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Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated pest management (IPM) is not a new arthropod (insects, mites, and their relatives) management strategy. Some components of IPM have been practiced for over 100 years. The current philosophy of IPM has been around for about 30 years. Researchers sometimes refer to IPM as "intelligent pest management." A new description of IPM, sometimes called plant health care (PHC), has been discussed in some trade journals. PHC examines the basic causes of stress to a plant and suggests corrective measures that promote plant health.
IPM is a pest population management system that utilizes all suitable techniques (biorational, chemical, cultural, fertilization, irrigation, monitoring with sex pheromone traps, resistant plant varieties, etc.) and information to reduce or manipulate pest populations that are maintained at tolerable levels (i.e., a few pests will still be present) while providing protection against hazards to humans, domestic animals, and earth's environment.
- Guidelines for Establishing an IPM Program
- Diagnosing Arthropod Problems
- Use of Symptomatology
- Sampling/Monitoring Arthropod Pests and Their Natural Enemies
- Decision to Implement a Management Strategy
- Methods of Control
- References