Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/53575
Let natural enemies PLAY A ROLE IPM means managing pests, not eliminating them. by Geraldine Warner A Nick Mills, entomologist at the University of California, Berkeley. n interactive workshop on natural enemies and tools to maximize biological control will be held simultaneously in Wenatchee and Pasco, Washington, and Hood River, Oregon, on February 7-8 and in Stockton, California, on February 22-23. The short course will be presented by scientists working on a research project to enhance biological control in western orchards, which is funded by the federal Specialty Crops Research Initiative. For more information, go to http://enhancedbc.tfrec.wsu.edu. G rowers today tend to think that integrated pest management has to do primarily with monitoring pests and scheduling pesticide applications. But that's not what IPM was envisioned to be at the outset, "We're Dr. Nick Mills, entomologist with the Uni- versity of California, Berkeley, told growers during the Washington State Horticultural Association's annual meeting. Twice during the past 20 years, the looking to redress the National Academy of Sciences has revis- ited the idea of what IPM is and what growers should be thinking about in implementing IPM, he said. They see IPM as an ecologically based system that seeks to manage, rather than eliminate pests. "I think that's a really important concept," Mills said. "We still think balance." —Nick Mills of using insecticides to eliminate pests, but what you really need to do is not eliminate them, but manage them in an ecological way so that natu- ral enemies and biological control can play a greater role. This needs to be done in a profitable, safe, and durable way." In 2010, the National Academy issued a publication entitled "Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems for the 21st Century," which emphasizes the need to reduce pes- ticide use through a greater focus on cultural techniques, resistant varieties, and biological control. "So, the way we think about IPM is changing, and it's something that we should be considering more and more as we move towards the future," Mills said. Mills said there are several reasons why it's in the grower's interest to enhance biological control. It's a natural pest control system that's available at no cost. Natural enemies reduce the need for pesticide applica- tions, which are an additional cost. By allowing growers to minimize the use of pesticides, they reduce risks to human health and the environment and help preserve food, water, and air quality—all of which will become more important in the future. Integrated control Sixty years ago, University of California scientists NH T1520 (standard) T1520 LP* MODIFIED 39" high* 51" wide *at top of fender introduced the concept of integrated control as a system that combines and integrates biological and chemical pest control, with chemical control used as necessary and in a manner that's the least disruptive of biological control. The failure to recognize that the control of pest popu- • Low profile • Fuel efficient • 60 months at 0% interest • 1,635-pound three- point lift capacity • Reliable 30- or 35-HP engine lations is a complex ecological problem has led to the error of imposing insecticides on the system rather than fitting them into it, they wrote. The ideal pesticide is not one that eliminates all individuals of a pest species. It's the one that shifts the balance back in favor of natural enemies. "I think that really captures a lot about what we need "Serving "Your Ag Area FarmersEquipment Since 1939" 800-827-5138 1308 East Mead YAKIMA,WA 509-457-8105 18 FEBRUARY 1, 2012 GOOD FRUIT GROWER burrowstractor.com QUALITY SERVICE QUALITY PARTS 927 Wenatchee Ave WENATCHEE,WA 509-888-0355 Specialist" T1520 LP T1510 LP Developed exclusively by Burrows Tractor to know about IPM," Mills said. "We're not looking to eliminate pests from the system. If we did that, we lose our biological controls forever. We're looking to redress the balance, the shift between the numbers of natural enemies there relative to the number of pests." Mills said those scientists recognized the important role of biological control in IPM, but growers still struggle to come to terms with that concept today. www.goodfruit.com This frugal grower saves big $$ with fuel-efficient New Holland Tractors $SAVE$ Great efficiency, less fuel cost, lower purchase price