Precision Agriculture in

Pest Management

Amber N. BreweAmber N. Brewe

Apr 22, 2023 2

What is it?What is it?

• Precision Agriculture (site-specific) is a knowledge based technical management system that optimizes farm profits while decreasing the environmental impact. (UFL ext.)

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) simultaneously limits economic damage, minimizes adverse effects on non-target organisms and the environment.

Apr 22, 2023 3

Why?Why?

• Provides excellent sources to make a more informed management decision.

• Provides farmers more time to consider;

• Crop Management • Yields• Profit

• Gets the farmer involved!

Apr 22, 2023 4 Time: April May June July August Sept

# of

pes

tifer

ous

beet

les

ET

EIL

Management threshold for pestiferous beetles in corn

Economic threshold

•Establishing an economic Establishing an economic threshold for your field.threshold for your field.

Taken from Dr. Geenwood ENTO 2993; Pest Management and Biological Control

Apr 22, 2023 5

Elements of Pest Management

• Soil Maps

• Weed Identification

• Insect Identification

• Disease Identification

• Arial Photographs/Yield Maps

Apr 22, 2023 6

Soil Maps

• Grid sampling strategies assist in targeting scouting attempts for pests by concentrating on high risk areas.

Taken from http://nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/paTaken from http://nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/pa

•Soil moisture, pH, and CEC are key management factors.

Apr 22, 2023 7

Site-Specific Weed Control

• Goal: treat weeds where they Goal: treat weeds where they are present and to treat with are present and to treat with the appropriate chemical at the the appropriate chemical at the correct rate.correct rate.

• Spread through seed or Spread through seed or vegetatively.vegetatively.

• Identification of weed type and Identification of weed type and density is essential to post-density is essential to post-emergence control.emergence control.

Apr 22, 2023 8

Weed Control Methods

• Crop rotations

• Herbicide resistant crop programs.

• Modulated Spraying Nozzle Control (MSNC)- chemical application system that controls drift and application rate on the go. (Purdue)

• Electrostaticlly charged spray to induce droplet travel to pest with opposite charge.

Apr 22, 2023 9

Site-Specific Insect Control

• Time of insect identification is critical.

• Cultural, Biological and Chemical control methods– Examples:

• BT Corn varieties• Controlling aphids with Lady

Bugs.• Appling insecticide to effected

areas leaving a corner of the field un-sprayed.

• Modeling future insect out- breaks using grid sampling.

Apr 22, 2023 10

Modeling Using Grid Sampling

• Identification of previous northern corn rootworm populations.

• Lowest adult emergence in low lying wet areas or on ridge tops.

• Highest adult emergence in well drained soils.

Taken fromTaken from International Plant Nutrition Institute

Apr 22, 2023 11

Site-Specific Disease Control

• Design a fungicide application that would control an out-break and prevent spreading.– Areas with visible and latent infections could

be treated with a systemic fungicide.– Areas with invisible latent infections and areas

around the infection wave could be treated with a protectant fungicide.

• Saves money and prevents the pathogen from developing a resistance.

• Use of spectrometer readings currently being researched.

• Modeling future out-breaks by recording precipitation and temperature.

Apr 22, 2023 12

Using Arial Photography and Yield Maps

• Can evaluate current pest issues via pest density and location.

• Provides evidence of areas reaching economic injury level.

• Population level which pest damage=control cost.

• Multiple years of yield data can verify if using site-specific management increases crop yields.

Apr 22, 2023 13

Summary

• Know your soil.• Weed infestations can be

monitored year to year.• Insect and Disease tend to be

more difficult to monitor being they tend to be sporadic.

• Site-specific IPM has the ability to spot treat areas needed for pest control.

• “Ability to manage a healthier crop by adjusting needed inputs within the field rather than at the field level.” (Wright, 2009)

Apr 22, 2023 14

Work Cited

• http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AG186

• http://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/ppibase.nsf/b369c6dbe705dd13852568e3000de93d/47645e18bfdc7e2285256966006489a5/$FILE/SSMG-27.pdf

• http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/SSM-5-W.pdf

• Greenwood, Carmen. Pest Management and Biological Control. ENTO 2993. 4-2-2008.

• http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/ipm.htm

Apr 22, 2023 15

QuestionsQuestions?