Integrated pest management, also known as IPM, is a system that combines the strategies of biological, cultural, physical and chemical control of pests. Of course, this means that the use of simpler, less polluting, low and with more expensive methods, toxic methods only as a last resort.
Careful observation and monitoring of the cultures is the first and most important step in the IPM. You should know exactly what pest it is, though, as much as you have and what plants. For example, after you see the aphids, you can find some rose buds on a single plant in the meadow or win every shrub in your garden. It may be the beginning of your gardening system or shortly before the end. How to apply for aphid control – or if you choose to monitor all – depends on these factors and more.
IPM strategies are a series of steps. The first steps are the least toxic control methods less harmful. The controls are the potentially toxic stages of last resort.
Cultural controls: Give plants optimal growing conditions – soil fertility, water, light and free of competing weeds – is the key to this first phase. Other good agricultural practices include the use of varieties resistant to pests and diseases and crop rotation, the movement of plants, including new parts of the garden does every year.
The harvest sanitation: Keep the garden pests and diseases, is primarily more than half the battle won. Inspection of new equipment, cleaning tools, removing weeds and using the best irrigation practices to prevent the spread of potential problems.
Mechanical control: Prevent pests on your plants receive special materials or by covering with hot water, air and fire to kill the heat of the sun to them without poison. Simply press the pests in a container of soapy water does the trick too.
Biological control: Each parasite has a natural control whether predators or diseases. You can buy and release of many of these regulators promote existing or around your garden.
Chemical control: As a last resort, are the least toxic pesticides. The best target only the pest and have no impact on innocent people, like bees, spiders and other insects. These pesticides also not in the environment where they can also continue to draw on other organisms long after their effect on the use.
Another factor that farmers – and you – should consider is how much damage by insects or diseases that can tolerate. Perfection comes at a very high price. Even farmers to earn their livelihood have to go bankrupt or is based on the success of their cultures have what they an economic threshold when the cost of damage exceeds the cost of the call controls. They expect that part of the crop and probably completely lose another part clouded. For them it is an economic reality, but for most gardeners, it’s about less than perfection 100 percent of your flowers and vegetables to accept.
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