Program: B.Sc.

(Ag), Semester 5, Year 3rd year

PP 321- Principle of Integrated pest and disease
management
3(2+1)
Unit No. I
Topic- PEST - DEFINITION, CATEGORIES, CAUSES FOR OUTBREAK,
LOSSES CAUSED BY PESTS

Dr. Biwash Gurung

Dr. Bikash Subba
Assistant Professor
SOAG
Outlines

• PEST

• PARAMETERS OF INSECT POPULATION LEVELS

• CATEGORIES OF PESTS
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
PEST - Any organism that cause significant and economic damage to crops, stored
produced and animals”. - A pest is any organism which occurs in large numbers
and conflict with man’s welfare, convenience and profit
- A pest is an organism which harms man or his property significantly or is likely to
do so (Woods, 1976)
- Pests are organisms which impose burdens on human population by causing
(i) Injury to crop plants, forests and ornamentals
(ii) Annoyance, injury and death to humans and domesticated animals
(iii) Destruction or value depreciation of stored products.
- Pests include insects, nematodes, mites, snails, slugs, etc. and vertebrates like rats,
birds, etc. Depending upon the importance, pests may be agricultural, forest,
household, medical and veterinary pests.
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Parameters of insect population levels
General equilibrium position (GEP)
The average density of a population over a long period of time, around which the
pest population tends to fluctuate due to biotic and abiotic factors and in the
absence of permanent environmental changes.
Economic threshold level (ETL)
Population density at which control measure should be implemented to prevent an
increasing pest population from reaching the ETL. It is also known as Action
Thresold. ETL= EIL - Daily reproductive rate of insects.
Economic injury level (EIL)
The lowest population density that will cause economic damage. Damage
boundary (DB) The lowest level of damage which can be measured. ETL is
always less than EIL. Provides sufficient time for control measures
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Damage boundary (DB)
The lowest level of damage which can be measured. ETL is always less than EIL.
Provides sufficient time for control measures.
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
CATEGORIES OF PESTS
I. Insect pests are classified as follows based on season and locality
a. Regular pests: Regular pest: Occur most frequently (regularly) in a crop and
have close association with that particular crop. Eg: Chilli Thrips Scirtothrips
dorsalis ,brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis, Rice stem borer.
b. Occasional pests: Here a close association with a particular crop is absent and
they occur infrequently. Eg: Rice case worm, Nymphula depuctalis castor slug
caterpillar, Parasa lepida , mango stem borer, Batocera rufamaculata
c. Seasonal pests: Occur mostly during a particular part of the year, and usually
the incidence is governed by climatic conditions. Eg: Red hairy caterpillar on
groundnut-June - July, Rice grasshoppers –June-July
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
d. Persistent pests: Occur on a crop almost throughout the year. Eg. Thrips on
chillies.
e. Sporadic pests: Pests, which occur in a few isolated localities Eg. Rice ear head
bug.
II. Insects pests are also classified as follows based on intensity of infestations
a. Epidemic pests: Occur in a severe form in a region or locality at a particular
season or time only. Eg: Rice hispa, Dicladispa armigera, rice leaf roller,
Cnaphalocrocis medinalis
b. Endemic pests: Pests, which occur regularly and confined to a particular area
of locality. Eg. Rice Gall midge in Madurai district and rice stem borer cauvery
delta.
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
III. Pests are classified as follows based on damage potential
a. Key pests: These are the most severely damaging pests. The GEP is always
above the EIL. Human intervention may bring the population temporarily below
the EIL, but it rises back rapidly and repeated interventions (sprays) may be
required to minimize damage. These are persistent pests. The environment must
be changed to bring GEP below EIL. Ex.Cotton bollworm, Diamond backmoth
b. Major pests: These are pests with the population crosses EIL quite frequently.
Economic damage can be prevented by timely and repeated sprays e.g. Cotton
jassid, Rice stem borer
c. Minor pests: These are pests with population rarely crosses EIL and fluctuates
around ETL. But these pests are easily amenable to available control measures
and a single application of insecticides is usually enough to prevent economic
damage (5-10% damage).
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
d. Potential pests: These pests normally do not cause any economic damage. Any
change in the ecosystem may make them to cause economic damage .
e. Sporadic pests : GEP generally below EIL The population of these pests is
usually negligible but in certain years under favorable environmental conditions,
they appear in a virtually epidemic form crossing many times over DB and EIL.
Under these conditions, the pest has to be controlled by undertaking suitable
management strategies. These pests are highly sensitive to abiotic conditions and
once the favorable season is over, only a residual population survives.
Ex: White grub, hairy caterpillars, cut worm, grass hoppers
 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
d. Potential pests: These pests normally do not cause any economic damage. Any
change in the ecosystem may make them to cause economic damage .
e. Sporadic pests : GEP generally below EIL The population of these pests is
usually negligible but in certain years under favorable environmental conditions,
they appear in a virtually epidemic form crossing many times over DB and EIL.
Under these conditions, the pest has to be controlled by undertaking suitable
management strategies. These pests are highly sensitive to abiotic conditions and
once the favorable season is over, only a residual population survives.
Ex: White grub, hairy caterpillars, cut worm, grass hoppers
Learning Outcomes
• Students will learn about Categories of pest
References