🛡️ IPM Principles & Pest Control Methods
IPM definition, history, ETL table, pest control methods — physical, mechanical, cultural, intercropping, trap crops for CUET Agriculture
Integrated Pest Management (समन्वित नाशीकीट प्रबन्धन / IPM)
Definition
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the combined use of all available pest control methods — cultural, physical, mechanical, biological, chemical, legislative, and genetic — to keep pest populations below the Economic Threshold Level (ETL) while minimizing environmental damage. Rather than relying on a single method (usually chemicals), IPM uses a strategic combination tailored to the specific crop and pest situation.
The fundamental goal of IPM is NOT to eliminate the pest entirely but to keep pest numbers below economically damaging levels. Complete eradication is neither practical nor ecologically desirable, since it would also destroy the natural enemies that help regulate pest populations.
NOTE
IPM follows a hierarchy of preference: cultural and preventive methods first, then biological control, then biopesticides, and chemical pesticides only as a last resort when other methods fail to keep pests below the ETL.
History of IPM
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Bartlett — Introduced the term "Integrated Pest Control", laying the conceptual foundation for combining multiple control methods |
| 1961 | Geier & Clark — Used the term "Integrated Pest Management" for the first time, broadening the concept beyond just control to overall management |
| 1970 | Geier — Further refined and popularised the term "Pest Management" |
| 1997 | Smith & Adkisan — Developed the IPM approach integrating good agricultural practices; awarded the prestigious World Food Prize for their contributions |
Economic Threshold Levels (ETL) for Important Pests
The Economic Threshold Level (ETL) is the pest population density at which control measures should be applied to prevent the pest from reaching the Economic Injury Level (EIL) — the point where crop loss exceeds the cost of control. ETL is always lower than EIL, giving farmers a window to act before significant damage occurs.
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Integrated Pest Management (समन्वित नाशीकीट प्रबन्धन / IPM)
Definition
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the combined use of all available pest control methods — cultural, physical, mechanical, biological, chemical, legislative, and genetic — to keep pest populations below the Economic Threshold Level (ETL) while minimizing environmental damage. Rather than relying on a single method (usually chemicals), IPM uses a strategic combination tailored to the specific crop and pest situation.
The fundamental goal of IPM is NOT to eliminate the pest entirely but to keep pest numbers below economically damaging levels. Complete eradication is neither practical nor ecologically desirable, since it would also destroy the natural enemies that help regulate pest populations.
NOTE
IPM follows a hierarchy of preference: cultural and preventive methods first, then biological control, then biopesticides, and chemical pesticides only as a last resort when other methods fail to keep pests below the ETL.
History of IPM
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Bartlett — Introduced the term "Integrated Pest Control", laying the conceptual foundation for combining multiple control methods |
| 1961 | Geier & Clark — Used the term "Integrated Pest Management" for the first time, broadening the concept beyond just control to overall management |
| 1970 | Geier — Further refined and popularised the term "Pest Management" |
| 1997 | Smith & Adkisan — Developed the IPM approach integrating good agricultural practices; awarded the prestigious World Food Prize for their contributions |
Economic Threshold Levels (ETL) for Important Pests
The Economic Threshold Level (ETL) is the pest population density at which control measures should be applied to prevent the pest from reaching the Economic Injury Level (EIL) — the point where crop loss exceeds the cost of control. ETL is always lower than EIL, giving farmers a window to act before significant damage occurs.
| S.No. | Crop & Pest | ETL |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cotton: Bollworm complex | 5-10% boll infection |
| 2. | Mustard: Aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) | 50% plants infested (visible on plants) |
| 3. | Cotton: Jassid (Amrasca biguttula) | 1-2 nymph per leaf |
| 4. | Cotton: Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) | 8-10 adults per leaf |
| 5. | Sugarcane: Pyrilla (Pyrilla perpusilla) | 3-5 nymphs/adults per leaf |
| 6. | Sugarcane: Shoot borer (Chilo infuscatellus) | 5% damaged shoots |
| 7. | Mango: Hopper (Idioscopus sp.) | 5 adults per panicle |
| 8. | Ber: Fruit fly (Carpomyia vesuviana) | 1-2% fruit infestation |
| 9. | Rice: BPH (Nilaparvata lugens) | 5-10 hoppers per hill |
| 10. | Rice: Stem borer (Scirpophaga) | 5% dead heart |
| 11. | Maize: Stem borer (Chilo partellus) | 5-10% leaf/stem infestation |
| 12. | Jowar: Stem borer (Atherigona soccata) | 5% plants with dead shoot |
| 13. | Chickpea: Cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) | 5% plants killed |
| 14. | Chickpea: Pod borer (H. armigera) | 3 eggs or 2 larvae per plant |
| 15. | Soybean: Girdle beetle (Obereopsis brevis) | 5% plant infestation |
| 16. | Cabbage/Cauliflower: DBM (Plutella xylostella) | 1-5% plant infestation |
| 17. | Brinjal: Shoot & fruit borer (Leucinodes) | 1-5% plant infestation |
Pest Control Methods — Detailed Classification
1. Physical Method (भौतिक विधि)
Physical methods use physical agents like temperature, light, radiation, moisture, and sound to kill or repel pests. These methods do not leave chemical residues and are environmentally safe.
| Method | Application |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Cotton seed: heat at 56°C for 4 hours 15 min → destroys pink bollworm pupae inside seed. High temperatures denature proteins and kill the pest at all stages inside the seed. |
| Moisture control | Grain storage: maintain 8-10% moisture; Khapra beetle needs >8% moisture to thrive. Drying grain below this threshold prevents pest multiplication. |
| Light | Light traps attract nocturnal insects (moths, beetles, RHC) using their natural phototaxis behaviour. Insects fly toward the light and fall into a collection tray with water or oil. |
| Gamma radiation | First used by Pipelang (1937) in USA for Screwworm fly control. Radiation sterilises male insects, which are then released to mate with wild females, resulting in infertile eggs. |
| Sound | Used in granaries to disturb stored grain pests (limited application) |
| Vapour heat treatment | At 43-44.5°C for mango fruit flies — the heated vapour penetrates the fruit and kills larvae inside without damaging the fruit quality |
2. Mechanical Method (यान्त्रिक विधि)
Mechanical methods involve physical removal, trapping, or blocking of pests. These are labour-intensive but effective for small-scale farming and specific situations.
| Method | Target | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hand picking | Eggs, large insects | Manual collection of egg masses, caterpillars, and beetles — effective when pest density is low |
| Sweep net | Flying/surface insects | Used for locust, grasshopper, Pyrilla, Hara taila — sweeps them into a net for collection and destruction |
| Fencing (बाड) | Crawling pests | Wire/bamboo fences around fields block movement of crawling hoppers and caterpillars |
| Trenching (खाई खोदकर) | RHC, Locust | Trench dimensions: 30-60 cm wide × 60 cm deep; add insecticide at bottom to kill pests that fall in |
| Tree banding | Bark caterpillar | Alkathine bands (400 gauge) wrapped around tree trunks prevent caterpillars from climbing up |
| Paper/cloth bagging | Fruit borers | Wrapping individual fruits with paper or cloth bags physically prevents pomegranate butterfly and anar fruit borer from reaching the fruit |
| Light traps | Nocturnal insects | Attract moths and beetles to a light source placed above a water/oil tray at night |
| Yellow sticky traps | Sucking pests | Yellow colour attracts aphids and whiteflies, which get stuck on the adhesive surface |
| Blue sticky traps | Thrips | Blue colour specifically attracts thrips — different from yellow traps used for aphids |
| Dozar | Locust, grasshopper | A tractor-drawn trap device that collects crawling hoppers in the field |
| Pheromone traps | Specific moths | Synthetic sex pheromone lures placed in traps attract male moths for monitoring and mass trapping, disrupting mating |
3. Cultural Method (कर्षण विधि)
Cultural methods involve modifying normal farming practices to make the environment less suitable for pests. These are the most economical methods and form the foundation of any IPM programme.
| Practice | Effect |
|---|---|
| Deep summer ploughing | Exposes pupae, grubs, and resting stages hiding in soil to sun, heat, and predatory birds, killing a large proportion before the next crop season |
| Crop rotation | Growing different crops in sequence breaks the pest life cycle by removing the host plant that the pest depends on |
| Timely sowing | Sowing at the optimal time helps avoid the peak pest period — for example, early mustard sowing avoids aphid buildup |
| Resistant varieties | Using pest-resistant crop varieties inherently reduces damage — examples include Bt cotton (resistant to bollworms) and BPH-resistant rice |
| Stubble destruction | Removing crop stubble after harvest eliminates overwintering stages of pests like stem borers |
| Balanced fertilization | Over-nitrogenation causes lush, succulent growth that increases sucking pest incidence; moderate N application reduces aphid and jassid buildup |
| Integrated water management | Excess water increases some pest problems (e.g., BPH in flooded rice); deficit conditions can attract whitefly |
Intercropping for Pest Management
Growing two or more crops together in the same field can reduce pest damage through habitat diversification, which confuses pests and supports natural enemies:
| Main Crop | Intercrop Example |
|---|---|
| Sorghum + Bajra + Sugarcane | Jowar + Bajra + Gwar → reduces stem borer incidence |
| Wheat + Sarson (Mustard) | Wheat + Chickpea + Mustard → reduces aphid pressure |
Trap Crops (फंदा फसल)
A trap crop is a plant that is more attractive to the pest than the main crop. It is sown on 5% of the total field area to lure pests away from the main crop, where they can then be destroyed more easily.
| S.No. | Main Crop | Trap Crop | Target Pest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cotton | Okra/African Marigold (मिण्डी/अफ्रिकन गेंदा) | Bollworm complex |
| 2. | Tomato | Marigold (गेंदा) | Tomato fruit borer |
| 3. | Cabbage & Cauliflower | Sarson (Mustard) | Diamond Back Moth (DBM) |
| 4. | Cucurbits | Maize | Fruit fly |
| 5. | Groundnut | Castor | Tobacco caterpillar, S. litura |
TIP
Marigold is one of the most versatile trap crops in Indian agriculture — it attracts bollworms away from cotton and fruit borers away from tomato. Its strong scent also repels certain nematodes from soil.
Key Points for CUET
IMPORTANT
- IPM = Combination of all methods to keep pests below ETL; chemicals as last resort
- ETL < EIL always — act before economic injury level is reached
- Bartlett (1956) coined "Integrated Pest Control"
- Physical methods include temperature, light traps, gamma radiation
- Cultural methods: crop rotation, timely sowing, resistant varieties, trap cropping
- Trap crops sown at 5% area to divert pests
- Yellow sticky traps for aphids/whiteflies; Blue sticky traps for thrips
- Deep summer ploughing exposes soil-dwelling pest stages to sun and predators
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Concept / Topic | Key Details / Explanation |
|---|---|
| IPM definition | Combined use of all pest control methods to keep pests below ETL; chemicals as last resort |
| IPM goal | Keep pest below Economic Threshold Level (ETL), NOT total eradication |
| ETL vs EIL | ETL < EIL always; ETL = density at which to act; EIL = density causing economic loss |
| IPM history | Bartlett (1956) — "Integrated Pest Control"; Geier & Clark (1961) — "Integrated Pest Management"; Smith & Adkisan (1997) — World Food Prize |
| ETL — Cotton bollworm | 5-10% boll infection |
| ETL — Mustard aphid | 50% plants infested |
| ETL — Cotton jassid | 1-2 nymph/leaf |
| ETL — Cotton whitefly | 8-10 adults/leaf |
| ETL — Sugarcane Pyrilla | 3-5 nymphs/adults per leaf |
| ETL — Chickpea pod borer | 3 eggs or 2 larvae per plant |
| ETL — Rice BPH | 5-10 hoppers/hill |
| ETL — Mango hopper | 5 adults/panicle |
| Physical method — Temperature | Cotton seed heated at 56°C for 4 hr 15 min → kills pink bollworm |
| Physical method — Moisture | Grain storage at 8-10% moisture; below this Khapra beetle cannot thrive |
| Physical method — Light | Light traps exploit phototaxis of nocturnal insects |
| Physical method — Gamma radiation | First by Pipelang (1937) in USA for Screwworm fly; Sterile Insect Technique |
| Physical method — Vapour heat | 43-44.5°C for mango fruit fly control |
| Mechanical — Trenching | 30-60 cm wide × 60 cm deep for RHC/Locust |
| Mechanical — Yellow sticky traps | Attract aphids and whiteflies |
| Mechanical — Blue sticky traps | Attract thrips specifically |
| Mechanical — Pheromone traps | Synthetic sex pheromone lures male moths |
| Cultural — Deep summer ploughing | Exposes pupae/grubs to sun, heat, predatory birds |
| Cultural — Crop rotation | Breaks pest life cycle by removing host plant |
| Cultural — Timely sowing | Early mustard sowing avoids aphid buildup |
| Cultural — Resistant varieties | Bt cotton (bollworm), BPH-resistant rice |
| Cultural — Balanced fertilization | Over-nitrogenation increases sucking pest incidence |
| Trap crops — Area | Sown on 5% of total field area |
| Trap crop — Cotton | Okra / African Marigold → bollworm |
| Trap crop — Tomato | Marigold → fruit borer |
| Trap crop — Cabbage/Cauliflower | Sarson (Mustard) → Diamond Back Moth |
| Trap crop — Groundnut | Castor → tobacco caterpillar (S. litura) |
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