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About Pesticides
Pesticides & Integrated Pest Management
What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? [top]
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a decision-making process that supports a
balanced approach to managing crop and livestock production systems. The goal is
effective, economical and environmentally-sound suppression of pests. For the
purposes of this document, ‘pests’ includes insects and mites, plant diseases,
weeds, nematodes, and problem wildlife. The concept of IPM evolved in response to problems caused by an over-reliance
on chemical pesticides. Some of these problems are development of pesticide
resistance, elimination of natural enemies of pests, outbreaks of formerly
suppressed pests, hazards to non-target species, and environmental
contamination. The objective of IPM is not to eradicate a pest but to reduce its abundance
to levels that no longer pose an economic threat to plants and animals. IPM is
not an ‘organic’ or non-pesticide approach to pest control. Organic producers
also use IPM and certain approved pesticides to protect their crops and
livestock. One of the main goals of IPM is to promote the use of effective, less
toxic pesticides only if and when necessary.
Elements of IPM: [top]
- Pest Prevention - Planning and managing agricultural production systems to
prevent insects, plant diseases and weeds from becoming pests. Many pest
prevention practices are cultural control practices (see below). By preventing
pest problems, there is no need for pesticides.
- Accurate identification of pests, their natural enemies and damage.
Identification is essential to select the best pest management practice or
pesticide for the pest/crop combination. It is illegal to use a registered
pesticide on a crop or against a pest not listed on the pesticide label.
Knowing what natural enemies are present and active in the crop will aid in
selecting a pesticide that poses the least risk to them.
- Timely monitoring of pests and beneficial organisms, pest damage, and
environmental conditions. Monitoring pest populations gives information needed
to decide if and when to apply a pesticide for optimal effectiveness. Knowing
what and when beneficial organisms are present is useful to time pesticide
application to minimize impact on the beneficial organisms. Pest and disease
development models use environmental (weather) information to determine what
life stage(s) of a pest is present or if plants are at risk of disease
infection. This information is useful in timing pest monitoring and management
activities.
- Making control decisions based on pest or damage monitoring data,
potential damage, cost of control methods, value of production, impact of
other pests, beneficial organisms and the environment. Decide if the cost of
the pesticide application is justified in terms of the value of the commodity
protected. When making decisions consider the Economic Injury Level (EIL) and
of Economic Threshold Level (ETL) where available. The EIL is the pest
population level when the loss caused by the pest is equal to the cost of
control measures. The ETL is the pest population or damage level when control
measures are applied to keep the pest population from reaching the EIL. Both
the ETL and EIL values can change from year to year depending on the crop
value and control costs. For some pests the ET is zero because of quarantine
regulations imposed by governments or markets.
- Using a combination of control methods - Use a combination of behavioural,
biological, chemical, cultural and mechanical methods to reduce pest
populations to acceptable levels.
- Behavioural control applies to insects. It takes advantage of insect
responses to colors (e.g. yellow traps), odours (e.g. attractant-baited
traps, sex pheromone dispensers for mating disruption), and light (e.g.
black light traps, insect electrocutors).
- Biological control uses natural enemies to control pests. Examples of
natural enemies (also called biocontrol or biological control agents)
include predators (lady bugs and lacewings that feed on aphids), parasitic
wasps and flies that attack caterpillars, nematodes that attack insects,
insects that attack weeds, and
diseases of insects (fungi, viruses) and weeds (fungi). Once established, biocontrol agents can often keep their hosts (pests) from becoming problems.
If pesticide use is necessary, select products with no or little impact on
biocontrol agents. This preserves their presence or allows the establishment
of introduced biocontrol agents.
- Cultural control relates to production practices that discourage the
introduction, establishment and development of pest populations. It
minimizes the need for pesticides. Examples include growing pest resistant
crop varieties, using disease-free plant materials, crop rotation, waste
management, optimizing plant growth through proper use of plant nutrients,
soil amendments, and sanitation.
- Mechanical control uses barriers or devices such as window screens,
rodent traps, netting, fly paper, horticulture cloth, and mulches to exclude
or destroy pests. These practices can reduce the need for pesticides.
- Chemical control uses pesticides to control pests. Often pesticides are
used only when all other available control options have not kept pest
populations below the ETL. New less toxic, more target-specific products
(often referred to as reduced-risk pesticides) are replacing older
broad-spectrum synthetic pesticides in order to reduce risks to food,
environmental and human safety. However, these products on average cost
more, and require more precise application timing and frequency.
- Evaluating the effects and efficacy of pest management actions. Use
pesticide application and pest/damage monitoring records to assess how well
the IPM program worked. The records can help determine why the program did
not work as expected, and where improvements are necessary. Improvements may
include better monitoring, use of more non-chemical pest management
practices, or use of new reduced-risk pesticides.
In summary, pesticides will always be an important part of IPM programs. IPM
promotes careful use of pesticides based on an informed decision-making process.
This process involves preventing pests and combining control practices based on
current information on pest and beneficial presence, seasonal abundance,
economic impact, and evaluation of program performance.
Reduced Risk Pesticides [top]
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada defines
reduced risk pesticides as pesticides that “may reasonably be expected to
accomplish one or more of the following:
- Reduce the risks of pesticides to human health.
- Reduce the risks of pesticides to non-target organisms.
- Reduce the potential for contamination of groundwater, surface water
or other
valued environmental resources.
- Broaden the adoption of integrated pest management strategies, or make
such
strategies more available or more effective.”
Reduced risk pesticides are either synthesized chemicals or chemicals
derived from animals, plants, fungi or bacteria (called biopesticides).
Examples of synthesized reduced risk pesticides are plant and insect growth
regulators and chemicals that kill the pest but not the natural enemies.
Biopesticides include microbial pesticides (containing a live bacterium,
fungus, virus, protozoan, or alga as the active ingredient), and chemicals
derived from animals, bacteria, fungi and plants. A common biopesticide is
Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, that has different strains to
specifically control caterpillar, mosquito, or beetle pests.
Additional Resources [top]
- Integrated Pest Management - BC
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
-
Infobasket - IPM and related topics for specific crop and animal
commodities - BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
-
The PMRA Initiative for Reduced-Risk Pesticides - Regulatory Directive
DIR2002-02 - Pest Management Regulatory Agency
- Integrated Weed Management - An
Introductory Manual - BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
- The Database of IPM Resources
- Consortium for International Crop Protection, Integrated Plant
Protection Center
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Outstanding IPM-Related Sites
- Consortium for International Crop Protection, Integrated Plant
Protection Center
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