In this section:
Essential practises for good pest control
If you would like to improve pest management results and cut costs it is important to identify areas where effective changes and improvements can be made to your pest control program.
A good Pest Management program includes a range of management areas working together as a plan. These should include:
A) Farm hygiene, crop planning and greenhouse design features are used to reduce pest pressure and the need for insecticides wherever possible
B) Routine pest monitoring improves decision making about when to take (or withhold) action with insecticides, and measures the effectiveness of any action taken
C) A top notch spray program ensures that when insecticides are called for they are effective, at minimum cost and are used in a way that prevents insecticide resistance and unnecessary loss of beneficial insects from the farming system
D) A good understanding of the presence and effect of beneficial insects and the impact of chemicals on them enables growers to conserve the natural enemies of their pests
Integrating these practices enables more reliable pest control with minimum reliance on chemicals ! When they were implemented in the Virginia farm trials pest control was improved to very acceptable standards in commercial crops on a range of vegetable and herb farms. These growers reduced their chemical use by up to 75%, and achieved better crop protection at the same time. It was often found that spray programs had typical weaknesses that had to be addressed before sustained control of key pests like WFT could be achieved such, as resistance to chemicals, chemicals not compatible in the spray tank, and spray coverage. Now these growers are in a much better position to conduct trials of biological control agents for WFT whitefly, mites etc.
The next page shows a diagram of the different management areas and how they work together. You can use this broad strategy to begin comparing your current practices with those used by growers who generally can rely on effective control of pests in their crops.
Example Of A Pest Management Cycle
Based on managing western flower thrips (PDF)
There are key steps in developing an effective pest management program:
- Get hold of diagnostic information about your key pests and diseases
- Take action to reduce unnecessary pest and disease pressure
- Develop and implement a crop monitoring program
- Make sure you know enough about the effective use of pesticides
- Get expert help when needed
- Consider supporting biological control agents in your crop
