Integrated Pest Management for Crops and Pastures [OP] (Plant Science / Horticulture)

The book provides information about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to farmers and also others such as agronomists and students. The authors describe an approach to pest management that can be applied to different farming situations. This approach is capable of incorporating new crops, products and techniques as they become available, and so will be useful even as farming changes. IPM is defined and compared to other options available to farmers. The book contains information about key pest and beneficial invertebrates without attempting to be a comprehensive guide to invertebrates. High quality photos of invertebrates are used to illustrate the main species or types of pests and whether or not they are beneficial. Farmers and agronomists should be able to use this book to help them implement an IPM approach on a farm. It provides practical information, written for farmers who are interested in implementing IPM and provides step-by-step guides on how to get started and make decisions regarding pest management. The book also shares information that can help farmers develop a long-term strategy to pest management but also help with making immediate changes if necessary. Farmers and agronomists should be able to use this book to help them implement an IPM approach on farm. It provides practical information, written for farmers who are interested in implementing IPM. It provides step by step guides on how to get started and make decisions regarding pest management. The book provides information that can help farmers develop a long-term strategy to pest management but also help with making immediate changes if necessary. Paul Horne and Jessica Page have worked together to develop and implement IPM in a wide range of horticultural and broad-acre crops and pastures. Over the last 5 years they have developed an IPM strategy that farmers in southern Victoria are implementing. Together they have developed a course for farmers and agronomists on IPM for pastures and cropping. They are currently conducting research and development projects dealing with aspects of IPM or demonstration of IPM in Australia and New Zealand. Contents 6 Foreword 9 Acknowledgements 11 List of tables 12 List of insect plates 13 Chapter 1 Introduction 16 Chapter 2 Pest management and IPM 22 Chapter 3 Pests 30 Why do some insects and mites become pests? 30 Factors that increase pest pressure 32 Environmental factors beyond our control 34 Thresholds 35 Descriptions of pest species 36 Resident pests 36 Transient pests 43 Chapter 4 Biological controls 48 Definitions 48 Resident beneficials 48 Transient species 50 Generalist predator 50 Specialist parasite 51 Introduced/exotic 51 Descriptions of beneficial species 51 Brown lacewings 51 Carabid beetles 52 Damsel bugs 53 Shield bugs 53 Predatory earwigs 53 Predatory mites 54 Parasitic wasps 54 Ladybird beetles 55 Hoverflies 55 Spiders 56 Chapter 5: Cultural controls 58 Definitions 58 Examples of cultural control 59 Tillage 59 Burning 59 Rotation 59 Variety selection 59 Time of planting 60 Location 60 Weed management 60 Intercropping: trap crops 60 Provision of alternative food sources 61 Tree planting 61 Beetle banks 61 Physical barriers 62 Integration of cultural controls 62 Applying knowledge of cultural controls 62 Chapter 6: Chemical (pesticide) controls 82 Introduction 82 Effects of pesticides on beneficial species 83 How do you decide if a product is safe for beneficial species in agriculture? 84 Pesticides and organics 85 Pesticide options where no selective product is available 86 Pesticides and IPM 86 Chapter 7: Monitoring and getting started 88 What to look for 88 Who should monitor the crops? 89 Selecting your first IPM paddocks 89 How to monitor a paddock 90 When to monitor 92 Recording information 92 Decision making 93 When to use a pesticide and what to use 94 Specific examples of monitoring with some selected scenarios 96 Scenario 1: Canola 96 Scenario 2: Summer brassicas 97 Scenario 3: Cereals 99 Scenario 4: New lucerne 100 Chapter 8: Case studies and examples 102 Further sources 128 References 130 Index 132 Integrated Pest Management for Crops and Pastures describes in straightforward language what is required for farmers to successfully implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cropping and grazing operations. It explains the differences between conventional pesticide-based controls and IPM, and demonstrates the advantages of IPM. Effective control of pests depends on a number of approaches, not just chemical or genetic engineering. The opening chapters cover the different approaches to pest management, and the importance of identification and monitoring of pests and beneficials. Most farmers and advisors can identify major pests but would struggle to recognise a range of beneficial species. Without this information it is impossible to make appropriate decisions on which control methods to use, especially where pests are resistant to insecticides. The book goes on to deal with the control methods: biological, cultural and chemical. The biological control agents discussed include both native and introduced species that attack pests. Cultural changes that have led to an increase in the incidence or severity of pest attack are also examined. The chapter on chemical control describes the different ways chemicals can affect beneficial species, also detailing acute, sub-lethal and transient toxicities of pesticides, drawing on examples from horticulture where necessary. Finally, the authors bring all the components of integrated pest management together and show farmers how to put their IPM plan into action. This book describes in straightforward language what is required for farmers to successfully implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cropping and grazing operations.