logo
    This chapter describes the implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) in Australian cotton as an example of the broad strategic and tactical approach that could be applied to a range of field crops. The Australian cotton industry illustrates well the numerous challenges of integration and implementation of IPM and how these might be overcome. The key IPM components utilized in Australian cotton production are presented, i.e. pest-tolerant varieties, agronomic components (sowing date, water management and plant growth regulators), trap crops, predators, selective insecticides, rotation crops and transgenic crops. Some of the constraints and challenges to adoption of IPM principles in the extensive Australian grain industries (e.g. wheat, canola [rape] and legumes) where uptake has been minimal are discussed.
    Citations (12)
    Cover crops relay-cropped with vegetables with conservation tillage were compared with fallow conventional production for 10 years. Conservation till-relay received no pesticide and only one-quarter the recommended fertilizers. Winter cover provided significantly better weed control than conventional. Weed problems in relay occurred only in the rows where vegetables were planted. Legume winter covers increased soilborne organisms but did not influence root disease severity or postemergence damping-off. Thrips, aphids, and whiteflies were most frequent. These pests remained below the economic threshold with winter cover crop-relay. However, infestation of these pests and Colorado potato beetles was severe in conventional plots. Winter cover crops provided habitat for more than 14 beneficial insects.
    Crop Protection
    Among the major global concern, the protection of crops from insect pests is an important issue. Continuous use of chemical pesticides results in toxicity which causes harmful effects on the animals and food consumers. The increasing social concern on the usage of chemical pesticide led their replacement with other alternatives which are less harmful to humans and crops leading to the development of biological agents that acts as pesticides. New researches in pesticide chemistry, genetics, population dynamics, and public opinion resulted in the involvement of beneficial insects into Integrated Pest Management programs. IPM is an eco-friendly method to reduce the pest population causing minimal disturbance to the crops.
    Insect pest
    Citations (0)
    Pesticides were to be used, but only as necessary, based on population monitoring and "economic thresholds." In the United States, this approach soon became known as integrated pest management (IPM), while in Europe it was more commonly called integrated control. Like the term sustainable agriculture, the acronym IPM is widely used under various contexts. The use of sampling and economic thresholds is aimed primarily at optimization of pesticide use. Crop rotation systems offer numerous advantages in soil structure, fertility and erosion management, as well as aiding in control of various pest species. Crop rotation for pest management consists of a planting pattern alternating susceptible and nonsusceptible crops. Planting and harvesting dates of some crops can be altered to reduce or to avoid pest damage. One of the most successful, nonchemical approaches to pest management is that of biological control.
    Citations (29)
    Abstract Soyabean, because of its importance in food security and wide diversity of uses in industrial applications, is one of the world's most important crops. There are a number of abiotic and biotic constraints that threaten soyabean production. Soyabean pests are major biotic constraints limiting soyabean production and quality. Crop losses to animal pests, diseases and weeds in soyabeans average 26-29% globally. This review discusses biology, global distribution and plant damage and yield losses in soyabean caused by insect pests, plant diseases, nematodes and weeds. The interactions among insects, weeds and diseases are detailed. A soyabean integrated pest management (IPM) package of practices, covering the crop from pre-sowing to harvest, is outlined. The effect of climate changes on arthropod pests, plant diseases and weeds are discussed. The history and evolution of the highly successful soyabean IPM programme in Brazil and the factors that led to its demise are explained.
    Citations (20)