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The IPM Concept

Definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Origin of the term, IPM
Development of the IPM concept
References
Definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM
 
As defined in the National IPM Roadmap, IPM is a long-standing, science-based, decision-making process that identifies and reduces risks from pests and pest management related strategies. It coordinates the use of pest biology, environmental information, and available technology to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means, while posing the least possible risk to people, property, resources, and the environment. IPM provides an effective strategy for managing pests in all arenas from developed residential and public areas to wild lands. IPM serves as an umbrella to provide an effective, all encompassing, low-risk approach to protect resources and people from pests.

 A pest may be an insect, weed, plant pathogen or vertebrate that reduces crop yields, negatively impacts animal or human health or causes structural damage.

 

Origin of the term, IPM

Soybeans (ARS, Scott Bauer)The phrase, integrated pest [population] management, was used in entomology literature in 1967. It was based on a concept termed integrated control, which had been previously developed by entomologists. The exact term “integrated pest management” and the IPM acronym entered the public arena and found its way into mainstream scientific literature in 1972 in both, a paper from President Nixon’s administration to congress and in a report from the Council on Environmental Quality entitled Integrated Pest Management.

IPM is often mistakenly associated only with entomology and insect pests. However, in contrast to entomology, plant pathology has, since its beginning, approached plant pests through multiple, or integrated, strategies. The terminology traditionally used by plant pathologists was typically “tactics”. These traditionally-used tactics included rotation, pathogen-free seed, and genetic host resistance. However, in 1975 the federal USDA Cooperative Extension Service (CES) funded IPM programs in every state and at this point the term, IPM, became commonly used in plant pathology literature also.

Kogan in the journal article, IPM History, details the components of the acronym, IPM, as it was generally accepted during the time of its entry into scientific and public nomenclature in the early 1970’s, as:

1. “‘integration meant the harmonious use of multiple methods to control single pests as well as the impacts of multiple pests”
2. “‘pests were any organism detrimental to humans, including invertebrate and vertebrate animals, pathogens, and weeds”
3. “management referred to a set of decision rules based on ecological principles and economic and social considerations”

Kogan also noted that IPM is a multidisciplinary (e.g. entomology, plant pathology, weed science, etc.) effort.
 

Development of the IPM concept

Pollinating Bee (ARS, Jack Dykinga)Before World War II and the accompanying widespread use of organo-synthetic chemicals agricultural  pest problems were commonly managed using cultural practices and information on pest lifecycles and biology. However, development and use of organo-synthetic chemcials changed the focus to pest management by chemical means.  

During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s increasing levels of chemical resistance in insect populations and pesticide injury to non-target organisms became evident and caused concern. These problems were brought about by reliance on insecticides for insect control. Entomologists began to develop and foster the concept of IPM. Ecological issues relating to the use of pesticides were also emerging during this time and also highlighted the need for a re-evaluation of reliance on chemical pest control. Meanwhile new developments in computer science, along with the emerging sciences of operations research, systems analysis, and modeling, allowed more sophisticated, multi-level, integrated approaches to pest management to emerge. The concept of IPM began to gain interest among researchers, extension personnel, agricultural stakeholders, the federal government and the public.
 
 
  1. Backman, P.A. and Jacobi, J.C. 1996. Thresholds for Plant-Disease Management. Pages 114-127 in: Economic Thresholds for Integrated Pest Management. L.G. Higley and L.P. Pedigo, eds. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE
  2. Jacobsen, B.J. 1997. Role of Plant Pathology in Integrated Pest Management. Pages 373-391 in Annual Review of Phytopathology, vol. 35. APS, St. Paul, MN.
  3. Kogan, M. 1998. Integrated Pest Management: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Developments. Pages 234-270 in Annual Review of Entomology, vol. 43,   Annual Reviews Inc., Palo Alto, CA.
  4.   NSF Center for Integrated Pest Management. CIPM History. 21 Febuary 2001. Accessed 9 November 2005 http://cipm.ncsu.edu/history.cfm    
  5. Stern, V.M., Smith, R.F. van den Bosch, R., and Hagen, K.S. 1959. The Integrated Control Concept. Hilgardia 29: 81-101.
  6. United States . Council on Environmental Quality. Integrated Pest Management, 1972. Washington, D.C.

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E. Bush, last updated 12/19/05

Virginia Cooperative Extension - Virginia Agriculture & Experiment Station