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XXIII. Integrated Pest Management
G.K. Douce and L.P. Guillebeau
In 1996, over one thousand five hundred and twenty-eight (1,528)
individuals received formal training in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by attending IPM
Schools sponsored by The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service faculty. Six hundred and eighty (680) of these
people attended the Cotton, Peanut, Soybean and Pecan IPM Schools held in Tifton. Four
area schools taught by Extension faculty were held in East Georgia with around two hundred
and sixty-five (265) attendees. At least five hundred and fifteen (515) individuals
received IPM training by attending sessions held in several other Georgia locations hosted
by local County Extension Agents.
Over 1,880,000 acres of Georgia crops were grown under IPM
practices in 19961. Figures 1 and 2 identify the county locations for crops
grown under IPM practices broken out by row crops (cotton, peanuts, soybeans, tobacco,
grain sorghum and field corn) and non-row crops (includes vegetables, pecans, fruits,
nursery crops, home gardens and poultry).
 
In 1996 cotton, peanuts, soybeans, pecans and vegetables
accounted for over 95% of the commodity acreages grown under IPM practices. The number of
counties with IPM programs for each of the major commodity groups and the number of
growers, scouts and acres produced under IPM program practices are given in Table 1.
Table 1. 1996 Georgia Integrated Pest Management Program By
Commodity
Commodity |
No. Counties |
No. Growers |
No. Scouts |
No. Acres |
Cotton |
89 |
3,352 |
1,737 |
1,245,100 |
Peanuts |
51 |
1,716 |
1,243 |
295,300 |
Soybeans |
46 |
728 |
655 |
172,000 |
Pecans |
37 |
291 |
259 |
72,030 |
Vegetables |
41 |
740 |
666 |
56,310 |
All Others |
18 |
922 |
873 |
43,847 |
Totals |
102 |
7,749 |
5,433 |
1,884,587 |
| Figure 3 depicts the 1996 commodity
acreages grown under IPM practices by program sponsor. 
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| Table 2. 1996 Georgia Integrated Pest Management Program
By Sponsor |
Sponsor |
No. Counties |
No. Growers |
No. Scouts |
No. Acres |
County Pest Management Associations |
27 |
496 |
191 |
140,614 |
Independent Scouts |
71 |
1,857 |
718 |
638,017 |
Grower/Family Scout |
92 |
4,183 |
3,992 |
669,314 |
Industry Scouts |
36 |
450 |
148 |
93,451 |
Consultants |
51 |
763 |
384 |
343,191 |
Totals |
102 |
7,749 |
5,433 |
1,884,587 |
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Definition IPM program sponsor groupings are:
County pest management association programs were
implemented by an elected board of growers. Each County Association (non-profit) was
responsible for collecting and managing of funds, hiring (and firing, if necessary),
supervision and paying the scouts. In contrast to private consultants, these scouts
provided only the results of their field surveys to growers and did not make pesticide or
management recommendations. The County Extension Agent coordinated training and provided
technical assistance to the Pest Management Association and scouts.
Independent scouts contracted directly with the growers.
These scouts generally did not provide pesticide recommendations and did not work through
a County Pest Management Association. Scouting was a "summer job" for these
individuals.
Grower or family program scouts were generally a member of
the grower's family or an employee of the grower. Established scouting techniques and
methods were used, but scouting often occurred somewhat irregularly.
Industry scouts were employed by agricultural chemical
firms. Agricultural sales firms provided IPM information (primarily scouting reports) to
their clients as a service.
Private consultants worked directly for the growers.
Either the consultant or one of his representatives carried out routine field surveys with
the consultant providing interpretation and management recommendations to the grower. For
consultants, providing IPM services was a primary occupation.
1 G. K. Douce.
Personal communication. IPM Program data used in preparation of this report were collected
from results of a mailout questionnaire sent to (and received back from) every county
extension office in Georgia. Attendance at IPM Training sessions were obtained from
records maintained by personnel coordinating each of the training sessions. |
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