Pest Management
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Managing pests while not harming natural resources has been a challenge for farmers over many years. That being said, farmers are one of the largest customers for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). To address and facilitate this concern, NRCS implemented the United States Department of Agriculture policy in May of 1981. The policy is used to work with farmers in adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for pest control (insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, weeds, nematodes, snails, slugs, birds, rodents, and other organisms).
IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that is a sustainable approach to manage pests using a combination of techniques such as chemical tools, biological control, habitat manipulation, and modification of cultural practices and use of resistant varieties. Methods of chemical applications are selected in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms and the environment. The condition and scope where IPM is applied is on all lands where pests will be managed.
