevention

o Scouting

o Management Guidelines

o Numerous tools

o Evaluation

o Record keeping

• Limiting pesticide use

• Pesticide Resistance

Terms to Know• IPM

• IPM Toolbox

• Disease Triangle

• Cultural

• Mechanical

• Biological

• Chemical

• Pesticide

• Pest

• Reduced Risk Pesticide

• Beneficials– Natural enemies

Terms: IPM• Integrated Pest Management

• Strategy combining a series of coordinated, cost-effective pest management methods to suppress pests below a defined aesthetic or economic threshold while having minimal impacts on non-target organisms and the environment.

– Using all tools and options to reduce the use of pesticides.

• IPM varies according to geographic region & crop.

• Always scientifically-based.

• The goal is to prevent or delay pest issues.

• Pesticides regarded as critical toolbox component.– The last line of defense against pests.

Terms: IPM Toolbox• All tools available to manage pests.

• Includes the following tools:

– Genetic

– Cultural

– Mechanical

– Biological

– Chemical

– Regulatory

Disease - Requires Three Components(all at the same time)

1. Virulent pathogen2. Susceptible host3. Conducive environment

Pest Management-Plant Disease Triangle-

How can we manipulate the components to avoid or reduce disease?

Terms: IPM Toolbox • Cultural Tools - growing practices & conditions

to minimize the crop’s appeal to pests.

– These are BMPs or Best Management Practices

• Choosing variety for region & time of year.

• Planting at the correct depth.

• Sufficient light or shade provided.

• Proper amounts of water and nutrition.

Terms: IPM Toolbox • Mechanical Tools – items physically used.

– Using your hands to remove pests

– A physical barrier to prevent pests

– Traps

– Heat or steam

– Cultivation

Terms: IPM Toolbox • Biological Tools - using pest’s natural enemies.

– Beneficial organisms = Beneficials

• Predators - biologicals that feed upon the pest.

• Certain mites, beetles, bugs, wasps, spiders, etc.

• Parasites - live on or in pest.

• Certain wasps & flies

• Parasitoids - live on or in pest which is killed.

• Certain wasps & flies

• Micro-organisms – unable to be seen with the unaided human eye

• Certain fungi, nematodes, bacteria & viruses

Natural Enemies-Beneficials-

Natural Enemies-Beneficials-

Entomopathogenic nematodes- Heterorhabditis, Steinernema

Predatory mites- Amblyseius, Galendromus, Neoseiulus, Phytoseiulus, Hypoaspis

Predatory insects- Chrysoperla, Cryptolaemus, Hippodamia, Dalotia, Coccinella,Orius, Delphastus, Feltiella, Podisus, Rhyzobius,Stethorus

Parasitoids- Aphelinus, Encarsia, Eretmocerus, Aphidius, Pediobius,Aphytis,Trichogramma

Fly parasites- Muscidifurax, Splangia, Nasonia

Biopesticides- Bacillus, Beauveria, Trichoderma

Natural Enemies-For $ale-

Terms: IPM Toolbox • Chemical tool – pesticides, repellants, &

pheromones.

• Pesticides – chemical that harm/kill pests.

– Pest = organisms negatively impacting the crop.

– Named for the type of pests affected:• Insecticide, Fungicide, Herbicide, Miticide,

Rodenticide, Acaricide, Bactericide, Nematicide,

– Reduced Risk Pesticide = EPA classification for pesticides that are highly selective, use low rates, have low potential to leach, are IPM compatible, and are safer to humans

• Repellant – deters pests presence or activity.

• Pheromone – chemical affecting pest behavior.

The 6 IPM Principles1. Prevention

2. Scouting• Monitor & assess pest numbers & damage.

3. Management Guidelines• When is action needed?

4. Numerous tools used to mitigate pest issue.• Suppression NOT eradication

5. Evaluation of tools’ efficacy.

6. Record keeping.

IPM Principle #1. Scouting Crops• Early Detection – smaller and younger pests

easier to manage.

– gives option for “softer” pesticide use like soaps/oils.

• Be persistent – looking at least once a week.

• Get to know “hot-spots” and problem plants.

• Check: new growth, tops/bottoms of leaves, flowers, buds, fruit, roots.

• Record: damage, pests/beneficials present.

• Use tools: hand-lens (10X-16X), white paper.

IPM Principle #2. Pest Identification• Not all insects are pests.

• Want to select the right pesticide.

• Resources

– University & Extension

– Books

– Articles

– Picture guides

– Experienced farmers

– World Wide Web

• UF/IFAS EDIS

• Bugwood

IPM Principle #3. Management Guidelines

• The toughest decision is often to NOT act.

• High quality is required of commercial crops.

• Your farm - You decide:

• If and when to act.

• Management tactic used.

• Considerations?

– Pest, population size/stage, damaged caused, etc.

– Crop stage, part affected, time till harvest, etc.

– Types of beneficials present, stage they are in, etc.

– Weather forecast, time of day, etc.

IPM Principle # 4. IPM Tools • Many pests are to too small to be seen or

identified without magnification.

• Recommend 10X-16X.

• Shake Method: place white paper under plant & shake the leaves to see what falls out.

• Sticky traps are usually yellow & are attractive to many types of insects – not all will be pests.

– Should not solely be relied on for decisions

• Other tools: sweep nets, aspirator, pheromone traps, pencil/pen, notebook, flags, field map

IPM Principle # 5. Evaluation• In time, go back & examine pest populations

after your decisions were implemented.

– Are pests alive or dead?

– Did populations go up or down?

– Did damage from pests increase/decrease?

– Was there any damage to the plant?• Which part(s)?

• Did the plant grow out of the damage?

– Did different types of beneficials arrive?• Did they manage pests effectively?

– Is another action warranted?• Same action or different?

– Was the action taken too late?

IPM Principle # 6. Record Keeping• Keeping a historical record allows you to

anticipate certain situations and proof of which tactics were used and whether they were successful.

– When did pests arrive?

– On which plant(s) were pests found?

– Where on the plant was the pest found?

– Is a given pest found with a beneficial?

– What was done last time?

– Was the tactic used effective?

– Were any future recommendations made?

Limiting Pesticide Use

What can be done? What else can be done?

• Start with clean seed

• Start with healthy plants

• Good cultural practices– Right plant, place, time

– Irrigation & nutritional BMPs

• Good sanitation habits– Clean hand-tools after use

– Work young to old plants & clean to dirty areas

– Use mature compost

– Remove diseased plants

– Kill weeds before they seed

• Scout early & often

• Remove by hand when possible

• Proper ID & pesticide choice

• Spot-treat problems

• Utilize beneficials– Properly ID

– Use softer pesticides

– Use selective pesticides

– Keep or plant refugia

– Have a no-spray zone

– Purchase & release

• Pesticide labels must be followed by all.• For personal and environmental safety.

• Even by dooryard & backyard growers.

• Includes – reentry (REI) & preharvest (PHI) intervals.

• Crop & application site must be on label.

• Turf vs. Ornamentals vs. Edible Crops

• Specific fruits and vegetables.

“The label is the law.”

PHI = required wait time after application until harvest.

• Harvesting a crop before the PHI expires is illegal.

• Will be stated on product label.

• Following the PHI reduces risk from pesticides on food.

• Time listed tested to minimize pesticide residues.

• Wait times differ between products and crops.

• For products that can be applied up to the day of harvest, label may list '0' (zero) days or there may be no time listed.

Preharvest Interval

(PHI)

Pest populations

Susceptible

Pesticide application results in serious injury or death.

Tolerant

Exposure to pesticide has minimal effect.

Inherited natural tendency to tolerate.

Not a result of selection pressure.

Resistant

• Repeated pesticide (RAC Code) selects tolerant biotype.

• Tolerant biotype reproduces.

Chemical Class/Chemical Family• Similar structures and properties.

• May work same but different MoA or target site.

Mode of Action (MoA)

• How pesticide causes the physiological disruption.• Ex. Nervous system, Inhibit Energy Production.

Site of Action/Target Site

• Physical location in pest where the MoA.• Ex. Pyrethroids – MoA interferes with nervous system

at the Sodium channel modulators site.

Pesticide Classification

Pesticide Resistance:

Resistance

• Population change from susceptible to a tolerant biotype due to selection pressure.

Selection pressure

• Results from repeated use of like MoA/RAC Codes.

• Mode of Action = specific way pesticide works.

• RAC Code = Number designation on label.

• Based on MoA, chemical class, target site.

Rotate RAC #’s to delay pest resistance.

Tolerant =

Susceptible =

Pest Population-Before Pesticide-

Tolerant biotype1. Survives 2. Reproduces

Tolerant =

Susceptible =

Pest Population-After Pesticide-

Selection pressureresults in a

population shift.

Tolerant =

Susceptible =

Same RAC # Used Repeatedly

Resistance- Risks Factors -

Pest

• Frequency of reproduction

• Numbers of individuals per generation

Pesticide

• Single site of action within pest

• Persistence

• Frequent and/or repeat applications with same mode of action

Resistance- Mechanisms-

Insects

• Physiological resistance

• Metabolic, target site, resistance, penetration

• Behavioral resistance

Fungi

• Target site altered, over expressed, exclusion, detoxify

Plants

• Target site altered, metabolism, limited absorption, sequestration & translocation

• Application takes place but nothing dies

• Control is excellent except in certain parts of the field

• Only one of several targeted pest species is not controlled

• Any of the above trends worsens year after year

Signs of resistance?

Applicator Error?

• Dosage, method, missed target, mechanics, coverage

Is it Resistance?

Unfavorable application conditions?

• Temperature, rain, degraded pesticide, improper pH

o Re-infestation?

o Pest resurgence?

o Waited long enough?

o Wrong pesticide selection?

o Label followed?

IPM Summary

• Important terms

• The 6 Principles of IPM

o Prevention

o Scouting

o Management Guidelines

o Numerous tools

o Evaluation

o Record keeping

• Limiting pesticide use

• Pesticide Resistance Scouting with a hand-lens & white paper helps observe small & light colored critters

• Consider nonchemical methods of pest management.

– Cultivation, crop rotation, beneficials, physical barriers.

• Follow labeled instructions.

– Rate, stage,

• Pay attention to RAC codes and rotate.

– FRAC, IRAC, HRAC

• Rotate or combine modes of action.

• Use selective pesticides.

• Pest is properly identified.

• Spray based on thresholds.

Key points:

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the colleagues sharing information from which this presentation drew as resources.

• IPM Florida (http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/)

• UF/IFAS Palm Beach County Extension

– http://discover.pbcgov.org/coextension/Pages/default.aspx

• UF/IFAS – Small Farms (https://smallfarm.ifas.ufl.edu/)

• University of Georgia Extension (https://extension.uga.edu/)

• https://www.ipmimages.org/

• https://www.slideshare.net/

• http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

• https://www.bugwood.org/

• Christian Miller– cfmiller@ufl.edu

– 561-233-1718

– Palm Beach County Extension• http://www.pbcgov.com/coextension/

• 559 N. Military Trail,

West Palm Beach, FL 33415

Contact Information

• Michelle Samuel-Foo– Mfoo@alasu.edu– 334-229-8451– Alabama State University

• https://www.alasu.edu/• 915 S. Jackson Street

Montgomery, AL 36104