The purpose of this document is to consolidate current Ohio information on integrated approaches to pest management. One of the intended results is to form a general working definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices on specific crops. The second intention is to develop a system of assessing how far growers are along the IPM continuum, and if their operation has adopted enough core practices to qualify them as IPM practitioners under these guidelines.

Growers can use this document and its six sub headings (Educational IPM Considerations, Soil and Nutrient Management and Cultural Practices, Pesticides and Pesticide Records, Disease Management, Arthropod Management (insects and mites), and Weed Management as a checklist of possible IPM practices. There is a point value associated with every IPM practice; the higher the number, the more important the practice. Growers should count only the points of activities they perform on a crop. The goal is to accumulate 80% of the points in each of the six areas and/or 80% of the total points available, which is simply the sum of the scores from each section (comprehensive).

This document is intended to help growers identify areas in their production system that possess strong IPM qualities and also point out areas for improvement. Growers should attempt to incorporate the majority of these specific techniques into their usual production practices, especially in areas where they fall short of the 80% goal.

Major Pests of Ohio Apples - Primary concerns are insects, mites, diseases, and weeds

Insects	Mites	Diseases	Weeds
Codling moth	European red mite	Apple scab	Annual grasses
Apple maggot	Two-spotted spider mite	Fire blight	Perennial grasses
San Jose scale		Powdery mildew	Annual broadleaf weeds
Spotted tentiform leafminer		Sooty blotch	Perennial broadleaf weeds
Plum curculio		Fly speck	Yellow nutsedge
Leafrollers		Cedar apple rust
Aphids		Black rot
Tufted apple budmoth		White rot
Leafhoppers		Bitter rot
		Phytophthora crown and root rot

Educational IPM Considerations

Education	Activity	Points
	Join Ohio Fruit Growers Society, read the periodic newsletter "Today's Grower"and out-of-state newsletter, and attend Fruit Growers meetings around the state.	2
	Attend the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress annually to meet and exchange information with other growers. Attend current pest management informational / research presentations.	2
	Obtain the latest Ohio Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide, The Midwest Tree Fruit Pest Management Handbook, and other commodity specific reports / production guides.	2
	Access the University fruit web sites.	2
	Access the weekly Ohio Fruit ICM News via e-mail, web, or mail subscription for updates on disease, insect, mite, and weed development, plus management options during the growing season.	2
	Implement on limited acreage an IPM practice not currently used on your farm; gauge its success.	2
	Research alternative markets that may encourage less pesticide use through specific use reduction requirements (either organic, eco-, or IPM labeling).	2

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			11.2 pts Goal		14 pts

Soil and Nutrient Management and Cultural Practices

Management	Activity	Points
Conservation	Use a water quality and placement plan that minimizes disease development, optimizes water use, and minimizes erosion and runoff.	1
Fertility	Soil test; fertilize as needed according to recommendations. Maintain soil pH 6.0 - 6.8.	2
	Balance nitrogen with tree growth without promoting rapid growth and prolonged succulence - (Choose one). a. Conduct soil and leaf analysis every year b. Conduct soil and leaf analysis every 2 or 3 years	3 or 2
Cultural	Prune to open the canopy and maintain tree height at a manageable level.	3
	Thin fruit, especially in clusters, to insure faster drying and complete fungicide coverage, as well as to promote fruit size and return bloom.	2

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			8.8 pts Goal		11 pts

Pesticides and Pesticide Records

Only pesticides registered in the state and approved for the target pest and crop will be used. Records of applications including applicators name, date, block identification, targeted pest, climatological conditions, pesticide name and EPA number, formulation, rate, equipment used, and number of acres treated.

Management	Activity	Points
	Calibrate orchard sprayer(s) at least once a year.	2
	Calibrate herbicide sprayer at least once a year.	2
	Maintain and organize spray records.	3
	Analyze spray records to determine Environmental Impact Quotient.	2
	Among pesticides of comparable efficacy, select the one with the lowest Environmental Impact Quotient.	2
	Base choice of spray volume per acre on tree-row volume.	3

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			11.2 pts Goal		14 pts

Disease Management

Management	Activity	Points
Fungicide Selection	Use fungicides or fungicide combinations that allow extended spray intervals (10-14 days) rather than a 7-day protectant program (i.e. sterol-inhibitor plus protectant or strobilurin fungicides) to reduce overall fungicide use.	3
	Use combinations or alternations of different fungicide chemistries to prevent or delay the development of resistant strains of pathogenic fungi.	3
Predictive Measures	Base the application of disease control chemicals (for scab, fire blight, and other diseases) on disease models or predictive systems that consider environmental conditions (temperature-wetness) and/or disease pressure.	2
	Use weather forecasts (principally for rain) to adjust (shorten or extend) fungicide spray intervals.	2
Cultivar, Rootstock, and Site Selection	When selecting new cultivars for planting, consider resistance to apple scab, fire blight, and other major diseases.	3
	When selecting rootstocks for new plantings, consider resistance to collar rot and fire blight.	3
	Select planting sites with excellent soil drainage to prevent problems with Phytophthora collar or root rot, or improve soil drainage with tile or by planting on ridges.	3
Sprayer Calibration	Calibrate sprayer annually prior to first use and inspect coverage to insure complete coverage of all susceptible plant parts.	0**
Sanitation	Remove large brush and brush piles from the orchard and old mummies (black rot) and other debris (dead wood) from trees annually.	3
	Remove reservoir hosts (wild blackberry) for sooty blotch and fly speck annually.	2
	Remove dead leaves from the ground or use practices (i.e. urea application or mowing) to degrade dead leaves in order to reduce scab inoculation.	2
Air Circulation and Spray Coverage	Thin fruit, especially in clusters, to insure faster drying and complete fungicide coverage.	0*
	Plant rows in the direction of prevailing winds to promote better air circulation and faster drying in the orchard.	2
	Conduct annual pruning to open the canopy to promote better air circulation, faster drying, and improved spray penetration.	0*
Fertility	Balance nitrogen (fertility) with tree growth to reduce rapid growth and prolonged succulence of twigs (reduce terminal growth). This is very important for fire blight control. Choose one: a. Conduct soil and leaf analysis each year. b. Conduct soil and leaf analysis every other year.	0*

* see Soil and Nutrient Management and Cultural Practices section for scoring
** see Pesticides and Pesticide Records section for scoring

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			22.4 pts Goal		28 pts

Arthropod Management (Insects and mites)

Management	Activity	Points
Trapping-Based Insecticide Treatment	Use pheromone traps in all blocks to monitor adult populations of codling moth. Base spray application on thresholds and/or degree day accumulations.	4
	Use pheromone traps to monitor adult populations of San Jose scale in blocks known for previous SJS damage. Base spray application on thresholds and/or degree day accumulations.	3
	Monitor apple maggot fly with red-sphere attractants, and base control sprays on the threshold established for Ohio.	2
Scouting	Survey European red mite populations on a weekly basis during the summer months using the Cornell mite sampling method and form.	4
Insecticide & Miticide Selection	Select insecticides and miticides based on minimizing toxicity to predatory mites and beneficial insects	4
	Rotate miticide product selection to avoid development of resistant populations.	3

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			16 pts Goal		20 pts

Weed Management

Management	Activity	Points
New orchards	Eradicate perennial weeds and reduce the soil weed seed bank the year prior to planting by using herbicides, cultivation, and cover crops.	6	X
	Establish a non-competitive grass between tree rows prior to planting.	5	X
	Use a herbicide to establish planting strips in established sod.	2	X
Established orchards	Identify and list problem weeds and locations to tailor herbicide and floor management practices. If herbicides are needed, product choice, rate, and area to be treated are based on identified weed species and locations.	X	6
	If needed, apply soil active herbicide prior to weed emergence. Do not use herbicides of the same class in successive years.	X	5
	If perennial weeds are present, time herbicide applications to weed growth stage as specified on the product label.	X	2

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			10.4 pts Goal		13 pts

Comprehensive IPM Score
(Add scores of previous 6 sections)

Marginal adoption					Full adoption
0 pts			80 pts Goal		100 pts