This document summarizes an assignment on the ecological principles of integrated pest management (IPM) submitted by a student. It defines IPM as a process that controls pest populations while minimizing impacts on people and the environment by focusing on long-term prevention. A successful IPM program uses a combination of biological control, habitat manipulation, cultural practices, and resistant varieties. The core principle is to reduce pesticide use and only intervene when monitoring shows it is necessary. The document then outlines four key principles of IPM: 1) considering the ecosystem, 2) pest surveillance, 3) using economic threshold levels, and 4) applying minimum selective hazards.

1. Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University
Assignment
Topic: Ecological Principles of IPM
Submitted to
Dr. Usha Mourya & Dr. Maimon Soniya
Dept. of Entomology
Submitted by
G. Bhargavi
Ag/PG/19/19, M.Sc 2nd year
Dept. of Plant Pathology

2. Integrated Pest Management
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a process that is
used to control pest populations while minimizing the
impacts on people and the surrounding environment.
Focusing mainly on long-term pest prevention.
• A successful IPM program utilizes a combination of control
methods including biological control, habitat manipulation,
changes to cultural practices and use of resistant plant
varieties.
• At the core of IPM is the desire to reduce pesticide use and
human incursion into the ecosystem unless monitoring of
pest populations indicates intervention is necessary.

3. Principles of IPM
1. Consideration of Ecosystem
2. Pest Surveillance
3. Utilization of Economic Threshold Levels (ETL)
4. Application of minimum selective hazards

4. 1. Consideration of Ecosystem
• Control of insect pest population is a function of the ecosystem itself
(natural enemies).
• Knowledge of the role of the principle elements of the units is essential
to an understanding of population phenomenon.
• The study of individuals, their biology behaviour to other members of
the same & other species and biotic factors in the environment is
important. It offers a potent method for analysis of population change.
• The most effective system for controlling pests can be derived only after
understanding the principles responsible for the population fluctuation in
the ecosystem.

5. 2. Pest Surveillance
• Pest Surveillance and forecasting are having a vital part in the integrated pest management.
• Surveillance or monitoring means constant observation of a subject i.e., a crop or pest, and
recording the factors observed, compilation of information obtained and prediction of
future events about pest population.
• Hence pest surveillance comprises of three basic components.
a. Determination of the level of incidence of the pest species.
b. Determination of what loss the incidence will cause.
c. Determination of economic benefits or other benefits the control will provide

6. • Surveillance can provide the necessary information to determine the feasibility of a pest
control programme.
• It should be a tool that assists pest management specialists in determining the actual
factors that are involved in a pest build up, so that the specialists can determine practices
that will manage these factors and prevent the initial build up of a pest.

7. 3. Utilization of Economic Threshold Levels (ETL)
• The level of pest population is very important consideration
for taking up control measures. Pest population must be
maintained at levels below those causing economic injury.
• The economic threshold is the pest density at which control
measures should be determined to prevent an increasing
pest population from reaching economic injury level.
• The determination of these thresholds is a pre-requisite to
the development of any pest management strategy.

8. 4. Application of minimum selective hazards :
• Chemical measures should be in such a way that target pest populations are just kept
below economic injury thresholds.
• By observation of this principle the development of resistant populations of pest is
avoided or delayed, the possibility of resurgence of treated population is decreased,
adverse effect on non target organism and amount of environmental contamination are
reduced, and the cost of control is also lowered.

9. When insecticide treatments are deemed necessary special consideration should be given to
(1)Effectiveness of the insecticide against most vulnerable life stage of the pest
(2) Employing an insecticide that will cause least disturbance in the ecosystem.
(3) Applying the insecticide in such a way that it will restrict its distribution to the area
where it is needed.

10. Thank You