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Integrated Pest Management – Part 2
Integrated Pest Management – Part 2
Suggestions for specific IPM techniques to help you obtain a yield
In part 1(1) of this article, we looked at the history of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the spectrum of IPM techniques. In this part we will explore some specific ways to apply IPM with your own ecosystem, whatever the scale is of your growing, and whether you are growing annuals or perennials.
Start With The First Principle
In beginning our application of IPM techniques, it is helpful to first consider the environment within which your plants are growing, and the other creatures who already inhabit or are likely to inhabit it along with your crops. In doing this, we can follow the first permaculture principle and ‘Observe and Interact’(2) with the already-existing ecosystem.
For example, on a piece of land in which you intend to plant a garden, you can ask yourself, ‘Who is already living on this land? Who is likely to arrive with the species of plants which I am including in my design? Which of the existing or potential inhabitants could be a threat to my crops?’
In an ideal situation, I would engage in this first stage before embarking on any planting. Observation of the environment can happen by sitting quietly in the space. After you have observed and noted what you perceive, you could augment the observation by researching online; for example, if you note the presence of butterflies you could try to identify the species and look up what they eat (during all of their life stages) to check if they could be a potential ‘pest’. To help you, you could use an insect identification website such as Insect Identification(3) or Pest World(4) (though these both focus on North America) or try searching for ‘insect identification’ in your area on Facebook(5).
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Integrated Pest Management – Part 1
Integrated Pest Management – Part 1
What is it and how can we do it as part of a balanced system?
In these times of global uncertainty and transition, where the globalised food system has become halted or reduced1, there is a wonderful opportunity to begin practicing food sovereignty on a personal basis2. This seems to be being put into practice in many places as growing one’s own food becomes more popular around the world3.
Being able to harvest and consume something which you have cultivated in the soil can be a very satisfying experience, from a practical point of view, as well as looking at it from the perspective of spiritual and mental well-being4. We can be seen as directly participating in the cycles of nature when we care for plants, especially if we choose to do so without the use of chemicals. Yet what if the beautiful vegetables we have so lovingly brought up are threatened by other creatures who also find them delicious to eat?
Permaculture practitioners have an answer to this: to intentionally include elements (whether plants or animals) in your garden which provides predators for those animals who would otherwise make your crop their prey. This technique, known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM)6, can be exercised in a number of ways, and there appear to be some important factors to remember when applying it with your crops, in order for it to be successful. This article will explore how IPM works, and how we can use it as part of a holistic design, while part 2 will give some practical examples to help with your own pest management on any scale; whether you are planting a few herbs on your balcony or have a large piece of land.
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Integrated Pest Management-The Smart Solution
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT-THE SMART SOLUTION
CHEMICAL PESTICIDES ARE POISONS
Indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides is highly hazardous to the environment and human health. When pesticides are applied to a field they don’t remain confined to their targeted field, rather travel to a vast area outside the targeted field by air, water, and soil. This widespread movement of applied pesticides brings surface and ground water contamination. Soil and air contaminations also take place from unwise pesticide use. These pollutions bring many complicated human diseases like – skin irritation, nausea, cardiovascular illness etc.
Besides humans, the toxic residues of chemical pesticides produce many harmful impacts on various animals (e. g., birds, fishes, amphibians etc.) and plants.
The above-mentioned problems are not all pesticides are responsible for, there is another terrible and irreparable problem that pesticides introduce that is ‘Making the Pests Resistant’. The indiscriminate application of pesticides has been making the pests resistant to pesticides and thus making them stronger and more damaging gradually by the following ways-
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