Integrated Pest Management combines multiple, science-based approaches to controlling insects, weeds, plant diseases, and wildlife to keep farms productive while reducing the risks to people, pollinators, and natural resources. This Skill Share will focus on building good scouting habits and identification skills to correctly identify the cause of a problem. Our instructors will guide participants on a scouting walk, illustrating what to look for, frequency of inspections, tools and traps, describing good record keeping, and thresholds for taking action.Â
Some questions we will answer together include:Â
How to identify what’s causing a problem when pest damage, disease, nutrient deficiency, and environmental stress symptoms can look alike?Â
How does soil health relate to pest and disease pressure? How does compaction, poor drainage, and low organic matter make disease problems worse?Â
How do you manage effective crop rotation on small acreage?Â
How do you properly handle and dispose of diseased plant material?Â
What beneficial insects should I expect to find, what do they eat, and how do I create habitats that attract and keep them?Â
Price:
$15.00