Integrated pest management in Washington wheat country

Pests are real and, if left unmanaged, they can wipe out a crop.

For a Washington small grain farmer, pests can be weeds, bugs, or disease and fungi. In the case of bugs, for example, the only difference between farming today and farming a thousand years ago is that humans have developed strategies to combat the bugs so they don’t destroy an entire crop. 

Today, farmers use methods that control the pests and protect the environment. Those methods include looking at the fields holistically, implementing pest control based on that view, and using a blend of tools rather than just one. Integrated pest management, or IPM, “is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties,” (UCANR). IPM uses strategies to eliminate the pest’s sources of food, water, and shelter. When necessary, farmers use the least-toxic pesticides to eliminate the pests. “An effective IPM Program requires identifying and monitoring pest populations, and then selecting the most effective control methods with the least possible hazard to people, pets, and the environment,” (WSU).

Many people use IPM strategies at home on a regular basis. When ants enter your house in the summer, how do you eliminate them? The ants are feeding on something in your home. Sometimes simply removing what the ants are eating by sweeping or mopping solves the problem. Other times you may use a pesticide, like vinegar and water, or boric acid, to get rid of them. Another good example is mildew in your shower. You may be able to keep the mildew from building up by wiping down the shower after each use. Other times you may use a chemical based solution to keep it clean. The bottom line is, you as a homeowner are using integrated pest management regularly. You find the pest, evaluate the situation, and use the elimination strategies that best suit your long term goals. Farmers do the same thing, just on a different scale and landscape.

Washington wheat farmers face weeds, insects, and diseases each year. They also face drought, which plays a major role in their pest management decisions. Most wheat farmers in the state use dryland practices (non-irrigated). They rely 100% on snow and rainfall to water their wheat crops. When it comes to pests, they often choose control methods that keep the most moisture in the fields. Many farmers use tillage, crop rotation, and new varieties of wheat to reduce pest pressure. In some cases they also need to use pesticides, either organic or synthetic, to eliminate the pest. All of these methods cost money, and farmers must choose the most effective and efficient solutions.

Let’s look at a common pest in Washington wheat country: downy brome, also known as cheatgrass. Cheatgrass is a major weed problem in winter wheat as it is very competitive with crops. Weed seeds often enter the fields by wind or car and truck tires. In some cases cheatgrass can reduce winter wheat yield by more than 90 percent. Cheatgrass is a consistent problem for many farms in eastern Washington. By using IPM overtime, however, farmers have successfully reduced the pressure of this pest. Farmers can strategically keep cheatgrass from overtaking their fields by using clean certified seed, legume, oilseed or fallow rotations, tillage, and precise pesticide applications.

Just as equipment has changed over the decades, so have our strategies for controlling pests. Horsepower is no longer our only solution. The future of small grain farming in Washington includes the holistic, integrated, and precise management of pests. We have more tools available to us than ever to combat these pressures while protecting our land, water, and air.


KRCS