Just as elsewhere in nature , farming pest often incur a room to overtake the obstacles lay in front of them .
From gnawer and louse to weeds and microorganism that bring disease , pest can evolve to hold the method we ’ve develop to ensure their spread and impact . The use of chemicals might become less in force , for example , or pests can adapt to the cultural / strong-arm / biological ascendancy strategies that are used to contain them .
“ The current trouble is that these gadfly are come forth in new locations , ” read NIFA Institute of Food Production and Sustainability home program leaderDr . Vijay Nandula . “ This could be partly due to climate modification and partly due to pests adapting to the drill being apply for their control . ”
Better results through IPMTo fight pests and pest electric resistance , farmers and other producer are incorporating integrated pestis direction ( IPM ) approach into their harvest direction practices . With IPM , multiple techniques — from the use of chemicals or biological controls to cultural practices or mechanically skillful devices — are strategically used together to prevent pests from becoming a problem .
“ You ’re not trying to eradicate the pest completely , ” Nandula said . “ You ’re just trying to make it viable for the crop to be sustainable . The approach needs to be effective over the long term , sensitive and secure . ”
Nandula , a weed scientist by grooming who leads NIFA ’s Crop Protection and Pest Management syllabus , said the effectiveness of the various methods often depends on the type of harvest , reign environs and plague being contend .
The use of cultural practices , such as change planting dates or adjusting fertilizer or irrigation regimes , and using top crops can give agronomic crops a defend chance against a commit plague . For specialty crops like fruit , vegetables and decorative plants — in addition to spread over crop — unconstipated scouting for disease , insects and weeds , using disease and insect complimentary germplasm , and employing a biologic restraint ( using a pest ’s natural enemies ) in blue-ribbon situations could demonstrate to be more effective .
Another promising nonchemical strategy has been the use of mechanical control like weed seed destruction during harvest . Pioneered in Australia , this method acting ruin or removes weed seeds at crop harvest time and reduces grass seed contribution to the soil seedbank .
NIFA - fund inquiry into IPM methodsTo explore the viability of weed seed destruction in the U.S. , NIFA funded a 2019 sketch led by Colorado State University associate professor Dr. Todd Gaines who find success in using the less expensive chaff lining method as an alternative to a harvest weed seed destructor for straw .
Other innovative , NIFA - funded pestilence direction enquiry :
