Integrated Pest Management

IPM

Reading Assignment:

Norris et al., Chapter 1. Pests, People, and Integrated Pest Management. Pp. 1 – 14.

Define “Pest”

FIFRA Definition of “Pest”

(1) any organism that interferes with the activities and desires of humans or (2) any other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria, or other micro-organism (except viruses, bacteria, or other micro- organism on or in living man or other living animals) which the Administrator declares to be a pest under section 25(c)(1).

A Working Definition of “Pest”

An injurious and noxious or troublesome living organism [that] does not include a virus, bacteria, fungus or internal parasite that exists on humans or animals (British Columbia Pesticide Control Act,1997)

A pest must cause injury

In order for an organism to be considered a pest, a damaging stage of the organism must be present in high enough numbers to cause actual injury to something valued by people.

“Pest” is not a property of a species

Being a pest is not an inherent property of a species but, rather, a species (along with its population and age distribution at a given time and place) and a human valuation of the item being injured or damaged.

Four things required to “make” a pest (Fig. 1-6 from text)

This is a pathosystem concept

• Pathogen – host – environnment triad must all be right in order for an outbreak of disease.

• When pest – crop – environment right, leads to “damage”.

Pest damage to crops is significant.

How do pests become pests?

• New crop introductions

• New organism introductions

• Production system practices

• Removal of limiting factors

• Low tolerance