Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a farm management strategy to keep the population of harmful pests below the point where they are causing unacceptable loss in marketable yield. IPM management strategies use a range of complementary tools and control techniques.  

IPM considers the production system as a whole by looking at all management aspects as potentially impacting on pest populations, and where possible manipulating those components to reduce their numbers. 

IPM is a term that has many definitions and was originally applied to the management of insect pests.  A well developed IPM strategy includes all agricultural pests - diseases, weeds, invertebrate (such as insects and mites) and vertebrate (such as birds, mice and bats). 

The move toward IPM for vegetable crops in Australia is still fairly recent. Many of those involved, including growers and consultants, have different experiences and perspectives on IPM ranging from having little knowledge about it, to being very sceptical or becoming enthusiastic converts.

In practice growers fall in a range from ‘Integrated Pesticide Management’ to ‘Biointensive’ IPM.  IPM involves routine crop monitoring, appropriate timing of pesticide applications, attention to good spray application technique and following pesticide resistance management strategies.  A Biointensive IPM strategy relies primarily on beneficial organisms to manage pests and when greater pest control is needed, interventions chosen are complementary to the survival of beneficials. 

IPM is a model of continual improvement for both IPM research and adoption.  Initially the focus is on management strategies for a single key insect pest, usually after conventional insecticides fail to control the pest adequately. However, as strategies are developed for the target pest, the focus moves to other key or minor pests, diseases and weeds. 

IPM can become part of a fully integrated farm management system and potentially involve the whole market chain.

Click here for more information on IPM

Further information

The Good Bug Book