Intergrated Pest Management: A New Dog with a Few Old Tricks

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On Maryland, soybean farmers have had to use almost no pesticides on their fields since IPM consultants introduced parasitic wasps as an alternate method of controlling Mexican bean beetles.

A pear rancher in California now sprays for coddling moths only when populations reach critical levels. As a result, his pesticide bill has dropped from $30,000 to $15,000 a year!

And in Florida, orange growers have saved E8-S10 million a year by using an introduced parasite-instead of chemicals-to control the troublesome citrus snow scale.

The bottom line: In 25 programsinvolving cotton, peanuts, and tobaccos pesticide use decreased in 86% of the cases, and overall costs fell in 85°/.. Even so, yields increased in 72%. of the programs, profits rose in 95% . . . . and none of the participating farmers experienced production losses!

These success stories-and others like them-have convinced the federal government-including Congress, the President, the Environmental Protection Agency, and a somewhat reluctant Department of Agriculture-to finance further IPM research and implement new IPM projects. Even so, integrated pest management is still !n its infancy. Many farmers and agricultural specialists remain unconvinced ... and real reductions In pesticide use are still at least 10 years away.

MAKE IPM WORK FOR YOU

So far, unfortunately, nobody's done much to develop IPM programs for backyard gardeners and small homesteaders ... though a few pilot garden projects have been started in Georgia, Michigan, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. But that doesn't mean you have to wait for the results of those tests before you can deal yourself in on this exciting new farming and gardening development. As a matter of fact, you can start an IPM program In your own back yard ... right now! Here's how:

Select crops and varieties of plants that are resistant to insects and disease and suited to your particular climate and soil. (See MOTHER NO. 45, pages 56-60 for some ideas.)

[2] Learn to identify both the harmful pests and beneficial critters in your garden. Find out all you can about their habits and habitats. Your local library probably stocks some appropriate field guides and garden books, and MOTHER NO. 51 (pages 84-88) contains a particularly good article-with color photos-on the subject.

[3] Create complexity in your garden. Produce habitats that encourage useful predators and parasites. In other words, plant a community, not a crop! (See LIFE. STYLE! NO. 3, pages 12-17. Also read pages 80-83 in this issue of MOTHER.)

[4] Use suitable cultivation practices such as companion planting (see MOTHER NO. 33, pages 34-36), composting, mulching, and crop rotation. For these and other good ideas, consult books on organic gardening and see MOTHER NO. 39, pages 74-78.

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