|
 |
|
In Agriculture
EPA's role in agriculture is to evaluate and register pesticides that
are sold for use on crops. EPA promotes the use of an approach called
Integrated Pest Management.
IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive
approach to pest management in agricultural settings. For example, growers
inspect crops and monitor for damage before they use pesticides. IPM
programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of
pests and their interaction with the environment. This information
is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means and with the
least risk to people, property, and the environment.
In agriculture, IPM takes advantage of all appropriate
pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use
of pesticides. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first,
including biopesticides
such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical controls such
as trapping or weeding. If less risky controls do not work, then
additional pest control methods are employed, such as the selective and
targeted spraying of pesticides. In most cases, the cost of different
control options must be taken into consideration.
IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather,
a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing
IPM, growers follow this four-tiered approach:
- Set Action Thresholds: Before taking
any pest control action, an IPM program first develops an action threshold,
a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate
that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does
not always mean control is needed. Understanding the level at which
a pest becomes an economic threat is critical to making pest control
decisions.
- Monitor and Identify Pests: Not all
insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many
organisms are innocuous, and some are beneficial and help control pests.
IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately,
so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with
action thresholds. Successful monitoring and identification ensure that
pesticides are used only when really needed and that the wrong kind
of pesticide is never used.
- Prevention: As a first line of defense,
IPM programs prevent pests from becoming a threat. This may mean rotating
between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, or planting
pest-free rootstock. In most cases, these methods are effective in preventing
pest problems, and they are more economical than chemical sprays. They
also pose little to no risk to human health and the environment.
- Control: Once monitoring, identification,
and action thresholds indicate that pest control is necessary and preventive
methods are no longer effective or available, the next step is to determine
which control method maximizes effectiveness and minimizes risk. Broadcast
spraying of a nonspecific pesticide is a last resort.
For more information on Integrated Pest Management and agricultural-related
links:
- IPM and Food
Production - steps in the IPM process, including the monitoring,
identification and prevention of pests.
- EPA is encouraging the innovation of biological
pesticides, also known as biopesticides.
- National Organic Program - U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the final national standards
for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural
products.
- The USDA provides specific
pesticide information and crop recommendations.
- USDA's listing of State
Extension Services.
|
