Integrated pest management

Integrated pest management is considered as a model of practical pest management. It includes systems in which all economically, environmentally and toxicologically appropriate methods are used in the best possible vote to keep pests below the economic threshold, the conscious utilization of natural limiting factors in the foreground.

The § 2 of the Plant Protection Act defines Integrated Pest Management as a combination of processes in which prioritizing biological, biotechnological, and plant- cultivation and culture- technical measures, the use of chemical plant protection products is limited to what is necessary. According to § 2a belongs to good practice in the implementation of plant protection measures taking into account the integrated pest management.

Integrated pest management begins with the selection of a suitable for the crop location, the proper soil preparation, choosing the most suitable sowing or planting date, use of healthy seed or seed potatoes of a possible relation to the prevailing pests resistant variety, as well as a balanced organic or mineral fertilization. A versatile crop rotation should be respected. Targeted chemical plant protection measures should be carried out where possible in accordance with appropriate control thresholds or injury thresholds or relevant forecasting methods.

As part of integrated pest management can include the Biological plant protection play a role. It includes the controlled through the use of People organisms (including viruses ) and their benefits for the protection of plants against stress by biotic or abiotic factors. Examples are the use of beneficial insects, that is, Predators or parasites against animal pests (eg, parasitic wasps against corn borers ) or of antagonists against fungal pathogens (eg Coniothyrium minitans against S. sclerotiorum, the causative agent of white rot on oilseed rape ).