University:
Washington State University
Course:
BIOLOGY 401 | Plants and People
Academic year:

2020
Views:

101

Pages:

1
Author:

Lily Callahan

Cultural, Mechanical, and Biological IPM Cultural controls Cultural controls are practices that reduce pest establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and survival. For example, changing irrigation practices can reduce pest problems, since too much water can increase root disease and weeds. Proper fertilization can help plants defend themselves from diseases and make them less desirable to pests. For example, too much fertilizer can make plants leggy and more susceptible to mite and aphid infestations. Whereas too little fertilizer can stress plants and makes them more prone to insect attacks. Mechanical and Physical controls Mechanical and physical controls kill a pest directly or make the environment unsuitable for it. Sticky card traps are examples of mechanical controls. Physical controls include: Sweeping floors and benches to inhibit breeding grounds for pests and diseases, proper order entry of growing areas (i.e. move from clean to dirty or new to old plant material first), steam sterilization of the soil for disease management, or barriers such as screens to keep birds or insects out. Biological control Biological control is the use of natural enemies—predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors—to control pests and their damage. Biologicals can be used in the form of natural predators and parasites or as sprays to inhibit the growth of pathogens or cause death to the pest. Fungal spores that attack insects are an example of biochemical control.