The Basics of Area-Wide
Integrated Pest Management for
Fruit Fly
Andrew Jessup, Research Horticulturist, NSW DPI, Ourimbah
Melbourne 28 August 2012
What on-farm control and management measures
are required to develop a sound AW-IPM
system?
Area-Wide Concept
Area-wide management is an
integrated pest management
(IPM) applied against an entire
target pest population within a
delimited geographical area.
Wild
hosts
Backyard
hosts
PEST CONTROL ON A FIELD BY FIELD BASIS
(TEMPORARY SUPPRESSION)
Alternate
commercial
crops
Commercial crop
Abandoned
commercial
crop
X
X X X
X X
X
X
X X
X X X
X X X X X
Wild
hosts
Backyard
hosts
PEST CONTROL ON A FIELD BY FIELD BASIS
(CONTINUOUS PEST REINVASION)
Alternate
commercial
crop
Commercial crop
Abandoned
commercial
crop
Wild
hosts
Backyard
hosts
PEST CONTROL ON AN AREA-WIDE BASIS
(ENTIRE POPULATION LEVEL)
Alternate
commercial
crop
Commercial crop
Abandoned
commercial
crop
X
X X X
X X
X
X
X X
X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X X
X X X X
X X
Drivers related to insect pest control
• Need to reduce pre- and post-harvest crop losses
• Increased demand to facilitate international agricultural trade by overcoming
phytosanitary barriers
• Increased demand for trans-boundary approach and more environment-
friendly pest control
• Globalization, in conjunction with climate change, is resulting in the
increased risk of establishment and the spread of serious invasive pest
species
Over-reliance on insecticides not the solution:
Resistance problems
Pesticide residues in food commodities
Contamination of the environment
Outbreaks of secondary pests
Need to develop IPM packages for each pest and ecological situation
Growing demand for more sustainable pest control
Area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) -> gained in acceptance
Drivers related to insect pest control
Adverse effect on biological control.
Regulated use near water resources.
Bio-organic farming and herbs limitation.
Effect on bees and bee-keepers opposition.
Limitation near nature reserves.
Public awareness and consumer response.
Resistance of the pest.
Urbanisation creates physical obstacles to agro-flights
Compatibility with other pesticides.
Phytotoxicity to certain crops.
Limitations of chemical control
CLEANFRUIT Consortium
Area-wide Integrated Pest Management
(AW-IPM)
What uncoordinated control on a field by field basis
Approach reactive - individual decision pro-active - long term pest control
after a damaging population of insects has developed avoids that a damaging population of insects will develop
Objective protection of individual orchards/plots protecting or enhancing agriculture in a whole area or region
Advantages bottom - up approach
grower independence in terms of control methods
independent of government funding
no need for community coordination eliminates (minimizes) invasion risk
Disadvantages
great variability of results area bound and management intensive
temporary solution
problems with sustainability
deals with the pest in abandoned orchards, urban areas, wild
hosts
Pest reinvades treated orchards from untreated
surroundings, thus requiring more inputs
top - down approach requiring grower organisations and
involvement of local and regional authorities
Local (community based) IPM Areawide IPM
coordinated control of an entire insect population within a
circumscribed area
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency
Phased conditional approach
Phase I
Phase III
Phase II
Phase IV
Baseline data collection and
program planning
Improved monitoring
and control
Preparation of AW-IPM
according to objectives
Implementation of
operational AW-IPM
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency
Phase I Baseline data collection and program
planning
• Knowledge of the pest
• Monitoring tools used
• Traditional practices and cultural
controls used
• Control measures used
• Infestation and economic losses
• Planning of the fruit fly management
activities
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency
Phase II
Improved monitoring and control
• Improved monitoring – Systematic surveillance (including trapping)
– Use of GIS
• Improved control – Training of farmers/field personal
– Chemical: bait sprays
– Biological: natural enemies; augmentoria
• Recording of infestation and economic losses to evaluate the improvement
Phase III
Preparation of AW-IPM according to
objectives
• Define objectives and target
markets – Target area definition
– Target market: (non discriminatory market,
market wants low pesticide use, market
requires pest free area)
– Work plan
– Training, capacity building
– Infrastructure establishment
• Improving basic implementation
• Grower organization
• Community participation
• Standards and regulatory issues
• High density monitoring
• Exotic pest monitoring
• Pest risk assessment
• System approach
• Post harvest treatment
• Quarantine
• Trade agreement
Phase IV
Implementation of operational AW-IPM
