About Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a long-standing decision-making process designed for managing pest problems while minimizing risks to humans and the environment.
Strategies include a variety of cultural, biological, genetic, regulatory, physical and chemical tactics to reduce pest problems from damaging crops and ornamentals.
IPM is a systematic science-based approach to solving pest problems that provides pest management strategies through all appropriate control methods (both chemical and non-chemical) to keep pest populations below economically damaging levels while minimizing detrimental impacts to the environment.
IPM utilizes knowledge about insects, weeds and diseases to provide an effective strategy for managing pests in all arenas. This includes agricultural, residential, public areas and wild lands.
Five Steps of Effective Integrated Pest Management
- Identify key pests and the damage they cause.
- Monitor pest populations on a regular basis.
- Determine the potential for economic loss or significant reduction of aesthetic value.
- Choose the proper management tactic or combination of tactics.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the management plan.
IPM at the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri's IPM program has been in place since the mid-1970s and focuses on all categories of pests (insects, weeds and disease) and their control.
IPM, under the umbrella of the Plant Protection Programs, serves to provide an effective, all encompassing, low-risk approach to protect people and resources from pests.
Because the foundation to a successful IPM program is accurate identification of a potential pest, our objective is to provide information aids that can help stakeholders in identifying pests and determining if their level of damage has reached economic or aesthetic thresholds.
IPM programs take actions to manage pests when their numbers are likely to exceed acceptable levels; that is, a management measure is taken in consideration of the level of pest damage, revenue losses resulting from the damage, and the cost of treatment. This concept is known as the economic threshold—a cornerstone of the IPM process.
Implantation of a successful IPM program will result in economic, as well as environmental and social benefits for all of Missouri's citizens!
