IPM: Integrated Management of Insects, Diseases and Weeds in Wheat

Balanced Protection for Sustainable Harvests

IPM in wheat uses biological and cultural methods, including the release of beneficial organisms to control pests either gradually (inoculative) or immediately (inundative) during outbreaks. Techniques like altering planting times, rotating crops with rice and legumes, increasing crop density, and mass trapping with pheromones effectively manage aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and weeds while minimizing chemical inputs.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 9/9

Cost: $$$ 515 USD

Full IPM package

ROI: $$$ 30—70 %

Yield increased

17—33 %

Reduction in beetle damage

<10 %

Rust infestation reduction

35 USD per hectare

Profit generated by IPM

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Pesticide Resistance: The development of resistant pest biotypes often results from the repeated use of chemical pesticides, which applies selective pressure on pests, weeds, and microorganisms, leading to diminished effectiveness of these chemicals over time.
Dependence on Chemical Pesticides: Many farmers rely heavily on broad-spectrum chemical pesticides, which can result in increased costs and significant health risks associated with chemical applications.
Yield Losses and Crop Failures: Pests such as beetles, aphids, cutworms, leaf spots, and crown rots can cause substantial yield losses and crop failures, threatening agricultural productivity.
Distorted Ecosystem Balance: The frequent use of pesticides can lead to the destruction of beneficial organisms, including natural enemies of pests, disrupting the ecological balance and potentially exacerbating pest problems.
Food Safety Risks: The presence of chemical residues on crops poses risks to food safety, with pesticide contamination leading to potential health hazards for consumers.
Environmental Contamination: Heavy reliance on chemical pesticides contributes to environmental contamination, jeopardizing soil health, water quality, and local biodiversity.
Economic Impact on Farmers: The financial burden of pesticide use can negatively affect farmers' incomes, particularly as they face rising costs and the threat of yield losses due to pests.

Solution

Use of Beneficial Organisms: Introducing natural predators or beneficial organisms through inoculative (long-term buildup) or inundative (immediate pest suppression) approaches reduces the need for chemical pesticides while maintaining a natural balance, thereby lowering pest resistance.
Sterile Insect Technique: Releasing sterile males to disrupt pest breeding cycles effectively reduces future pest populations without chemicals, lowering pest numbers long-term and preserving natural enemies.
Adjusted Planting Times: Shifting planting dates to times less favorable for pest reproduction, particularly against aphids, naturally reduces pest pressure by avoiding peak pest periods, thus supporting crop resilience with minimal interventions.
Crop Rotation and Diversity: Rotating wheat with non-host crops (e.g., rice, chickpea, pea, cotton) breaks pest and weed cycles while reducing soilborne diseases, preventing weed resistance, and improving soil health and yield stability.
Increased Crop Density and Row Spacing Adjustments: Increasing crop density and reducing row spacing suppresses weed growth and minimizes seed production, which naturally inhibits weed establishment and reduces reliance on herbicides.
Pheromone Trapping and Mass Trapping Techniques: Using pheromone traps to attract and trap pests like whiteflies and thrips effectively controls pest populations without chemicals, especially during critical growth stages, by removing adult pests from the environment.
Biologically Based Crop Protection: Implementing biological methods such as seed coating and bio-herbicides replaces broad-spectrum chemicals, providing safer pest and weed management alternatives that reduce chemical residues and improve crop and soil health.
Enhanced Habitat for Natural Predators: Providing nesting sites, alternative hosts, or food sources for beneficial insects encourages a balanced ecosystem by fostering predator populations that naturally regulate pest species.

Key points to design your business plan

Implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in wheat production significantly contributes to sustainability by minimizing chemical pesticide usage and promoting biodiversity conservation, thereby enhancing ecosystem health and resilience. This approach not only boosts crop productivity and ensures food security but also mitigates health risks associated with pesticide exposure.

For the cost structure, consider the following:

Rearing colonies of parasitoid wasps requires an initial investment of approximately USD 5,000, with ongoing operational costs of about USD 6,000 per year, excluding working space, electricity, and water supply.
Coating planter seed with insecticides or fungicides costs between USD 0.50 and USD 1 per kilogram.
The use of pre-emergence herbicides for weed control requires an investment of approximately USD 25 to USD 35 per hectare, which also includes costs for hiring sprayers and labor to treat the crops.
A comprehensive IPM package that includes raised fertilizer rates, precision herbicide application, and seed treatment has an estimated cost of USD 515 per hectare.

Training is crucial for proper implementation, as it ensures effective use of strategies. Collaboration with local agricultural extension services, development institutions, and agro-input suppliers is essential for providing necessary support and resources.

Lastly, estimating the economic benefits of IPM adoption is vital for assessing its profitability and encouraging widespread implementation among wheat producers.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

This technology can lead to higher income and food security, fostering economic stability.

Others: Positive medium

Stakeholders such as consumers and environmentalists benefit from IPM through increased food safety and environmental protection, leading to a healthier ecosystem.

The poor: Positive high

By increasing crop yields sustainably, it enhances their economic situation.

Under 18: Positive high

It reduces pesticide exposure, leading to better health outcomes for children who may be more vulnerable to chemical exposures.

Women: Positive high

This empowerment leads to improved economic opportunities and health for themselves and their families.

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

IPM practices are versatile and can be tailored to various climatic conditions, making them suitable for diverse agricultural settings.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

IPM promotes resilience by using ecological principles that enhance farmers' ability to cope with climate variability and extreme weather events.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

IPM practices enhance biodiversity by promoting beneficial organisms and natural pest predators, leading to healthier ecosystems.

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

By reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides and promoting organic practices, IPM contributes to lower carbon emissions in agricultural production.

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

IPM reduces chemical runoff and pesticide residues in ecosystems, leading to improved health for flora, fauna, and humans.

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

IPM practices, which focus on biological and cultural methods, help maintain or improve soil health without depleting its nutrients.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–Not tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–Not tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–Not tested	Adopted
Niger	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–Not tested	Adopted
Sudan	–Not tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–		–
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Its ensures a more stable food supply and protects crops from pests, ultimately contributing to the goal of eradicating hunger.

Goal 15: life on land

IPM supports biodiversity conservation by enhancing the presence of beneficial organisms and promoting healthier ecosystems.

Goal 3: good health and well-being

By minimizing the use of harmful pesticides, IPM reduces health risks for farmers, consumers, and surrounding communities

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

By integrating biological and cultural pest management techniques, IPM supports waste reduction and resource efficiency.

Initial Assessment:
- Identify harmful and beneficial organisms on the farm.
- Determine critical thresholds for economic injury based on community structure and growth stage.
Monitoring Pests:
- Use simple tools like traps, handheld magnifying glasses, or binocular microscopes for regular inspections.
- Employ advanced high-resolution cameras on drones for efficient surveillance of large areas.
Weed Inspection:
- Inspect weeds during emergence and tillering stages when annual broadleaf weeds are less than 1.5 inches (early season).
- Perform additional inspections during or after the harvest (post-season).
Insect and Disease Surveys:
- Conduct surveys at different growth stages, from tillering over stem extension up to flowering.
Data Analysis:
- Utilize software tools for data gathering and analysis to track pest and natural enemy development.
Threshold Evaluation:
- Once critical thresholds for harmful and beneficial organisms are reached, it's time to take action.
Selecting IPM Measures:
- Based on the assessment and monitoring, choose from a combination of biological, mechanical/physical, and cultural techniques.
Implementing Measures:
- Release natural predators and enemies to establish a balanced population.
- Utilize mechanical/physical interventions, such as equipment to deter birds or rodents, or manual pest removal.
- Employ cultural practices like precision sowing, shifting planting dates, waste removal, wildflower strips, and using pest-resistant varieties.
Special Considerations:
- Handle the introduction of new species or increasing beneficial communities with caution, as it can impact non-targeted organisms and ecosystems.
Additional Techniques:

- Employ the inoculative approach for long-term interventions, or the inundative approach for immediate pest suppression in severe outbreaks.
- Provide alternative hosts/prey or suitable nesting and feeding sites to support the reproduction and survival of natural predators and enemies.
- Reduce pest reproduction rates by releasing infecund males, disrupting breeding attempts by fertile males and females.
- Shift planting times to periods less favorable for rapid aphid multiplication.
- Rotate wheat with crops like rice, chickpea, pea, cotton, and others to suppress weed growth.
- Increase crop density and decrease row spacing to reduce weed seed output.
- Use pheromones for mass trapping, suitable for controlling pests like whiteflies and thrips.