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Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
In broadacre crops, what are the pest thresholds for economic
damage?
A.
Thresholds for the major pests in southern Australian crops are
summarised in a GRDC Advice Sheet called Insect Control Thresholds,
however the problem with thresholds is that they don't take into
account the many variables tha can influence the ability of pests
to cause economic damage. Please see our document "The
Use of Thresholds" as discussed in "IPM for crops
and pastures" by Paul Horne and Jessica Page, for more information
on pest thresholds.
Q.
How do I attract beneficial species?
A.
You
just need to stop killing them!
Preventing the use of broad-spectrum insecticides is much more important
than trying to attract predators and parasites of pests.
Q.
Is the 28-spotted ladybird a pest or a beneficial?
A. There
is a (minor) pest ladybird of some crops (tomatoes and potatoes) but almost
every other ladybird is beneficial! Why
is it that the one pest species is known more than the hundreds of beneficials?
Q.
I tried IPM and it did not work. Why?
A.
We
have found that everyone who says they have tried IPM unsuccessfully have actually not used
IPM at all. They have tried elements of
IPM such as biocontrol or soft chemicals, but they have not used IPM!
Q.
What if my neighbour sprays insecticides?
A.
Unless
the drift of insecticides is very severe, then there is no reason not to start
an IPM programme on your own farm.
A final comment from IPM Technologies
P/L: You
can only kill a pest once, and only if it is present!
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