Office of Overseas Programming & Training Support (OPATS) Agriculture Gardening Training Package Session 8: Integrated Pest Management

Conventional Pest Management Goal: To rid all pests from a garden or field.  Heavy reliance on pesticides. – Advantages: quick, better short-term results, less labor and time required – Disadvantages: not as effective long term, can be expensive, can kill beneficial organisms, health risks for humans and environment, risk of improper application

Integrated Pest Management Goal: To manage pests in ways that their numbers never increase to a destructive level while minimizing negative effects to the agro-ecological system.

Integrated Pest Management IPM uses an ecosystem-based approach.  Ecosystem: “A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.”  An ecosystem that exists in human-managed agricultural spaces such as a home garden or crop field is an agro-ecological system.

Integrated Pest Management An IPM plan establishes a hierarchy of integrated practices with organic, behavioral practices as the foundation and chemical control as the absolute last resort. The Four Layers of IPM Chemical Physical Biological/Natural Cultural

Integrated Pest Management  Advantages: encourages biodiversity, usually less expensive, more effective long term, tends to be a more targeted response.  Disadvantages: results may not be immediately observed, more labor and time intensive.

Some Important Things to Remember  Pests will be present in a healthy agro-ecological system, and they can be managed.  For smallholder farmers, IPM is considered most appropriate as it minimizes risks of any negative impacts on humans, other animals, or on the environment, in general, and avoids creating a dependence on availability of costly chemical inputs.

Cultural Pest Management Basic gardening techniques and practices, including:  well planned and timely planting  regular observation  soil and water management

CULTURAL PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES  Timely Planting  Composting  Mulching  Crop Rotation  Field Sanitation  Avoiding Soil Compaction  Proper Watering  Weed Control  Planting Resistant Varieties  Crop Diversification  Reluctant Use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides  Detailed Understanding of Garden Organisms (beneficial vs. pests)  Constant Observation and Timely Response Cultural Pest Management

Biological/Natural Pest Management  Encourage existing beneficial relationships  Create new relationships between garden and associated plants, animals and other organisms  Overlap with good planting practices, soil fertility management, and agroforestry techniques

BIOLOGICAL/NATURAL PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES  Companion planting (e.g., diversification of crops, trap crops)  Use of plants that produce chemicals that are natural pest repellents  Encourage and/or introduce beneficial garden organisms and their habitats  Discourage and/or remove detrimental garden organisms and their habitats  Use and/or creation of heirloom (local, indigenous) varieties BIOLOGICAL/NATURAL PEST MANAGEMENT

BIOLOGICAL/NATURAL PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Plants that Produce Natural Repellents:  Garlic  Hot pepper  Onion  Basil  Mint  Lemongrass  African marigold image/flora-plants-public-domain-images- pictures/flowers-public-domain-images- pictures/african-marigold-tagetes-erecta.jpg.html

Discriminate, narrow-range impact techniques that directly target pests.  Traps  Obstructive Barriers  Removal  Deterrents Physical Pest Management

Chemical Pest Management Use of bio-rational or synthetic chemical compounds to kill pests. PRAYING_PESTICIDES_-_NARA_- _ tif

CHEMICAL PEST MANAGEMENT Bio-rational Pesticide Ingredients:  Neem leaves or seeds  Hot pepper  Tobacco  Wood ash  Vegetable-based soap  Vegetable oil

CHEMICAL PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Various types of commercially produced chemical pesticides:  Liquid Pesticides  Solid Poisons  Fumigants  Herbicides  Fungicides CHEMICAL PEST MANAGEMENT wikimedia.org/wi ki/File:Pesticides_ icon.png

The IPM Process Good gardeners avoid pest problems Maintain Healthy Cultural Practices Build a pest-resistant garden Promote Biological Controls Watch out for problems Observe! Observe! Observe! If a pest infestation is discovered, what do you do?

The IPM Process Identify Observe the plant and find the source of the problem Assess How large is the problem? Choose Select an appropriate treatment method Always balance effectiveness with impact Apply Implement the treatment method

The IPM Process – Monitor Results Effects on the Environment Effects on Plants Effects on Pests Are beneficial factors still there? Are they Healthier? Reduced in number?

Pests and Pest Damage What Are Some Examples of Common Garden Pests?  Spider Mites  White Flies  Caterpillars  Aphids  Nematodes  Grasshoppers  Leaf Hoppers  Leaf Curl and Mosaic Viruses  Weeds

SPIDER MITES

WHITE FLIES

CATERPILLARS

APHIDS

ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES

GRASSHOPPERS

LEAF HOPPERS

MOSAIC VIRUS

WEEDS Striga spp Striga spp. Parthenium hysterophorus Weed with fungus Weed harboring insect pests (white flies) WEEDS

Integrated Pest Management Thank You!