Assessing the Success of a Management Alternative Part 2,
Section 1: Pest Management Activities Involved in an IPM Program
Assessing the success of a management alternative Once a
management alternative has been implemented, it is a sound
practice to evaluate its performance. If possible, leave one
area untreated and examine it to determine crop yield in the
absence of the activity. Without this area, there is no way of
knowing, for some insects, if an action was economically
beneficial. For instance, if no insects were present in a field
and a management strategy was implemented based on an improper
assessment of the problem, then the absence of an untreated area
would make it appear that the management action was successful.
Although it is usually easier to select a field margin for the
untreated area, this is a questionable practice because many
insects tend to aggregate along field margins. Damage along the
margin is much greater than it is deeper in the field. The best
technique for assessing the benefit