Kheti Volume -3, Issue-4 (October-December), 2015 Available online at www.popularkheti.info 2015 popularkheti.info Integrated Approach of Pest Management Gyan Prakash Morya* and Rajnish Kumar Department of Entomology, B. R. D. P. G. College, Deoria, U.P., India *Email of corresponding author: gyanprakash978@gmail.com The use of pesticides was considered most effective tool to overcome the pest problem. However, indiscriminate use of pesticide has led to harmful residues in the produce, pesticides resistance and outbreaks of secondary pests. Thus, single factor approach has been proved as inadequate and need of multi-tactics approach was felt. This has brought a complete change in strategy of pest control and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was promoted. Introduction Pest management is the methodology of restricting the pest population to non-injurious level. This is the latest concept of pest management. Latest means, before reaching the important concept, the pest management has undergone different phases. Previously, the pest management was considered only the eradication of the pest population. But later by undergoing different phases of pest management (subsistence phase, exploitation phase, crisis phage, disaster phase and integrated phase), it has arose the concept that eradication may be neither desirable nor possible due to reasons of their dominant position. So this concept emphasized the need to restrict the pest population rather than to eradicate them. Till recently, the use of pesticides was considered most effective tool to overcome the pest problem. However indiscriminate use of pesticide has led to serious consequences like, harmful residues in the produce, pesticides resistance, pest resurgence, and outbreaks of secondary pests. This has brought a complete change in strategy of pest control. So, single factor approaches have proved inadequate and need of multitactics approaches was felt. This pest management motivated agricultural scientists, administrators and leaders to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The integrated pest management is not a new concept. Many of the components of a sound IPM system were known and practiced before the advent of modern chemicals. IPM is an evolutionary stage in pest management strategy, it represents a new conceptual multi-disciplinary approach in agro-ecosystem management strategy, that are practical, economical, effective and protective to both public health and environment. According to FAO/IOBC, IPM is a multidisciplinary ecological approach to the management of pest population, which utilizes a variety of control tactics compatibility in a single coordinated pest management system. Recently FAO has also defined, Integrated pest management means the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 90
measures that discourage the development of pest populations and keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and the environment. IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms. Basic Principles of IPM There are four basic principles of IPM 1. Pest surveillance 2. Understanding of ecosystem 3. Utilization of economic threshold level 4. Application of minimum selective chemicals 1. Pest surveillance: Pest surveillance is a vital part in the integrated pest management. Surveillance is the constant observation of a subject like a crop or pest, recording the factors observed, compilation of information obtained and prediction of future events about pest population. Hence pest surveillance comprises of three basic components, which is used in determining the need for a pest control measures- A. Determination of the loss B. Determination of the level of incidence C. Determination of the economic benefits 2. Understanding of ecosystem: The control of pest population is a function of the ecosystem itself by means of natural enemies and other factors. So the knowledge of this principle element is most essential. The study of individuals is prime importance in forms of their biology and behaviour. This is the potent method for analysis of population phenomenon. Thus, the most effective system for controlling pests can be derived only after understanding the ecosystem. 3. Utilization of economic threshold level: The level of pest population is very important consideration for taking up control measures. The determination of threshold level is pre requisite for pest management strategy. The economic threshold level is the pest population density at which control measures should be determined. 4. Application of minimum selective chemicals: The application of chemical control measures to pest population has to be in such a manner that target pest population are just kept below the economic injury thresholds. By observation of this principle, the development of resistant population of pest is avoided or delayed the possibility of resurgence of treated population is decreased, adverse effect on non target organism and the cost of control is also lowered. Importance of Integrated Pest Management 1. Fits better in national economy: At present, the pest control activities are mainly based on chemical pesticide. A large proportion of pesticide has been imported. The expenditure on pesticide meets the demand for pesticide in the new strategy of agriculture, if pest control has to depend only on the use of pesticide. Thus the time has come to implement integrated pest management and it can be said certainly, that will be reducing the load of pesticide on crop as well as nation by saving foreign exchange. 2. More efficient and cheaper method: The IPM schedule utilizes variety of control tactics. It is fact that pesticide is the efficient tactics, but other methods can not be ignored too. Perhaps, it is Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 91
not feasible sometimes, but other tactics like, hand destruction and sterile male technique are always efficient and cheaper. Because it avoid the prophylactic use of pesticide and reduces the expense on pesticide. 3. Minimize residue hazards of pesticide: The regular application of pesticide is the cause of pesticide residues. These residues can be reduced by the postponement of frequency of the pesticide application. This will be possible through the other multitude of tactics of IPM. Because IPM allow the pesticide application only from the threshold level not as prophylactic. 4. Maintain setting the balance of nature: Chemical control has often been reported to upset the balance of nature. This is loading to the upsurge of new types of pest problem which did not exist previously.ipm tactics like conservation, augmentation maintain the natural balance as desired pest defender ratio and break the resurgence of pest population. Pest Management Concept 1. Pests: Pests are organisms which are competing with man for food and his resources by causing damage of crops and stored produce and the expression pests are used broadly to molluscs, mites, insects, birds, rodents and wild animals. Though the expression pests are used broadly to molluscs, mites, insects, birds, rodents and wild animals but usually or occasionally, it is treated commonly for all harmful animals, diseases and weeds of crops. 2. Pesticides: Pesticide means any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling any pest, including vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals causing harm during or otherwise interfering with the production, storage, transport, or marketing of food, agricultural commodities, wood and wood products or animal feedstuffs, or which may be administered to animals for the control of insects, arachnids or other pests in or on their bodies. The term includes substances intended for use as a plant growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant, or agent for thinning fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit, and substances applied to crops either before or after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage and transport. 3. Economic threshold level: The density at which control measures should be applied to prevent an increasing pest population from reaching the economic injury level. 4. Economic injury level: The level at which damage can no longer be tolerated and therefore, the level at or before which it is desirable to initiate deliberate control activities. 5. Determination of ETL and EIL ETL= EIL-Daily reproduction rate of pest EIL= Grain threshold (kg/ha)/damage per pest (kg) = pests/ha Grain threshold= Cost of management (Rs/ha)/Value of commodity (Rs/kg) = kg/ha 6. Integrated pest management vs Integrated pest control: Integrated pest management and Integrated pest control are not different things. Actually both are with same meaning. In plant protection FAO/IOBC has adopted the term integrated pest control, whether USA uses the term integrated pest management. Now a days the integrated pest management is used throughout the world widely. Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 92
Growth and Development of Pest Management These are classified into five phases 1. Subsistence phase: There was no organized programme for pest management. Whatever pest management is available, results from natural control, the inherent resistance of the plant, hand picking, cultural practices, rare pesticide treatments and luck. 2. Exploitation phase: The pest management programme have expanded with new synthetic pesticides. They are used intensively on fixed schedules, often as prophylactic treatments whether pests are present or not. At present, these programmes are successful, resulting in high yields. In this phase, the chemical pesticides are exploited to the maximum. 3. Crisis phase: In this phase, more frequent application of pesticides and higher doses are needed to obtain effective control. The pest population often resurges rapidly after treatments and the pest population gradually becomes tolerate to the pesticide. The insects which never cause damage or only occasional feeders become serious primary pests. This combination of pesticide resistance, pest resurgence and unleashed secondary pests cause greatly increased production costs. 4. Disaster phase: The pesticide usage increases production costs to the point, where the crop can not longer be grown and marketed profitably. The pesticide residue in the soil is at such high levels, that other crops can not be successfully grown. Repeated application of pesticides can not longer produce a crop that is acceptable to processors or the fresh market. This phase is a collapse of existing pest management programme. 5. Integrated phase: In this phase, pest management programmes are implemented to utilize ecological factors and multitude of tactics. This concept is dependent on optimizing the control rather than maximizing it. Currently most pest management is in exploitation phase and the integrated pest management should be quickly adopted to avoid the crisis and disaster phases. Hence, IPM is an evolutionary stage in pest control strategy and represents new conceptual multidisciplinary methodologies in agro-ecosystem management strategies that are practical, effective, economical and protective to both public health and environment. Tools of IPM There are following major tools of IPM 1. Cultural methods 2. Physical methods 3. Mechanical methods 4. Biological methods 5. Genetical methods 6. Chemical methods 7. Legal methods 1. Cultural methods: The cultural methods apply following cultural practices for pest management 1. Summer ploughing, field sanitation and crop rotation. 2. Synchronized sowing, trap cropping and inter cropping. 3. Proper field preparation, timely sowing and proper sanitation. Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 93
4. Water management, nutrient management and weed management. 5. Selection of improved resistant varieties, certified seeds and seed treatment. 6. Harvesting crops at ground level, reduce the incidence of pests in next season. 2. Mechanical methods: The mechanical methods apply following mechanical practices for pest management- 1. Removal and destruction of pests and diseased plant parts. 2. Application of scarecrows for vertebrate pest management. 3. Using of light traps, pheromone traps and yellow sticky traps. 4. Installation of bamboo cum bird percher in the field for conserving natural enemies and bird predation. 3. Physical methods: The physical methods apply following physical practices for pest management 1. Application of heat for paraheating of grains for storage insect pests. 2. Manipulation of moisture for storing of grains for storage insect pests. 4. Biological methods: The biological methods apply following bio control agents for pest management A. Parasites: These are pathogens which infest and cause diseases in their hosts as a result of which hosts are killed. Major groups of pathogens are fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. Examples, Trichoderma viridae (fungi), Beauveria basiana (fungi), Bacillus thuringiensis (bacteria), NPV (viruses), Neoaplectana carpocapsae (nematodes). B. Predators: These are free living organisms which prey upon other organisms for their food. Examples, Spiders, Dragon flies, Damsel flies, Lady Bird beetles and birds etc. C. Parasitoids: These are the organisms which lay eggs in or on the bodies of the hosts and complete their life cycle on host bodies as a result of which hosts die. Examples, Trichogramma japonicum(egg parasitoid), Tetrastichus schoenobii (egg parasitoid), Apanteles plutella (larval parasitoid), Brachymeria lasus (larval parasitoid).above such bio agents are practiced by introduction,augmentation and conservation. 5. Chemical methods: The chemical methods apply pesticides as last resort, when all other methods fail to keep the pest population below economic loss. Although, there is a great advancement in pest management research, yet pesticides would continue to play an important role in pest management. While going to chemical practices, must have to keep following important points of pest management: 1. ETL and pest defender ratio must be observed. 2. Relatively safer pesticides should be selected and botanicals preferred. 3. If isolated pest infestation in the field, whole field should not be sprayed. 6. Legal methods: The legal methods apply government rules to regulate pest management by Quarantine Act, Seeds Act and Insecticides Act. Conclusion The integrated pest management is not a new concept. Many of the components of a sound IPM system were known and practiced before the advent of modern chemicals. Previously eradication of the pest population was considered but later, it arose the concept that eradication may be Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 94
neither desirable nor possible due to reasons of their dominant position. So IPM concept emphasized the need to restrict the pest population rather than to eradicate them. References David BV and Ananthkrishnan TN. 2004. General and applied entomology, 2 nd Edition. McGraw Hill Education (India) Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India, pp.1184. Dhaliwal GS and Koul O. 2010. Quest for pest management: From green revolution to gene revolution. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana, India, pp.386. FAO 1991. Integrated pest management. In: Plant production and protection division. http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/thematic-sitemap/theme/pests/ipm/en/ Norris RF, Caswell-Chen EP and Kogan M. 2003. Concepts in integrated pest management. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India, pp.608. Pedigo LP and Rice ME 2009. Entomology and pest management, 6 th Edition. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India, pp.784. Pradhan S. 1983. Agricultural entomology and pest control. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi,India,pp.267. Sharma HC and Rao MV (Eds.) 1993. Pests and pest management in India. The changing scenario. Plant Protection Association of India, Hyderabad, India, pp.312. Kheti ISSN: 2321-0001 95