IPM for Lawns

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a program that entails using common sense  and good cultural practices in the control of pests. The elements of a successful IPM approach to lawn pest management include:

• Identification of the source of any "problems"

• Knowledge of the life cycle of the problematic pest

• Determining the tolerance level for a pest ( i.e., How many is too many? How much damage to the turf is acceptable?)

• Regular scouting of the property to determine the pest population level and whether or not the tolerance level is being exceeded

• Determination of whether or not pest control is necessary

• Identification and implementation of cultural techniques to manage the pest

• Selection of environmentally safe pesticides

• Communication of findings, intentions, and actions to all parties involved evaluation (i.e., Did the course of action alleviate the problem?)

Identifying the source of any "problems" requires familiarity with site conditions. Many poor lawn conditions are a result of improper cultural practices rather than pest activity. For example: soil condition (Is it compacted? Does it drain well?); irrigation (Does the system provide even coverage? Has there been adequate rain or irrigation? Is too much water being applied?); mowing patterns and height; grass type (Is the species or cultivar adapted to the site and to its intended use?); and use of the grass (Is it an ornamental front lawn or a heavily used field?).

If the turf is infested with a pest, the evaluator must be knowledgeable about the life cycle of the pest. When is damage most likely to occur? What is the most susceptible stage for control? How much pest activity can be tolerated before action must be taken? It is critical to set up a program in which a evaluator inspects the lawn regularly, watching for pest outbreaks or other problems.

Once it becomes apparent that a pest outbreak is likely to occur or that a tolerance level for a pest is going to be exceeded, control options are sought. Sometimes cultural manipulations and controls are sufficient. Raising the mowing height, for example, even for a few weeks, can sometimes enable a turf to tolerate diseases or prevent pest infestations. Fertility adjustments can sometimes stave off damage from certain kinds of diseases.

Biological control options are available and can be applied through traditional sprayers and handled like traditional insecticides although they behave differently.

A traditional pesticide might occasionally be necessary to control a pest whose presence has developed beyond the tolerance level. If this happens, pesticide options must be known and, if at all possible, a material should be used that will not interfere with various environmental concerns. If the facility is near surface water (lakes, ponds or streams), for example, or in sandy soil in an area with a shallow water table, then mobile or more persistent pesticides would be more "risky" to use than less mobile or less persistent materials. Always read and follow the Environmental Concerns and all other parts of the label. 

Integrated Pest Management, or Intelligent Plant Management, can be considered a form of stress management. Lawns can handle one or two stresses at a time, but it may not be able to handle three or four stresses at once. Putting together an IPM program is a commitment but is also, to a large degree, common sense. Most successful gardeners are already practicing several key parts of IPM, but a little more attention to detail (scouting, identifying options, keeping records, and evaluating results) will result in a successful IPM program. 

Adapted from the University of Massachusetts Extension, 1999