IPM: The Path to a Successful Approach

A system for sustainable cultivation, in which you minimize use of chemicals; that is integrated pest management (IPM) in a nutshell. You can fully adapt this system to your own crop and company, and there is always something new to learn. But how do you get started? We'll tell you what you need to know to get started!

Fortunately, a lot of experience and knowledge about IPM has already been gained. A thorough step-by-step plan with all relevant parts can be found on our Integrated Pest Management page. It includes more than a hundred tips for preventing diseases and pests, strengthening and protecting your crop, using natural enemies, and the combination with chemical products. It also covers economic considerations, improving your own knowledge, and monitoring diseases and pests as resources to help you during your journey on the road to success.

Getting started, step by step

But all these tips mean you are confronted with lots of choices. How do you, as a grower, make the right choices? The step-by-step plan below is the perfect guide!

• First establish your objective. Do you want to grow entirely without chemicals? Are you looking for a solution to a particular problem? Or do you want to better meet the requirements of your customers?
• Call in help: a consultant you trust and who is well versed in the field of IPM.
• Work with the consultant to draw up a plan. After all, IPM relies heavily on a system approach. The basic approach is always: biological whenever possible, chemical when necessary.
• Learn as much as you can from colleagues with experience.
• Ensure that you and your employees have or develop sufficient knowledge and skills to achieve your ambitions.
• Don't give up too quickly. Every grower who starts with IPM must first learn what works best in their crop and under their conditions. Experience shows that perseverance leads to results, even in difficult cases. In other words: slow and steady wins the race!