gardening smart! smart gardening using integrated pest management

Gardening Smart!

Smart Gardening Using Integrated Pest

Management

Gardening Smart!

Healthy, productive plants use their natural defense systems to resist environmental stresses

How to use IPM for your home gardens – from ornamentals to vegetables and everything in between

Open questions

Today’s Smart Gardener

The sensible approach to pest control is to create a natural balance of organisms in your yard or garden. In a diverse ecosystem, pest populations are naturally regulated. Development of this balance at your home relies on using products that minimize harm to beneficial organisms.

Plant Health OLD: Commonly accepted to keep plants

healthy was a broad application of chemicals to control pests – prescription pest control.

NOW: Though pesticides play a role in plant health, they also have limitations. In addition to environmental and health concerns, pesticides may give only limited and temporary control if other control measures and practices are not integrated into the overall management or maintenance program.

Practical Procedure for Plant Health

Planning and Site Placement

Site Preparation and Establishment

Selecting Appropriate Plants

Proper Cultural Practices

Planning and Site Placement

Sun Full Sun Part Shade Deep Shade

Wind Direction, speed,

occurrence Soil

Sand, loam, clay pH Nutrient analysis

Water Irrigated or not

Hardscapes House, driveway,

fences, etc. Maintenance

Low, Medium, “Magazine”

Site Preparation & Establishment Correct drainage or

erosion problems Raised beds Contour landscape

Amending and preparing the soil Soil pH 6-7 Organic matter

Altering light conditions Removing tree limbs Thinning trees

Selecting Appropriate Plants

Grow the right plant in the right place!

Know the requirements of a plant before you buy it

Select disease resistant varieties or cultivars

Select high quality plant material

Proper Cultural Practices Planting Techniques

Prepare the hole B&B preparation Planting depth Water Management Maintenance Staking

Moisture Management Establishment vs.

Maintenance Fertility Management

Fertilization Frequency Fertilization Timing

Plant Health Care Healthy,

productive plants can use their natural defense systems to resist environmental stresses.

As a result, they need less chemical input for survival and productive long-term growth. An especially important concept is the plant health care attempts to manage plant health rather than just control pest problems.

Integrated Pest Management: IPM

Uses multiple tools Uses chemicals when necessary Requires knowledge and planning

Protect garden and landscape from pests

Maintain beneficial organisms Effective pest management with least

negative impact to the environment

True Pest or Just a Nuisance? Accept some level of a pest population as

healthy and natural (remember “diverse”!)

Only consider control of a pest when significant damage occurs, or the presence of a pest poses a real threat

First ask yourself:

Is control really necessary?

Proper Identification of the Pest You can’t control it if you do not know

exactly what it is… Correct ID provides you with valuable

information about the pest including: * life cycle* what stage is most destructive* what stage is most susceptible to control

efforts

Why is the Pest Present? Food, Water, Shelter, Perfect Environment?

Prevention vs. Cure It may be easier and more effective to remove

the reason why the pest is there in the first place vs. controlling the pest!

If we can’t remove the “reason” then let’s make it a less attractive environment for the pest to discourage its presence.

3 Questions to Always Ask:

1. Is the pest really a problem? Or is it just annoying? (Action Threshold)

2. What exactly do I have here? Proper identification of the pest and life cycle stage.

3. Can the environmental factors of why the pest is there be altered to make it a less desirable place for the pest to be?

IPM StrategyIPM Strategy

Economical personal/sentimental valueEconomical personal/sentimental value

Acceptable levels monitor pestsAcceptable levels monitor pests

Effective control, butEffective control, butleast disruptive to theleast disruptive to theenvironment and nonenvironment and non--target speciestarget species

IPM

Benefic ial Organisms

IPM

Beneficial InsectsBeneficial Insects

Asian Ladybird Beetle Adult

IPM

Beneficial InsectsBeneficial Insects

Ladybird beetle - adult

Ladybird beetle larvae

IPM

Benefic ial Insec tsBenefic ial Insec ts

Lacewing adult

Lacewing larvae(aphid lion)

IPM

Other Beneficial Organisms

IPM

Parasitic Parasitic BeneficialsBeneficials

Tomatohornworm

with Braconidcocoons

Braconid parasitoid ofEuropean corn borer

IPM

Weed FeedersWeed Feeders

Purple loosestrife is an exotic invasive species that out competes native habitats.

IPM

Insec t PestsInsec t Pests

IPM

Insect pestsInsect pests

Japanese Beetle Adult Japanese Beetle Larva

IPM

Insect PestsInsect Pests

Aphids

IPM

Insect PestsInsect Pests

Hornworm on Tomato

IPM

Insect PestsInsect Pests

Gypsy Moth

Defoliation of oak treeCaterpillar

Larvae hatching from egg mass

Adult moth taking cover in bark of tree

IPM

Insect PestsInsect Pests

Eastern Tent Caterpillar(spring)

IPM

Insect PestsInsect Pests

Fall webworm

Fall webworm damage to left and above left

IPM

Weeds Weeds

IPM

Weed Life CyclesWeed Life Cycles

AnnualAnnual

BiennialBiennial

Perennial Perennial

Weed MorphologyWeed Morphology

DicotsDicots

broadleafbroadleaf

MonocotsMonocots

grass, tulips, dayliliesgrass, tulips, daylilies

IPM

WeedsWeeds

Quack Grass

perennial,rhizomes

IPM

WeedsWeeds

Crabgrass

annual

IPM

WeedsWeeds

Dandelion

biennial

IPM

WeedsWeeds

CommonChickweed

annual

IPM

WeedsWeeds

Ground Ivy

perennial, stolons and rhizomes

IPM

WeedsWeeds

Annual orwinter biennial

Stork’s BillFilareeRedstem

IPM

Turf

According to NASA's Ames Research Center: 50, 000 square miles of the

continental US is covered by lawn

There is 3 times as much irrigated grass as irrigated corn.

Turf is the most widespread irrigated crop.

IPM

IPM

Plant DiseasesPlant Diseases

Plant Responses to DiseasePlant Responses to Disease

Over development of tissueOver development of tissue galls, swelling, leaf curlgalls, swelling, leaf curl

Under development of tissueUnder development of tissue stunting, lack of chlorophyll, stunting, lack of chlorophyll,

incomplete development of organsincomplete development of organs

Death of tissueDeath of tissue blights, leaf spots, wilting, cankersblights, leaf spots, wilting, cankers

IPM

Disease TriangleDisease Triangle

Host

Pathogen Environment

IPM

Disease DiagnosisDisease Diagnosis

SYMPTOMS

Host plant’s reaction to the disease

SIGNS

Visible presence of the disease agent

IPM

Anthracnose on Beans - Virus

Diseases

IPM

Common Mosaic Virus on Beans

Diseases

IPM

Powdery Mildew - fungi

Diseases

IPM

Rust on Turf - fungi

Diseases

IPM

Apple Scab - fungi

Diseases

IPM

Potato Scab - fungi

Diseases

IPM

DiseasesDiseases

Fire blight on an apple tree

IPM

Vertebrate PestsVertebrate Pests

EnvironmentalEnvironmental

MechanicalMechanical

ChemicalChemical

IPM

Pest Control TechniquesPest Control Techniques Cultural ControlsCultural Controls

Plant Variety SelectionPlant Variety Selection

SanitationSanitation

Physical / MechanicalPhysical / Mechanical

Regulatory / LegalRegulatory / Legal

BiologicalBiological

NaturalNatural

ChemicalChemical

CombinationsCombinations

IPM

Pestic idesPestic ides

IPM

Pesticide LabelsPesticide Labels

Legal documentLegal document

Directions for useDirections for use

Statement of Statement of Practical TreatmentPractical Treatment

Environmental Environmental HazardsHazards

Personal Protective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Equipment (PPE)

IPM

Signal WordsSignal Words

SIGNAL WORDSSIGNAL WORDSdo not indicate or do not indicate or measure potential measure potential chronicchronichealth health impacts; they are indicators of risk impacts; they are indicators of risk of the of the acuteacuteeffects of exposureeffects of exposure

CAUTIONWARNINGDANGER or POISON(skull and crossbones)

IPM

Signal WordsSignal Words

CAUTIONSlightly Toxic

products such as

Roundup, Rodeo

Malithion

Lysol

IPM

Signal WordsSignal Words

WARNINGModerately Toxic

products such as

2, 4 - D

Diazinon, Sevin

Mr. Clean

IPM

Signal WordsSignal Words

DANGER / POISONHighly Toxicproducts such as

Furdane

Sani-flush, furniture oil soap

IPM

Pesticide FactsPesticide Facts

Which group uses the largest amount (total pounds) of pesticides in the United States each year?

a. Agriculture Producersb. Commercial Pest Control Operatorsc. Homeowners

IPM

Pesticide FactsPesticide Facts

Which group uses the largest amount (total pounds) of pesticides in the United States each year?

a. Agriculture Producersb. Commercial Pest Control Operatorsc. Homeowners

IPM

Pesticide FactsPesticide Facts

Which group is responsible for the majority of pesticide poisonings to people, wildlife and pets; excessive use of pesticides which result in water contamination; kill or injure more non-target species; and most frequently disregard label directions and apply much more product than is legal?

a. Agriculture Producersb. Commercial Pest Control Operatorsc. Homeowners

IPM

Pesticide FactsPesticide Facts

Which group is responsible for the majority of pesticide poisonings to people, wildlife and pets; excessive use of pesticides which result in water contamination; kill or injure more non-target species; and most frequently disregard label directions and apply much more product than is legal?

a. Agriculture Producersb. Commercial Pest Control Operatorsc. Homeowners

IPM

What general group of plants rarely, if ever, need fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation or any other special care after initial establishment?

NATIVE PLANTS !

Questions ?