Components of IPMIntroduction

Insect pests bottlenecks in the

production of crops inflicting on an

average about 30%

yield loss. There is thus ample

scope to enhance our food

production by curtailing losses due

to pests. Pesticides have of course

played a commendable role in

increasing our food production and

protecting us against disease

vectors. However sole reliance on

pesticides has created several

problems.

Planthopper damaged crop

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This prompted scientists to look

for safer and environment friendly

methods of pest control and

consequently concept of pest

management came in to being. In

IPM different methods of pest

control such as resistant varieties,

cultural methods, physical

methods, natural enemies and

pesticides are integrated to

suppress pest population without

jeopardizing other components of

the environment.

IPM

DB-Cultural methods

DB-Mechanical Methods

DB-Physical methods

DB-Bio-control methods

DB-Chemical methods

Multipest-modules

Dissemination

insect Disease

nematode weeds

ETL

Multiple pest management programmesIPM Concept

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Cultural practices

Routine agronomic practices, such

as tillage, sowing time, nutrient &

water management, clean

cultivation, method & time of

harvesting, with slight modification

can be used to reduce pest pressure

without any extra expenditure.

Flooding of fields

Deep summer ploughing

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Clean cultivation

Removal of weeds and

excess nurseries reduces

incidence of borers,

grasshoppers, leafhoppers,

gall midge, leaf folder.

Removal of Echinochloa from

field and bunds brings down

gundhi bug population.

Echinochloa weed

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Nutrient and water management

Judicious use of nitrogenous

fertilizers with emphasis of

balanced fertilizer application

reduces incidence of pests on

crops.

Alternate wetting and drying

rather than continuous flooding

lowers incidence of planthoppers.

On the other hand, flooding of rice

fields reduces losses due to

armyworms.

Healthy crop

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Trap crop

Planting mustard around the field of

cabbage reduces incidence of aphids

and diamond back moth.

Harvesting

Harvesting at ground level and

destruction of stubbles helps to

destroy overwintering yellow stem

borer larvae thereby reducing its

incidence in ensuing crop season.

Stem borer damageEnd Previous Next

Resistant Varieties

Preference should be given to

cultivation of resistant varieties as

they greatly reduce need for

other control measures. Resistant

cultivar also enhance activity of

natural enemy of pests thereby

aiding in biological control of

pests. These are also compatible

with cultural practices and

pesticides.

Susceptible and resistant varieties

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Some of the Resistant varieties of rice

Gall midge: Abhaya, Asha, Dhanya Lakshmi,

Divya, Karna, Kakatiya, Lalat, Mahaveera,

Phalguna, Pratap, Rajendradhan 202, Ruchi,

Sarsa, Shakti, Surekha, Usha, Vikram

Stem borer: Aaket, Deepti, Pajyur, Ratna,

Sasyasree, Vikas

Brown planthopper (BPH): Aruna, Bhadra,

Chaitanya, Chandana, jyoti, Krishnaveni,

Manasarovar, Nagarjuna, Pratibha, Remya,

Sonasali

BPH on plant stems

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Use of physical practices refer to

manipulation of physical factors of

environment such as light, heat,

temperature, humidity to reduce incidence

of pests, for example light traps are used for

mass trapping and destruction of pests by

exploiting their behaviour. Likewise, stored-

grain pests are controlled through improved

storage structures, which are based on

principles of air tightness, thermal insulation

and moisture proofing.

Physical methods

Light Trap

Gram damaged by pulse beetleCourtesy: www.jnkvv.nic.inEnd Previous Next

Behavioural methods: Pheromone traps

Insect pheromones exploit pest

behaviour for their management.

Pheromones are secreted by

individuals of pest species to

elicit a specific response in other

individuals of same species.

Female sex pheromones are used

to attract and kill male moths

and thereby reducing pest

incidence.

Pheromone traps against gram pod borer End Previous Next

Mechanical practices

Mechanical practices involve use of

manual labour or machine to collect

and destroy conspicuous pest stages

and damaged plant parts. These are

very useful on small scale and during

initial stages of pest infestation.

Clipping of tips of rice seedlings

before transplanting, collection and

disposal of damaged fruits of brinjal

and destruction of cabbage butterfly

caterpillars reduce pest damage.

Damaged brinjal fruit

Cluster of cabbage butterfly larvae

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Collection and destruction of ‘dead

hearts’ and ‘white-ears’ is useful in

containing stem borer infestation.

Passing of rope over the young crop

is recommended for dislodging the

larval cases of the caseworm from

tillers. These are then removed from

the field by draining the water.

White-ears

Caseworm casesCourtesy: agritech.tnau.ac.in

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Biological methods

Biological control refers to use of natural

enemies of pests such as parasitoids,

predators and pathogens to suppress pest

populations. Crop ecosystems are replete

with natural enemies but these need to be

conserved against harmful effect of

pesticides.

Likewise, biopesticides like plant extracts

or pathogens are also used to contain

pests. Parasitoids such as Trichogramma

are also used to suppress borer pests.

Spider: a prolific predator

NPV infected larva

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ChemicalsIf pesticides have to play a significant

role in pest management, they need

to be used in accordance with IPM

principles. These have to be used

judiciously as last resort and not as

first option. Need for pesticide use

should be determined through

continuous monitoring of pests on

crop. Pesticides should only be used if

pest incidence tends to approach

economic threshold level. Properly

timed one pesticide application may

very well substitute for 3-4 ill timed

treatments.

Pesticide application

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Selective use of pesticides

In case pesticide application is

unavoidable, preference should be

given selective pesticides. Such

pesticides are effective against target

pest but pose less hazard to non-

target organisms such as natural

enemies of pests, pollinators and

earthworms.

Some of such pesticides are

buprofezin, which is effective against

homopterans like planthoppers,

neem, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt),

nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) etc.

Earthworms

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Let’s Sum up

Cultural, mechanical, physical, behavioural, biological and chemical

methods constitute different components of IPM.

Routine agronomic practices with slight modification can be used to

reduce pest pressure without any extra expenditure.

Resistant varieties greatly reduce need for other control measures.

Female sex pheromones are used to attract and kill male moths.

Mechanical practices involve collection and destruction of

conspicuous pest stages and damaged plant parts.

In biological control natural enemies of pests such as parasitoids,

predators and pathogens to suppress pest populations.

Pesticides need to be used in accordance with IPM principles.

IPM components, which are relevant to a pest species should be

integrated to formulated Ipm modules.

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