Public
Service Extension
Regulatory Services
Animal Health
College of AFLS
Integrating pest management strategies
Integrated
pest management strategies are being developed and refined to maximize
crop yields and grower profits while protecting environmental quality.
The scientists are developing management strategies that reduce the use
of pesticides on fruit and vegetable crops, as well as cotton.
Their
investigations include using selected insect viruses and other biological
control agents to help control crop pests without chemicals. They are
also evaluating new pesticide formulations, including growth inhibitors
and naturally occurring insecticides that are highly specific to the targeted
pests.
Their
research produced a ten-fold increase in the effectiveness of a pheromone
attractant used for the European corn borer, simply by altering the ratios
of the ingredients which make up the
attractant. Another pest management program, utilizing microbial
agents and careful field monitoring, has reduced the use of chemical insecticides
on collards by 75 percent - without reducing crop quality or yield.
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