RE: Agricultural information

[Nina Powers <npowers@Home.com>]

Jim,

 You must have used the American Crop Protection Association
web site for that definition of IPM. Try the definition of IPM
from the Bio-Integral Resource Center;
http://www.birc.org/ 

 Integrated Pest Management used to mean utilizing a variety of
methodologies, with prevention as the cornerstone, to avoid the
archaic spray everything because it's Thursday with synthetic 
chemical pesticides. Cultural practices, proper plant selection,
and allowing beneficial(predatory)populations a chance to live
are components of a true IPM program. Scouting and monitoring
pest populations is another equation in this integrated approach.
Detection of a pest problem should begin with do nothing and wait
to see if the aesthetic or economic damage threshold is exceeded.
Only then is the least toxic pest control utilized on a spot
treatment basis.This can be biological control, or a bio-rational
pesticide.( fungal or bacterial agents, insecticidal soaps and oils)
Botanical extracts are used by some( Neem oil, capsicum ) but 
those interested in least toxic avoid botanicals like nicotine
or pyrethrums.

 The intention of IPM wasn't to get rid of all pesticides. It was
to reduce environmental and human exposure to chemical toxins by
prevention and use of alternatives to chemicals.Unfortunately IPM 
has been bastardized by those with an agenda to protect synthetic
chemical pesticide usage and some State Departments of Agriculture
and land grant Universities are helping to put a spin on the IPM
definition.

 I am a Horticulturist by profession and use real IPM to manage
our plants, using no organophosphates, carbamates,or pyrethroids.