AGR2130 Integrated Pest Management

1.1 define pests and describe specific pest problems within the agriculture industry

1.2 explain the benefits of pest management

1.3 describe the biology and life cycles of major groups of pests; e.g., weeds, insects, diseases, vertebrates

1.4 identify and classify a range of common pests; e.g., mites, ticks, birds, fungi, weeds, insects, rodents

1.5 explain the interrelatedness of common pests with ecosystems and environments; e.g., relationship of soil, water and air characteristics to plant/animal health, food webs and energy chains, environmental factors that limit populations

2.1 explain basic principles of biological pest control and give examples of beneficial organisms used to control pest populations; e.g., predators, parasites, pathogens

2.2 explain basic principles of cultural pest control and give examples of cultural practices used to control pest populations; e.g., soil tillage, crop rotation

2.3 explain basic principles of chemical pest control

2.4 provide examples of chemical families and pesticide formulations used to control pest populations and discuss the importance of rotating chemical groups to avoid pest tolerance

2.5 describe and give examples of physical and mechanical pest-control strategies

2.6 explain genetic resistance

2.7 discuss the role of breeding programs in developing organisms that have genetic resistance to pests

2.8 define and give reasons for the development of integrated pest management; e.g., management versus control perspective, environmental human health concerns

2.9 explain the basic principles and strategies of integrated pest management; e.g., identification of key parts, biology of crop/host and its ecosystem, ecosystem manipulation, economic threshold levels, pest sampling and monitoring

2.10 cite benefits and problems related to the use of integrated pest management as a pest-control strategy

3.1 investigate regulatory bodies and legislation established to assist pest-control programs

3.2 explain safe techniques in pesticide/herbicide application; e.g., use of equipment and supplies, mixing and application techniques, clean-up and disposal

3.3 describe the impact of pest-control practices on human and environmental health

4.1 identify specific pest problems within the industry

4.2 perform pest sampling and monitoring procedures in order to determine the presence of pests, their stage of development and the nature/extent of damage caused

4.3 identify threshold levels that determine when pest control measures should be implemented

4.4 identify and apply pest management procedures that are based upon relevant aspects of pest/host biology and the ecosystem

4.5 participate in monitoring and identifying pests within a defined area; e.g., garden, greenhouse, field crop

5.1 demonstrate fundamental skills to:

5.2 demonstrate personal management skills to:

5.3 demonstrate teamwork skills to:

6.1 recognize and then analyze the opportunities and barriers in the immediate environment

6.2 identify potential resources to minimize barriers and maximize opportunities