Pest & Disease Management
IPM strategies, powdery mildew, brown patch, common pests, broadleaf weeds, crown rot, and pesticide safety.
- Explain the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Identify common plant diseases including powdery mildew, brown patch, and crown rot
- Recognize common landscape pests and broadleaf weed indicators
- Describe pesticide safety and PPE requirements for landscape applications
Leçon 1
Integrated Pest Management Principles
What Is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic approach to pest control that uses multiple strategies to manage pests while minimizing environmental impact and chemical use. The core principle is to monitor pest populations and use cultural controls first, resorting to chemical controls only when other methods are insufficient.
IPM follows a hierarchy of control methods:
The Four Pillars of IPM
| Pillar | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural | Modify growing conditions to discourage pests | Proper mowing height, watering schedule |
| Mechanical | Physical removal or barriers | Hand pulling weeds, row covers, traps |
| Biological | Use natural predators or parasites | Ladybugs for aphid control, nematodes for grubs |
| Chemical | Targeted pesticide application | Selective herbicides for broadleaf weeds |
The key IPM principle for the exam: never apply pesticides on a regular schedule regardless of pest presence. Monitoring comes first - chemical control is used only when pest populations exceed an action threshold.
Exam Tip
An effective IPM strategy is to monitor pest populations and use cultural controls first. Calendar-based spraying without monitoring is NOT IPM.
IPM monitors pest populations and uses cultural controls first, with chemical controls as a last resort. Never apply pesticides on a calendar schedule without first assessing pest presence and thresholds.