Integrated Crop Management and Integrated Pest Management

The American consumer has the safest, most abundant, and secure source of food in the world.  America's farmers and ranchers have continually used the most up to date technology available to feed the American public.  However, today's farmers and ranchers are being criticized for abusing our natural resources while still being asked to provide more and cheaper food.  Producers and scientists across the country are searching for new and safer ways to meet the consumer needs that are also economic and environmentally friendly.  Two practices currently expanding in use are Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Integrated crop management (ICM) is the practice of monitoring and treating pests, diseases and soil conditions on a field by field basis with the goal of reducing cost and production inputs. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a component of the ICM system of management.  IPM  is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks.

Major advances have been made in the use of agricultural chemicals and in the development of management practices using chemicals in combination with non-chemical production tools.  Developing a system of setting goals and measuring progress would result in real and positive changes in America's agriculture toward the underlying objectives of reducing environmental impact and increasing public confidence in the safety of foods.

IPM should be implemented nationally to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides and increase the use of non-chemical tools over the long term.  It will probably take at least $40 million to $50 million to implement a national system that defines appropriate federal and state roles, for many of the highest priority invasive plant pests that threaten our agriculture and environment.

IPM will reduce the reliance on chemicals, but chemical use will continue with varying degree due to such factors as  non-uniform pest problems, regional differences in climate, pest resistance problems, and reductions in pesticide use already achieved by IPM programs currently in use.

The following IPM principles are important to the implementation of such strategies in each state:

• Assessment of pest problems associated with the planting, growing, harvesting, storing and processing of raw agricultural commodities, ingredients and processed foods for human and animal consumption.
• Determination of management plans that emphasize non-chemical tactics to deal with pest problems.
• Establishment of thresholds for each pest problem to define when corrective action must be implemented.
• Implementation of monitoring procedures for each pest.
• Implementation of corrective action when a threshold is reached for any pest problem.
• Implementation of a documentation system to catalogue and monitor information and to document management procedures.
• Establishment of evaluation and verification procedures to assure the IPM program is meeting stated risk reduction measures.

Any national IPM strategy should consider the following principles and goals:

• Adoption of IPM practices through a combination of education and cost-sharing programs with USDA's Water Quality Initiative and other conservation programs.
• Development of training and educational programs to teach extension agents, growers, consultants and processors specifics of IPM principles and regional crop guidelines.
• Establishment of economic incentives for growers to implement IPM practices.
• Issuance of an annual report for each region summarizing levels of adoption of IPM principles for each crop and area.
• Establishment of regional research priorities on the basis of annual results and recommendations from each region.
• Establishment of regional centers structured to meet regional IPM needs.