FAO – International webinar

«Integrated Pest Management: theory and practice»

November 25, 2021

Integrated Pest Management: an overview

Luciano Rovesti
FAO consultant - IPM specialist
 What is IPM?

IPM is the careful consideration of all available pest control

techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that
discourage the development of pest populations. It combines
biological, chemical, physical and crop specific (cultural)
management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and
minimize the use of pesticides, reducing or minimizing risks posed
by pesticides to human health and the environment for sustainable
pest management.

FAO
 Some basic concepts

What is a pest?

A pest is any organism capable of causing – directly or

indirectly - economic damage or harm. Pests include insects,
mites, fungi, bacteria, nematodes, weeds and vertebrates.
 Some basic concepts

Several principles of IPM represent good agricultural practices and

therefore by themselves are needed to grow a healthy crop,
independent of the presence of pests and diseases.

IPM relies on local experience, which means that it is not a fixed

method which is applied in the same way under all conditions;
rather, it should be customized to suit the conditions of a specific
environment or context.
 Some basic concepts

An IPM programme is made up by 5 components

Prevention

Decision
Monitoring Making

Control Evaluation
 Why do we need IPM?

Common issues in crop protection

1) Over-reliance on chemical pesticides. Very little
knowledge about alternative methods for pest management
 2) Failure in controlling the pest
(Resistance? Poor application? Bad pesticide?)
3) Use of highly toxic / ecotoxic pesticides
4) No use of PPE

Drawing by Carlos Latuff

 5) Poor / inadequate offer of pesticides on the market
Trade name Active ingredient MoA Trade name Active ingredient MoA
Acarius Abamectine 6 Emacot 050 WG Emamectin
6
Fulmit Paraffin oil - Caiman B benzoate
Acetamiprid + 4A + Emamec. Benz. + 6+
Onex Super Emathrine
cypermethrine 3A Lambda-cyhalothr. 3A
Bastion 10G Carbofuran 1A Confidor
Imidacloprid 4A
Pyriforce 480 EC Iron 30 SC
Lamida Gold Chlorpyriphos- Parastar 40 EC Imidacloprid +
1B 4A +
Pyriga 480 EC ethyl Gamalin 80 EC Lambda-
3A
Greforce 480 EC Cannon 90 EC cyhalothrine
Sentosan Chlorpyr.-methyl 1B K-optimal Lambda-
3A +
Cigogne 360 EC Pacha 25 EC cyhalothrine +
4A
Cypercal Fighter 35 EC acetamiprid
Cekumetrin Cypermetrine 3A Killam 15 Ec Lambda-
3A
Cypercot Zalang 50 EC cyhalotrine
Exit Dust Bastion Super Oxamyl 1A
Meca 400 Ec Artukaso Pirimiphos-methyl 1B
Glyhader 360 SL Dimethoate 1B Thiamethoxam + 4A +
Miridor 45 SC
Dimeforce lambda-cyhalothr. 3A

33 comm. products 13 active ingredients 4 MoA (1-3-4-6)

Type of pesticide 6) Label ignored or
in a language that
PHI
growers cannot
understand.
Uses
permitted

Re-enter
time
7) General tendency to overdose pesticides, exceeding the
recommended application rates.
8) No proper identification of
the problem
9) Most farmers,
but also many
extension
officers, are not
familiar with the
notion of active
ingredient of a
pesticide
=
=
10) Poor disposal of pesticide containers
PREVENTION: Adopt practices that prevent pests
from infesting a crop, or limit their development

• Adjust planting schedule

• Crop rotation / intercropping
Prevention • Site selection
• Use resistant / tolerant cultivars
• Use certified, healthy seed
Decision • Use pest free transplants
Monitoring
Making • Field / equipment sanitation
• Eliminate alternative hosts
• Cultural practices (e.g. plant spacing)
Control • Use fast-maturing varieties
Evaluation • Conserve biological controls
• Balanced fertilization
•…………………………
Crop rotation
Use of
physical
barriers
Field sanitation
Water management
Soil health = Plant health
Green manure Biochar

Compost
 Prevention
MONITORING: Key
component to any IPM program

Monitoring Decision •Check identity and quantity of pests by:

Making - visual assessments
- traps
Control •Identity and quantity of beneficials
Evaluation •Record keeping
Sticky traps
Pheromone traps
 Prevention
Control options
If control is required, choose those
methods that optimize cost and effect,
Decision
Monitoring while minimizing negative effects.
Making

Control
Evaluation
• 1) Cultural control (e.g., intercropping)

• 2) Mechanical & physical control

• 3) Beneficial insects and mites

• 4) Biological pesticides (botanicals, microbials)

• 5) Genetic improvement (natural or GMOs)

• 6) Chemical pesticides
1) Cultural (e.g., intercropping)

Source: Charles Midega, ICIPE

2) Mechanical & physical

Hand picking
Sticky traps
Plant collars
Fire weeding
Solarization
…………………
Solarization
Mulching

Source: KATORISI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:GNU_Free_Documentation_License)

Steam sterilization
3) Beneficial insects and mites
Phitoseiulus persimilis
4) Biopesticides
(microbials)
 Entomopathogenic fungi
(Beauveria, Metarhizium, Paecilomyces, Lecanicillium, etc.)
4) Biopesticides
(botanicals)
5) Genetically improved crops (conventional or GMOs)

Resistant line from

CIMMYT
FAW-susceptible inbred line

Source: MB Prasanna, CIMMYT

6) Chemical pesticides

CP should be the last option,

but still represent an important
tool for crop protection.

Often used in an inappropriate

way. For a safe and effective
use, significant improvements
are required at the technical,
regulatory and policy levels.
 Benefits of IPM

• Minimizes health risks and protects the environment,

through the elimination of unnecessary pesticide
applications

• It can / should be adapted to local circumstances

• Provides long-term solutions

• Improves profitability (theoretically)

44
 Disadvantages of an IPM approach

• It is a knowledge-intensive system that requires a higher

degree of knowledge and management capability (need
to invest in human capital)

• It requires a higher degree of commitment and ongoing

training

• It is more labor-intensive than chemical control

In conclusion ……………..
Moving from a chemically-based approach to
IPM is an often long but necessary process.
It is not free from difficulties, but …….
"Those who are willing to do, find solutions.
Those who are not, find excuses"

Thank you for your attention