Horticulture: Integrated Pest Management
Preemergence application of herbicides means that the chemical is applied
before the crop is up
Insecticides that remain active in the environment for the longest period of time are
carbaryls
The herbicide 2,4-D controls the serious weed problem caused by
dandelions
Define biotic diseases
disease caused by something living such as an insect, fungus or virus. For the most part, these are infectiouis from one plant to the next.
Define abiotic diseases
disease or disorder caused by something nonliving such as harmful chemicals, nutrient deficiencies or environmental problems (too hot or cold); these diseases are non-transmissable
Herbicides kill plants by all the methods listed below except for
drying them up. Herbicides DO prevent photosynthesis from occuring, upset cell division and respiration, prevent seed germination
A weed is a plant
growing where it is not wanted
Weeds can be controlled without the use of herbicides by
hand weeding and cultivation, mulches and cultivation crops, hoeing and weeding
Describe what happens in Phase 2 of IPM
includes evaluating all possible control measures and choosing the one that has the least impact on the environment. First is mechanical; Second is biological; Third is Chemical
Describe what happens in Phase 1 of IPM
includes pest identification, pest monitoring, and determination if pest thresholds have exceeded the action thresholds.
How does a SYSTEMIC pesticide work?
it is absorbed by the plant and when an insect takes a bite or sucks out water and nutrients, it is killed
Fungicides cause a protective film to coat plant leaves and
kill the fungus spore before it can enter the plant cell
The more poisonous a pesticide , the __________ the LD50 number is
lower
If maximum temperature is greater than maximum threshold, set maximum temperature equal to
maximum threshold
If minimum temperature is less than minimum threshold, set minimum temperature equal to
minimum threshold
Bacillus thruingiensis is a biological control agent that will control
most caterpillars
Degree Day Calculations Formula
(Max Temp + Min Temp)/2 - Minimum Threshold= Degree Days
If the number of pests exceeds the action threshold, what control methods should be used in order?
1. Mechanical 2. Biological 3. Chemical
Crop rotation can help control some soil diseases and some insects. To be effective, rotations should be
3 or 4 years long
Explain the relationship between the economic injury level and the action threshold
Action threshold is lower than the economic injury level (usually 80%). This allows a buffer while the control method used takes effect
What is the difference between an organic pesticide and a synthetic-organic pesticide?
An organic pesticide is a naturally occurring chemical, such as BT toxin or nictone. Synthetic organic pesticides are man-made compounds. For food to be labeled organic, it cannot be grown with any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
What problem is the herbicide Atrazine causing in frogs?
Atrazine is thought to change testosterone into estrogen in male frogs; therefore, it causes male frogs to develop female characteristics (hermaphrodite frogs)
Which synthetic-organic pesticide stays in the environment the longest?
Chlorinated hydrocarbons
Why does crop rotation work as a pest management strategy?
Crop rotation disrupts the life cycle of the pest. Many pests are crop specific so if a corn pest lays its eggs in a cornfield, and the next year another crop than corn is planted, the pest will not survive
What is DDT and what problems did it cause?
DDT is a type of synthetic-organic pesticide call chlorinated hydrocarbons. DDT does NOT break down, so it accumulates in an ecosystem and causes problems. DDT was suspected to cause bird eggs to be thinner and not develop properly, so the eggs would break when they were incubated by the mother. It was also found in the fat cells of humans as a result of staying on food that was consumed. DDT was banned in the US in 1972
How do many farmers prevent slugs from eating their crops?
Gentile compaction of the ground after seeding prevents the slug from moving through the fields
Integrated Pest Management definition
IPM is the process of using best management practices to produce products with the least impact to the environment. Uses commonsense approaches to pest problems as opposed to just applying more chemicals
What is the first step in selecting a pesticide?
Identify the pest to be controlled and determine if control is necessary
Differentiate between inorganic, organic and synthetic-organic compounds
Inorganic: non-carbon based mineral Organic: carbon-based, naturally occurring compound Synthetic-organic: carbon-based, non-natural, man-made compound* most toxic and dangerous
If the number of pests does not exceed the threshold, what actions are taken?
NO action; just continued monitoring
A key component to an IPM program is
Pest Monitoring (Scouting) and Pest Knowledge, Research and Education
How are polymers used in IPM?
Polymers were initially applied to fruits and vegetables to keep in moisture; now are applied to wheat crops to prevent fungus
Why is it so important to be looking to natural pest control at this time?
Save money, to avoid poisoning the environment and produce chemical-free crops
Postemergence application of an herbicide means that all chemical is applied
after the crop is up
Why is it important to know the life cycle of a pest in order to effectively control it?
Some insects can only be controlled at certain points int their life cycles
Stomach poison insecticides work best
on chewing insects
Acute toxicity is a measure of how poisonous a pesticide is after
one exposure
The insecticides that are most toxic to human beings are
organophosphates
Which synthetic-organic pesticide is the most toxic?
organophosphates
Fungicides are chemicals used to control
plant rust diseases, fungus diseases, and plant mildew
Three different times for applying weed killers are
preplant, preemergence, and postemergence
Chronic toxicity is a measure of how poisonous a pesticide is after
repeated exposure
Fungus diseases are spread by small seedlike structures called
spores
Systematic insecticides are most effective in killing insects that feed by
sucking and chewing
Inorganic insecticide example
sulfur
List 3 routes by which pesticides can enter the body
swallowing, skin (dermal) contact, breathing (inhalation)
What is cultural/mechanical pest control?
type of management techniques used to control pests: examples include proper maintenance programs, sanitation, resistant varieties, hand weeding, using tools for equipment and for control; and education
What is chemical pest control?
type of management techniques used to control pests: the use of chemicals called pesticides. Examples: herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides; and education
What is biological pest control?
type of management techniques used to control pests: uses a pest's natural predator to control it. Example: lady bugs eat aphids.oth er examples: trap cropping, natural chemical repellants and pesticides. Utilizes biotechnology by gene transfer or genetic manipulation to make plants resistant to specific pests (such as BT corn); and education
Biological control of plant pests is
using living, natural organisms or material for control of plant pests; the oldest pest-control method