Integrated Pest Managemnent ~~R, Him4 T
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Integrated Pest Managemnent ~~r, him4 t. I~ f4 ,..,.. 9,.. i Ulf U k gA, fi 0I,. i f. Council on Environmental Quality Integrated Pest Management December 1979 Written by Dale G. Bottrell K' Preface For many centuries human settlements, both agricultural and urban, have had to contend with a variety of unwanted and sometimes harmful insects, weeds, microorgan isms, rodents, and other organisms-collectively, "pests." During the use of chemical last four decades, p'sticides has become the predominant method of controlling these unwanted organisms in much of the world, including the United States. synthetic Production of organic pesticides in this countty alone has increased from less than 500,000 pounds in 1951 to an estimated 1.4 billion pounds in 1977. A decade ago, there was rising public concern over the accumulation pesticides of in the environment, with resulting adverse effects on some fish and wildlife populations and hazards to human health. In response to the problems, the Council on Environmental Quality undertook a study of alternative methods Integrated of pest control. Pest Management, published in 1972, stimulated increased national and international interest in integrated pest management-IPM-as an cient, economically effi environmentally preferable approach to pest control, particularly in agriculture. Since then much has been learned about the effects of pesticides, and programs have been developed which put the concept of IPM into practice. began a In 1976 the Council more comprehensive review of integrated pest management in the United States, giving attention to the potential for IPM programs in forestry, public health, urban systems and as well as in agriculture. This report presents the results of that review. It was written by Dale C Bottrell, who obtained the cooperation and assistance management of pest experts i. federal and state government, in university research and extension programs, and in the actual practice of IPM. As this report indicates, chemical pesticides are-and will continue to be-of considerable importance in food and fiber production, forest management, and public health and urban pest control programs. However, in addition to continuing about concern their environmental and health effects, other disadvantages of heavy dependence on chemical pesticides have become increasingly apparent. First, the price of synthetic organic pesticides and the cost of their application have risen significantly in recent years, placing afinancial burden on those farmers and others who these use large quantities of materials to control serious pests. Potentially of even more concern, significant groups of pests have developed strains that are genetically resistant to the peticides. Worldwide, over 300 species of insects, mites, and ticks are known resistant to possess stiains to one or more chemical pesticides, and an additional 50 species are suspected of possessing resistant strains. The resistant groups include some of the world's most serious insect pests affecting agriculture and public health. Recent IPM research and demonstration programs are very the numerous encouraging. Among applications of IPM cited in this report are the large-scale programs administered by the Cooperative Extension Service showing the feasibility of IPM on major agricultural crops such as cotton, corn, tobacco, apples, grain sorghum, soybeans, peanuts, and citrus-with little or no reduction in yields and higher net profits conventional than with programs. IPM programs are also successful in forestry, public health, and the urban sectors. This Administration has taken several sieps fo advance the development acceptance and of sound IPM programs. In his 1977 Environmental Message, President Carter instructed the Council "to recommend actions which the federal government can take to encourage the development and application" of techniques used in IPM. Our recommendations are presented in Chapter XII of this report. The recommendations include policy initiatives as well as additional research and education efforts needed io provide a sound basis for the advancement of IPM. The recent accomplishments of integrated pest management and public interest contiued in alternatives to conventional pesticide programs have resulted in some uncritical endorsement of IPM programs without regard to their feasibility confusion and in some about the concept. IPM is not a panacea; nor is it a term which embraces programs that all employ more than one control technique. We recommend that readers of III this report look carefully at Chapter I1,which sets forth the definition, features, and scope of IPM and the guidelines for IPM programs. Perhaps the most concise definition of IPM, however, is contained in the President's 1979 Environmental Message: IPM uses a systems approach to reduce pest damage to tolerable levels through a variety of techniques, including natural predators and parasites, genetically resistant hosts, environmental modifications and, when neces sary and appropriate, chemical pesticides. IPM si-tegies generally rely first upon biological defenses against pests before chemically altering the environment. The President's Message also directs federal agencies to take additional steps to encourage the development and use of integrated pest management. The agencies are directed specifically to review and "modify as soon as possible their existing pest management research, control, education, and assistance programs and to support and adopt IPM strategies wherever practicable." The Message and a-1 accompanying memorandum from the President establish an interagency IPM Coordinating Commit tee to report "by June 30, 1980 on progress made by federal agencies in the advancement of IPM and on any institutional barriers thereto." The Committee is chaired by CEQ. In addition, the Council will continue to work with and seek advice from federal and state agencies and other organizations and individuals interested in advencing the concept and application of integrated pest management. We believe that IP,1 trategies providc important opportunities for achieving national economic benefits in concert with environmental quality. GUS SPETH, Chairman Iv Executive Summary What is Integrated Pest Management? chapter (Chapter XII), the Council recommends a Integrated pest management (IPM) is the se- series of program and research and development lection, integration, and implementation of pest con- initiatives to advance the adoption and effective use trol based on predicted economic, ecological, and of integrated pest management concepts and sociological consequences. IPM seeks maximum use techniques. ofn6aturally occurring pest controls, including weath er, disease agents, predators, and parasites. In addi- Pest Control with Pesticides ion, IPM utilizes various biological, physical, and The introduction of synthetic organic chemical pesticidcs control and habitat modification techniques. such as the insecticide DDT and the herbicide 2,4-D Artificial controls are imposed only as required to after World War 1 began a new era in pest control. keep a pest from surpassing intolerable population Tere ao ewedb ndes oftrol. levels predetermined from accurate assessments of These products were followed by hundredsof syn the pest damage potential and the ecological, socio- thetic organic fungicides, nematacides, rodenicides, logical, and economicThe costsf resa of pestnce the controlspeies measures.oes notThese The cematrols.new materials were initially so effective The presence of a pest species does not and cheap that they appeared to be the ultimate necessarily justify action for its control, and in fact control tool. They had a major impact upon tolerable the infestations may be desirable, providing control of agricultural pests, in particular, insects and food for important beneficial insects, for example. weeds. With significant success at a relatively low cost, postwar insecticides and herbicides rapidly became a Why This Report? primary means of pest control inproductive agricul tural regions. They provided season-long crop protec In his May 23, 1977, Enm'ironmental Message tion against insects and weeds and complemented the to Congress, President Carter acknowledged that benefits of fertilizers and other inputs. The postwar chemical pesticides have been the foundation of pesticides produced equally spectacular results against agricultural, public health, and residential pest control public health pests. for several decades. He expressed concern that of the The success of modern pesltzides approximately led to wide 1,400 chemicals used in pesticide spread acceptance and reliance upon them. Of all the products, some pose an unacceptable risk to human chemical pesticides applied worldwide in agriculture, health and the environment, forests, industry, and households, one-third to one The President instructed the Council on Envi- half is used in the United States. Production of ronmental Quality to review integrated pest manage- synthetic organic pesticides in this country increased ment and recommend actions that the federal from an estimated 464,000 pounds in 1951 to an government could take to encourage the develop- estimated 1.4 billion pounds in 1977. ment and application of pest mangement techniques Herbicides have been used increasingly that to emphasize biological controls and rely on chemi- replace hand labor and machine cultivation for the cal agent; only as needed. control of weeds in agricultural crops, in forests, on Tis report