When garden pests strike, running towards the store to buy the most recent commercially prepared bug killer is not an option for eco-minded gardeners. Instead, we rely on a mix of practical practices known as integrated pest management, or IPM. These methods involve starting with the least toxic biological and cultural methods to manage unwanted pests, with the least achievable damage to people, property as well as the environment. IPM methods involve identifying a pest and understanding its life cycle and routines. By making use of IPM routines, you will benefit by growing healthier crops that don't leave a trail of poisonous chemicals spilling all over our lawns and into our own waterways. In addition, you will find more beneficial insects and pollinators on the property. With many chemical methods, you will not only get rid of unhealthy insects, but the great guys as well.
Some organic goods are indiscriminate, which means they destroy anything. As my pal Jeff Gillman, writer of "The Truth About Organic Gardening," is fond of saying: "Snake venom is all-natural, too, but you don't want that stuff around?" It's important to understand IPM takes into account that a particular amount of pest damage is suitable, and it's up to the specific gardener to make this determination. Because of this, a more extreme approach to treatment may not take place until this particular threshold of tolerance has already been entered. In lots of ways, IPM appears much like organic gardening. The biggest difference is that with IPM synthetic pesticides are an acceptable treatment in severe instances and as a last resort.
IPM techniques work by monitoring for unwanted pests and identifying these accurately, so that suitable control decisions could be made. This checking and identification ensures that pesticides could be used only when they are needed and that the correct type of pest control will be applied. The initial step is to properly identify the pest. But not all insects, weeds as well as other living microorganisms require control. A lot of insects are innocuous and in some cases good for our gardens. Your state extension support is a great reference, as is the Net.
Next, fully grasp individual life cycles and behavioral patterns so you may use the most appropriate treatment at the appropriate phase of growth. Third, keep track of the activity. Is the trouble isolated to a small part of your garden, or is it overpowering your property? The fourth stage is to determine how much harm you're prepared to recognize before management steps are ultimately used. With the IPM approach, as a last resort, conventional pesticides may be required to sufficiently manage the infestation. Hopefully, you'll never want to get to this point if you have used the aforementioned steps. In most cases, this will take care of the issue. But when you must, use only the lowest amount of pesticide necessary and apply at the proper time - never during the time when pollinators and beneficials are most active. And try to read the instructions carefully - more isn't better.
The final step is to assess the outcomes. Results will develop with time as you learn effective management techniques for your backyard. The results will be a much healthier backyard with less time and money spent by you coping with pests.
Integrated Pest Management In The Garden
Integrated pest management in texas or IPM for short is an environmentally sensitive approach to managing pest and disease in the garden. It is the perfected choice when pest control is needed. Rather than going out and spraying every time pest or disease is found IPM focuses on different control methods based on more ecologically friendly approach.
Using integrated pest management requires some understanding of biological factors like pest and disease as well as non biological factors like weather, soil condition, nutrients,and light. The idea is that by managing the growing conditions you can eliminate some of the biological problems. One of the big premises of IPM is that you need to be willing to accept a certain amount of loss and small infestations instead of trying to control all manner of life in your garden.
There are four main parts to a successful integrated pest management program it is not a single action but a group of actions that determine the need for control. They may be described as follows.
Set An Action Threshold
When a single pest is discovered it is not time to panic and take action. A point is established at what constitutes the right time to take actions. What will start to cause economic harm to the crop. Also to be taken into consideration is the condition caused by weather conditions or some other outside influence before any action will be considered.
Monitor And Identify Pests
Before any action can be taken you need to properly identify the pest that is creating the problem. This is accomplished by scouting which is to go and look at the plants and then properly identify the pests. Not all weeds, insects, or organisms are harmful. Be sure that the problem is properly identified so that wrong insecticide is not used. Also this may even determine whether a pesticide is even needed.
Prevention
The first line of defense should always be prevention. By planting disease resident varieties, ensuring proper cultivation, monitoring water and nutrients this will help to prevent problems from arising.
Control
The final step is control once you have reach the the point where monitoring and prevention no longer work you have reached the action threshold. It is time to evaluate and see what the most effective method posing the least amount of risk is. Generally this could be manual removal or biological like the use of pheromones to disrupt pest mating. If further monitoring,identification and action thresholds indicate the less risky controls are not working then additional pest controls would be used.
While all pesticide use is not eliminated by practicing IPM it is certainly reduced considerably. By having a better understanding of your plants needs and how growing conditions can effect it you are helping reduce the amounts of unneeded pesticide in the environment.
