Let’s finish up our discussion of the evolving challenge of controlling insect pressure in a changing environment while protecting that environment and providing a safe food supply. Remember, while there are well over 6 million insects species worldwide, only a handful of that number are pests while most are benign, and many in fact beneficial as predators, pollinators, etc. The key here is IPM, Integrated Pest Management, which first seeks to understand insects, their life cycles and habits, their place in the ecology, determining what to do and when in an environmentally responsible manner, and use all control methods available, including chemical control. So briefly how do we deal with this pressure in a changing environment? This will have to be general since we are constantly evolving what to do.
• First realize our goal isn’t eradication but control/suppression of pest populations below the economic threshold (where the cost of control equals the cost of the loss). Eradication/elimination is impractical or even impossible and not desirable from an economic and environmental standpoint.
• Adequately fund research at land grant universities to study what is happening and develop strategies/technologies to deal with this challenge. Public and private institutions need to coordinate efforts to provide the best informations/solutions and producers need to pay attention and implement what we already know to do while adopting new programs as they are developed.
• Producers must intensively scout and monitor insect pressure. This is aided where we have a good understanding of life cycles and habits while more difficult where pests are exhibiting new behaviors and moving into new areas.
• Recognize the reality of a changing climate which can either alleviate or exacerbate insect problems. The sugarcane aphid is a prime example. After two years of significant pressure, weather conditions this summer did not favor large number moving north into Kansas. Which is why monitoring is so important.
• Identification of crops and hybrids/varieties of a given crop that have tolerance/resistance to a given pest. This was rapidly done with the sugarcane aphid and those resistant hybrids can be used in breeding programs. In many cases genetic engineering will help this process.
• Crop rotations with crops as dissimilar as possible and practical to interrupt insect life cycles. When that isn’t possible, managing habitat and that may include eliminating crop residue.
• Doing everything possible to minimize stress for crops with proper fertility, planting dates, etc. so crops are better able fight off pressure. Adapt cultural practices such as planting and harvest dates to separate the pest in space and time where practical.
• Develop new insecticide technologies that will target pests and minimize damage to beneficials such as pollinators and predators. And along with this do everything possible to protect beneficial populations.
As this column usually ends there is more but the point is that the agricultural community must become more aggressive in monitoring/managing and the solutions are there even if we may not like them.
Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207.
