Communicating Integrated Pest Management in the 21st Century

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-based decision-making process that identifies and reduces risk from pests and pest management strategies.  IPM evaluates pest biology, environment and all available control methods in developing cost effective and environmentally safe pest management practices.  Although the origins of IPM can be traced to production agriculture, the concept is an effective strategy for managing pests in all settings.

The IPM concept has been widely adopted in the production of food and fiber.  High input costs and tight profit margins are often the motivators facilitating adoption.  Commercial nursery production and home horticulture, where pest tolerance is low or even zero, have been much slower at adopting IPM practices even though the information is widely available.  However, recent changes in consumer preferences favoring greener production practices may finally trigger improvement in IPM adoption. Rapidly changing advances in technology are providing consumers with tools to make informed purchases.  For example, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips could enable consumers to quickly and easily track an apple from blossom to the store shelf.  This is powerful information for consumers looking to make greener choices.  Unfortunately, on the other end of the spectrum, consumers are able to access mobile content via wireless handheld devices, advising them to steer clear of certain products due to biased and often unscientific claims.

Reaching consumers and often less organized horticultural industry groups with science based IPM information won’t happen through traditional Extension bulletins and meetings.  In realizing this challenge, the University of Wisconsin IPM Program has been investigating new methods for information delivery.  One method that has proven highly successful is utilization of the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension YouTube Channel to post pest management videos created during the growing season.  Short duration videos, up to 15 minutes in length highlighting pest identification, biology and control options have received many views.  This video format is particularly useful for dissemination of information in response to quickly emerging pest problems as was the case with tomato late blight in 2009.  Currently, we are experimenting with providing mobile content IPM information.  From field scouts accessing pest identification to consumers making informed purchases, the ability to place science based information, literally in the hands of our clientele, when and where it is needed most, is a goal worth pursuing.