Integrated Pest Management

What is IPM?

Over the past 30 years, consumers concerns about unwarranted pesticide use have steadily increased.  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides. In contrast, organic food production applies many of the same concepts as IPM but limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources, as opposed to synthetic chemicals.

One of the best ways to lower pesticide use is to MANAGE your gardens: including proper watering, mulching, fertilizing, liming, and pruning.  In addition, placing a plant in an environment (sun, water, and enough space to grow when mature) helps plants maintain their best health.   These are called cultural controls.  These practices applied in a timely fashion provide for vigorous plant health.  A healthy plant is less susceptible to disease (disease = fungus, mites, insects).

How do IPM programs work?

IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing IPM, growers who are aware of the potential for pest infestation follow a four-tiered approach. The four steps include:

·         Set Action Thresholds

Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.

·         Monitor and Identify Pests

Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial. IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.

·         Prevention

As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the crop, lawn, or indoor space to prevent pests from becoming a threat. In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock. These control methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment.

·         Control

Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

Basic Gardening Concepts

Click on the following links to see documents on the various areas of gardening.

How to Diagnose Plant Problems

Mulching Liming Fertilizing

Pruning

Soil Texture

Soil pH-Trees and Shrubs and What they Like

WATERING

Resources

University of Maryland Extension (UME)
Baltimore County Office 
New Office Location and Address  1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030
410-771-1761
Fax: 410-785-5950
http://baltimorecounty.umd.edu/

Home and Garden Hotline: 1-800-342-2507
http://www.hgic.umd.edu  

University of Maryland Extension is a statewide education system sponsored by County government, the University of Maryland College Park and Eastern Shore campuses and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Faculty and staff in the Baltimore County Office of the University of Maryland Extension provide research-based information, educational programs and services in the following areas:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources
• 4-H Youth Development
• Urban Agriculture and Master Gardeners
• Family and Consumer Sciences

University of Maryland Extension (UME)
Baltimore City Office
6615 Reisterstown Rd, Suite 201
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
(410)856-1850; (410)856-1852 (fax)
Office Hours 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

University of Maryland Extension (UME),

Baltimore City OfficeWebsite!  
http://baltimore.umd.edu/

Urban Horticulture (410) 856-1850 ext. 121 

Urban Agriculture Program Homepage
http://baltimore.umd.edu/Urban_Ag_MGinfo/index.cfm

If someone else is interested in writing a grant for the IPM program that we at TUUC subscribe to, see details at  http://www.epa.gov/pesp/about/index.html .