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Semester 3: Integrated Pest Management |
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| Integrated Pest Mangement or IPM is an ecologically based system that focuses on minimizing crop losses through use of a multi-disciplinary collaboration of crop production practices and principles. The primary goal of IPM is to retain or enhance crop production yields without negatively impacting the environment.
Integrated pest management programs strive to achieve greater harmony between agricultural production practices and the stewardship and protection of the environment. This strategy provides a new approach in lieu of the conventional fruit fly control practice of routine pesticide applications. Crop protection chemicals are applied on an “as needed” basis, determined by monitoring data. Through monitoring with para-pheromones, increased field sanitation, reduced risk pesticides, mass trapping techniques, and border crop systems, this IPM approach aims to assist growers in minimizing unnecessary food safety risk associated with pesticide exposure, as well as potential leaching of contaminants into our air, ground water, and soil resources. Example: Melon Fly IPM Program |
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