1. Precision Agriculture in Pest Management
Amber N. Brewe

2. What is it?
Precision Agriculture (site-specific) is a knowledge based technical management system that optimizes farm profits while decreasing the environmental impact. (UFL ext.)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) simultaneously limits economic damage, minimizes adverse effects on non-target organisms and the environment.
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3. Why?
Provides excellent sources to make a more informed management decision.
Provides farmers more time to consider;
Crop Management
Yields
Profit
Gets the farmer involved!
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4. Economic threshold Establishing an economic threshold for your field.
Time: April May June July August Sept
# of pestiferous beetles ET
EIL
Management threshold for pestiferous beetles in corn
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Taken from Dr. Geenwood ENTO 2993; Pest Management and Biological Control

5. Elements of Pest Management
Soil Maps
Weed Identification
Insect Identification
Disease Identification
Arial Photographs/Yield Maps
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6. Taken from http://nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/pa
Soil Maps
Soil moisture, pH, and CEC are key management factors.
Taken from
Grid sampling strategies assist in targeting scouting attempts for pests by concentrating on high risk areas.
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7. Site-Specific Weed Control
Goal: treat weeds where they are present and to treat with the appropriate chemical at the correct rate.
Spread through seed or vegetatively.
Identification of weed type and density is essential to post-emergence control.
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8. Weed Control Methods Crop rotations Herbicide resistant crop programs.
Modulated Spraying Nozzle Control (MSNC)- chemical application system that controls drift and application rate on the go. (Purdue)
Electrostaticlly charged spray to induce droplet travel to pest with opposite charge.
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9. Site-Specific Insect Control
Time of insect identification is critical.
Cultural, Biological and Chemical control methods
Examples:
BT Corn varieties
Controlling aphids with Lady Bugs.
Appling insecticide to effected areas leaving a corner of the field un-sprayed.
Modeling future insect out- breaks using grid sampling.
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10. Modeling Using Grid Sampling
Identification of previous northern corn rootworm populations.
Lowest adult emergence in low lying wet areas or on ridge tops.
Highest adult emergence in well drained soils.
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Taken from International Plant Nutrition Institute

11. Site-Specific Disease Control
Design a fungicide application that would control an out-break and prevent spreading.
Areas with visible and latent infections could be treated with a systemic fungicide.
Areas with invisible latent infections and areas around the infection wave could be treated with a protectant fungicide.
Saves money and prevents the pathogen from developing a resistance.
Use of spectrometer readings currently being researched.
Modeling future out-breaks by recording precipitation and temperature.
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12. Using Arial Photography and Yield Maps
Can evaluate current pest issues via pest density and location.
Provides evidence of areas reaching economic injury level.
Population level which pest damage=control cost.
Multiple years of yield data can verify if using site-specific management increases crop yields.
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13. Summary
Know your soil.
Weed infestations can be monitored year to year.
Insect and Disease tend to be more difficult to monitor being they tend to be sporadic.
Site-specific IPM has the ability to spot treat areas needed for pest control.
“Ability to manage a healthier crop by adjusting needed inputs within the field rather than at the field level.” (Wright, 2009)
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14. Work Cited http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AG186
Greenwood, Carmen. Pest Management and Biological Control. ENTO
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15. Questions?
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