Plant Doctor on call

19/09/2024

What is pesticide abuse

Pesticide abuse is the use of agrochemicals in ways that go against the recommendations

Effects of pesticide abuse

• Resistance
• Resurgence
• Secondary pests
• Residues

Resistance
Non-specific pesticide use tends to encourage changes in the pest species to a point where more and more resistant pest species develop. Naturally resistant individuals in a pest population tend to survive and pass on this resistance to their offspring, resulting in a need to constantly change pesticide formulas. In simple terms the chemical you used last season may not work on the pests you have this season.

Resurgence
The use of non-specific pesticides will kill off the pests and the beneficial predators. Pest populations recover faster than the beneficial population and this leads to a pest population explosion, this situation creates a cycle and encourages more ineffective pesticide use.

Secondary pests
Non-specific pesticide use may cause some insects that normally would not be significant pests to become so due to the absence of their natural insect predator controls.

Residues
Small quantities of pesticide are actually taken in by the pest species. The remainder may degrade harmlessly, but many chemicals persist in the environment in the soil, others are carried by wind and rain to affect non target species, and some even cause health problems in humans

Always use pesticides at the recommended rates and always read the labels and safe handling instructions before use

19/09/2024

“When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work”

~Carl Huffaker

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a system of controlling pests that does not depend on automatic application of pesticides
IPM is a combination of farming techniques that seek to reduce or eliminate potential pest problems over the long term life span of the farming system

It requires time and energy to implement, but it is less complex than it appears and in the long term has the potential to make growing objectives easier.

Bio-intensive IPM differs from classical IPM because it makes use of biological factors when considering the control of pest populations
Benefits of bio-intensive IPM

• Reduced chemical cost
• Reduced on and off farm environmental impacts
• Effective and sustainable pest management
• Decrease inputs of fuel, machinery and synthetic chemicals
• Benefits to grower and community

19/09/2024

Mummified aphids (round tan balls) on flavour pepper

Signs of predatory wasp activity

21/05/2024

We have not posted for a while but we are still here, if you need assistance with a plant problem feel free to contact us.

You can send us a message. Send clear images or videos of the problem, and make sure to get close-ups of the issue

If you need further assistance you can call 5355252/53/54 to arrange for us to visit and take the necessary samples to aid in the timely diagnosis and treatment of your plant problems

Please share with anyone who might need assistance with plant pest or disease problems

21/12/2023

12/04/2023

Garden friends: bees and wasps

14/03/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXMXh_DEyAE&t=55s&ab_channel=UCIPM

Learn about common beneficial insects. See live videos of lady beetles, lacewings, and syrphids eating aphids. Find out more at http://www.ipm.ucanr.edu/.

08/11/2022

04/11/2022

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecosystem approach to crop production and protection that combines different management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimize the use of pesticides. IPM is an approach-based method for analysis of the agro-ecosystem and the management of i...