595 - 1 NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) (Ac.)

CODE 595

DEFINITION The University of Georgia, apply each of the following criteria to identify potential resource A site-specific combination of pest prevention, pest concerns in each category. Prevent or mitigate each avoidance, pest monitoring, and pest suppression identified resource concern. strategies. Additional Criteria to Prevent or Mitigate Off- PURPOSE site Pesticide Risks to Water Quality from Leaching, Solution Runoff and Prevent or mitigate off-site pesticide risks to water Adsorbed Runoff Losses quality from leaching, solution runoff and adsorbed runoff losses. For identified water quality concerns related to pesticide leaching, solution runoff and adsorbed Prevent or mitigate off-site pesticide risks to soil, runoff, the current version of the USDA-NRCS water, air, plants, animals and humans from drift WIN-PST program will be used to evaluate and volatilization losses. potential risks to humans and/or fish, as Prevent or mitigate on-site pesticide risks to appropriate, for each pesticide to be used. pollinators and other beneficial species through The minimum level of mitigation required for direct contact. each resource concern is based on the final Prevent or mitigate cultural, mechanical and risk ratings in the “WIN-PST Soil/Pesticide biological pest suppression risks to soil, water, air, Interaction Hazard Ratings” Table below: plants, animals and humans. Minimum CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES WIN-PST Identified Mitigation Index Hazard Rating Score Level On all lands where pests will be managed. Needed CRITERIA Low or Very Low None Needed Intermediate 20 General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes High 40 IPM strategies (Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring and Suppression or “PAMS”) shall be employed to Extra High 60 prevent or mitigate pest management risks for identified natural resource concerns. Use Agronomy Technical Note 5, Pest A comprehensive IPM plan utilizing PAM’s Management in the Conservation Planning Process strategies will be developed in accordance with this - Table II to determine if planned conservation standard to document how specific pest practices provide adequate mitigation. If they do management risks will be prevented or mitigated. not, use Agronomy The IPM plan must be crop and/or land use specific Technical Note 5 - Table I to apply appropriate and adhere to applicable elements and guidelines IPM techniques with this practice. accepted by University of Georgia. Apply the following criteria to the four categories of resource Additional Criteria to Prevent or Mitigate Off- concerns described below in addition to site Pesticide Risks to Soil, Water, Air, implementing an IPM plan to fully implement this Plants, Animals and Humans from Drift practice. and Volatilization Losses For identified natural resource concerns related to If a comprehensive IPM plan is not available from pesticide drift, use Agronomy Technical Note 5, Conservation practice standards are reviewed periodically and updated if needed. To obtain the current version of this standard, contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service State Office or visit the NRCS, Georgia Field Office Technical Guide. October 2011 595 - 2

Pest Management in the Conservation Planning Prevention – Activities such as cleaning Process – Table II to determine if planned equipment and gear when leaving an infested area, conservation practices provide adequate mitigation. using pest-free seeds and transplants, and irrigation If they do not, use Agronomy Technical Note 5 - scheduling to limit situations that are conducive to Table I to apply appropriate IPM techniques with disease development. this practice. The minimum level of mitigation Avoidance – Activities such as maintaining required for drift is an index score of 20. healthy and diverse plant communities, using pest For Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission resistant varieties, crop rotation, and refuge concerns, apply at least one IPM mitigation management. technique from the Pesticide Volatilization section Monitoring – Activities such as pest scouting, of Agronomy Technical Note 5 - Pest Management degree-day modeling, and weather forecasting to in the Conservation Planning Process. help target suppression strategies and avoid routine Additional Criteria to Prevent or Mitigate On- preventative treatments. site Pesticide Risks to Pollinators and Suppression – Activities such as the judicious use Other Beneficial Species through Direct of cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical Contact control methods that reduce or eliminate a pest For direct contact pesticide risks to pollinators and population or its impacts while minimizing risks to other beneficial species in the application area, non-target organisms. apply at least two IPM mitigation techniques from the Pesticide Direct Contact section of Agronomy IPM guidelines from the University of Georgia Technical Note 5 - Pest Management in the may be supplemented with information from Conservation Planning Process. appropriately certified professionals with permission of the NRCS State Agronomist. Additional Criteria to Prevent or Mitigate Cultural, Mechanical and Biological Pest When providing technical assistance to organic Suppression Risks to Soil, Water, Air, producers, the IPM approach to managing pests Plants and Animals should be consistent with the USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program For identified natural resource concerns related to standard which includes: cultural, mechanical and biological pest suppression, (e.g. air quality concerns with burning A diverse crop rotation that reduces habitat for for weed control or soil erosion concerns with major pests and increases habitat for natural tillage for weed control), natural resource concerns enemies shall be addressed to FOTG quality criteria levels. Use of “farmscaping” principles to create borders of beneficial species habitat CONSIDERATIONS Farming techniques to improve soil quality IPM strategies that keep pest populations below economically damaging levels and minimize pest Planting of locally adapted, pest resistant crop resistance should be utilized because they also help cultivars. prevent unnecessary pest management risks to Details are available through the following link natural resources and humans. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTem For noxious weed and invasive species control, the plateData.do? minimum level of pest suppression necessary to template=TemplateF&navID=RegulationsNOPNati meet natural resource objectives should be used, onalOrganicProgramHome&rightNav1=Regulation however, for the eradication of invasive species, sNOPNationalOrganicProgramHome&topNav=&l the acceptable pest threshold may be zero. eftNav=&page=NOPResourceCenterRegulations& resultType=&acct=noprulemaking. Although Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring, and Suppression (PAMS) techniques should be Adequate plant nutrients and soil moisture, addressed in an IPM plan, only prevention and including favorable pH and soil quality, can reduce avoidance techniques can be employed in this plant stress, improve plant vigor and increase the practice. Monitoring and suppression activities plant's overall ability to tolerate pests. discussed below are not included in the purposes of On irrigated land, irrigation water management the practice standard. should be designed to avoid conditions conducive

NRCS, NHCP March 2009 595 - 3 to disease development and minimize offsite applicable when only a limited number of contaminant movement. mitigation techniques are sufficient to address identified natural resource concerns. Producers should be reminded that they are responsible for following all pesticide label Record Keeping. The following records, where instructions and complying with all applicable applicable, shall be maintained by the producer: Federal, state and local regulations, including those Monitoring or scouting results including the date, that protect Threatened and Endangered Species. pest population/degree of infestation, and the crop Enhancement Considerations or plant community condition. A more intensive level of IPM focused primarily When and where each pest suppression technique on prevention and avoidance strategies can further was implemented. minimize pest management risks to natural When and where special IPM techniques were resources and humans. implemented to mitigate site-specific risks (e.g. Precision pesticide application techniques in an soil incorporation of a pesticide to reduce its IPM system can further minimize pesticide risks to surface runoff to a nearby stream). natural resources and humans. Note: Applicability will depend on the level of IPM adoption and mitigation requirements. PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS The IPM plan shall be prepared in accordance with OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE the criteria of this standard and shall describe the The IPM plan shall include appropriate operation requirements for applying the practice to achieve and maintenance items for the client. These may its intended purpose. include: The IPM plan shall include at a minimum: Review and update the plan periodically in order to Plan map and soil map of site/affected area, if incorporate new IPM strategies, respond to applicable (use conservation plan maps if cropping system and pest complex changes, and available). avoid the development of pest resistance. Location of sensitive resources and setbacks, if Maintain mitigation techniques identified in the applicable (use conservation plan maps if plan in order to ensure continued effectiveness. available). Calibrate application equipment according to Interpretation of the environmental risk analysis. Extension and/or manufacturer recommendations Note: all pesticide label requirements and federal, before each season of use and with each major state, and local regulations must be followed for all chemical change. pesticide applications. Maintain records of pest management for at least Identification of appropriate mitigation techniques. two years. Pesticide application records shall be in See Agronomy Technical Note 5 - Table I for accordance with USDA Agricultural Marketing pesticide risk mitigation management techniques. Service’s Pesticide Recording Keeping Program and site specific requirements. A list of pest prevention and avoidance strategies that will be implemented, if applicable. REFERENCES IN ADDITION TO NRCS, A scouting plan and threshold levels for each pest, NHCP JANUARY 2010 STANDARD if applicable. National Information System for the Regional IPM Other monitoring plans, if applicable, such as Centers – IPM Elements and Guidelines: weather monitoring to indicate when pesticide http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmelements/index.cfm application for prevention is warranted. USDA-AMS National Organic Program, National A list of accepted pest thresholds or methods to List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. determine thresholds that warrant treatment, if applicable. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTem plateData.do? Note: Items 5, 6, 7 and 8 are required to document template=TemplateN&navID=NationalListLinkNO a comprehensive IPM system, but they may not be PNationalOrganicProgramHome&rightNav1=Nati

NRCS, Georgia October 2011 595 - 4 onalListLinkNOPNationalOrganicProgramHome& px?hid=17015 topNav=&leftNav=NationalOrganicProgram&page Using Farming Bill Programs for Pollinator =NOPNationalList&resultType=&acct=nopgeninfo Conservation: USDA-NRCS GM-190-404 Pest Management http://plants.usda.gov/pollinators/Using_Farm_Bill Policy: _Programs_for_Pollinator_Conservation.pdf http://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/RollupViewer.as

NRCS, NHCP March 2009