via integrated pest management association
Farmers looking to reduce reliance on pesticides, herbicides and other pest management tools may want to heed the advice of Cornell agricultural scientists: Let nature be nature – to a degree.
“Managing crop pests without fully understanding the impacts of tactics – related to resistance and nontarget plants or insects – costs producers money,” said Antonio DiTommaso, professor of soil and crop science and lead author of a new study, “Integrating Insect, Resistance and Floral Resource Management in Weed Control Decision-Making,” in the journal Weed Science (October-December 2016).
“We are taking a renewed look at a holistic, sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) approach,” DiTommaso said.
In corn production, for example, maintaining a few villainous milkweed plants in the middle of a cornfield may help minimize crop loss from the destructive European corn borer. The milkweed plants can harbor aphids (destructive sap-sucking flies) that produce a nectar food source for beneficial parasitic wasps Trichogramma. The wasps, in turn, lay eggs inside the eggs of the European corn borer, killing the corn borer eggs – reducing damage to the crop.
“Production management rarely considers the benefits of weeds in agricultural ecosystems,” said DiTommaso. “Let’s look at the big picture. If we open our eyes – even if it’s a weed growing in the cornfield – we show it could be beneficial. Integrating weed benefits will become increasingly important, as pest management is likely to move from total reliance on herbicides and transgenic crop traits for control, because of increasing resistance of weeds to these products.”
One additional side benefit for having a few milkweed plants in a field of corn is that it serves as a breeding place and food source for monarch butterflies. As of late, monarch numbers are down, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is evaluating a petition to have them protected under the Endangered Species Act.
While some growers elect not to use engineered crops, producers may see a return to IPM methods from two decades ago, as resistance could easily occur when relying on a single tactic.
With increasing no-till production, producers will inevitably see rebounds in perennial weeds – such as milkweed, the researchers said. Thus, some growers may be willing to tolerate a low milkweed population in favor of providing livable plant space for monarchs.
“Every organism in an agricultural system plays multiple roles,” said John Losey, professor of entomology. “If management decisions are based solely on the negative aspects, yield and profit can be lost in the short term and broader problems can arise in the longer term.”
Integration of the weed costs and advantages will become important. “The benefits of weeds have been neglected. They’re often seen as undesirable, unwanted. We’re now beginning to quantify their benefits,” said Kristine M. Averill ’05, M.S. ’09, weed research associate.
“It’s very important to recognize the benefits of all the species within the crop field – that includes both the crops and the weeds – not to mention cover crops. Weeds can offer ecosystem services, such as soil erosion protection and pollination services for the benefit of insects,” Averill said. “They can be part of a restorative cycle.”
Learn more: Pest Control: Wicked Weeds May Be Agricultural Angels
The Latest on: Sustainable integrated pest management
via Google News
The Latest on: Sustainable integrated pest management
- Pathways Towards Sustainable Food Systems in Times of Criseson May 14, 2022 at 6:37 am
G7 Agriculture Ministers' Communiqué BERLIN, May 14, 2022 /CNW/ - 1. We, the G7 Agriculture Ministers, met in Stuttgart on May 13-14 2022 to address the global challenges that the agricultural sector ...
- Integrated Pest Management of tropical crops online trainingon May 12, 2022 at 10:00 am
On 10 May, the training course on Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops in Grenada was opened online, and will last for 3 weeks. This seminar is sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of China and ...
- Pests and diseases – World marks International Day of Plant Healthon May 12, 2022 at 1:27 am
As we mark the International Day of Plant Health on May 12, we are reminded of the need to have sustainable plant health systems ... Islands in coming up with less harmful solution of integrated pest ...
- Soil Health and Pest Management: Challenges in the European Unionon May 11, 2022 at 11:28 am
may be used in a combined IPM system to allow sustainable production in Europe. What are some of the most exciting developments at Certis Belchim in soil health and pest management? Since the ...
- UPL, AgBiTech Form Partnership to Deliver New Biosolutions in the Western U.S.on May 11, 2022 at 6:36 am
Two new bioinsecticides to be distributed in the U.S. through UPL’s Natural Plant Protection (NPP) business unit.
- Development programme for sustainable maritime industry supports the sector’s international growthon May 11, 2022 at 12:16 am
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has launched a development programme for sustainable maritime industry. The starting point for the programme work is maintaining Finland’s maritime ...
- Wente Family Estates Promotes Fifth-Generation Winegrower Niki Wente to Director of Vineyard Operationson May 10, 2022 at 1:41 pm
Wente Family Estates, America’s longest, continuously family owned and operated winery, announced the promotion of fifth generation winegrower, Niki Wente, to Director of Vineyard Operations, where ...
- Ferrero drives forward three-year plan for delivering sustainable Malaysian palm oil supplieson May 9, 2022 at 6:02 am
Ferrero is initiating results of a major study in Malaysia with the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), that have paved way for a new three plan delivering solutions for biodiverse palm oil ...
- Gemperle Family Farms Releases First Sustainability Reporton May 4, 2022 at 5:36 am
The family's strong environmental values are an important driver of the company's sustainable practices ... soil health and land management, integrated pest management, recycling and waste reduction, ...
via Bing News