The use of static thresholds for the management of some pest insects is not always the best approach. In particular, those that interact with crop yield responses in complex or poorly understood ways will have economic impacts that are difficult or impossible to deterministically predict. A stochastic approach which addresses loss risk has advantages in such situations but the application of such approaches in IPM have been hampered by the lack of consistent and accepted procedures. Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) methodology has a long history in the food safety industry and thus provides a time tested and formal set of procedures.
This presentation discusses the similarity between agricultural and food processing risks and presents an adaptation of this methodology for use in IPM decision making. The presentation begins with an overview of HACCP philosophy emphasizing its application in an IPM context. We then discuss the procedures themselves and apply them to standard economic injury level theory. Finally, an ongoing application of the methodology to soybean aphid management is presented as an example.
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA