The integrated pest management programme

Co-author Jill Sidebottom shows a grower how to use a hand lens to scout for insect pests

The most visible extension programme in the Christmas tree industry in North Carolina is the integrated pest management (IPM) programme. The IPM programmes were initiated in Christmas trees in the 1980s because of growers' concerns about the overuse of and overdependence on pesticides. Initially the effort was directed at the implementation of on-farm scouting techniques for economically important insect pests. Following the growers' acceptance of the benefits of such scouting techniques, a more ambitious programme was developed as a coordinated effort involving the mountain conifer specialist, the state IPM coordinator, a local cooperative extension agent and a technician. These individuals combined their talents to refine scouting techniques further and to demonstrate the benefits of those techniques to growers located in Avery County.

Searching for pests in a systematic fashion and having confidence in the results are difficult concepts to teach by printed information or in a classroom environment. In Avery County, a considerable amount of one-on-one time was devoted to teaching growers how to look for pests in a proper manner, evaluate results and then have confidence in those results. Included in the programmes were activities directed at the proper use of pesticides, fertilizers, ground cover management and non-chemical reduction of pests such as phytophthora root rot. The outcome of these efforts has been a reduction of up to one-third in the amount of pesticides used and one-half of the fertilizers used to produce higher-quality trees.

The IPM educational techniques developed in Avery County are now being implemented in other counties through the use of an IPM scouting manual and instructional videos developed as part of this project.