APMA104-Principles of Integrated Pest Management

Module Provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2019/0

Email: r.girling@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module will provide an understanding of the core principles of integrated pest management, including prevention and suppression, monitoring and decision making, responsive solutions, and evaluation. It will introduce the major classes of organisms that are considered pests of cropping and forestry systems and outline integrated methods for their control. It will also outline a framework for thinking about the factors that determine the impacts of pests, disease and weeds, such as: population growth and factors limiting it; natural enemies; and movement from crop to crop in space and time. A range of case study examples will be introduced to demonstrate how these impacts depend on the whole cropping system. and how IPM approaches can be incorporated in a whole system approach.

Aims:

This module aims to provide students with:

• A robust understanding of the key principles of integrated pest management


• A knowledge of the major classes of organisms that are considered pests in global cropping and forestry systems and an ability to recognise a limited range of plant disease signs, pests, weeds and beneficials


• An understanding of the processes of population ecology that influence pest population dynamics and therefore the impacts of those pests


• A knowledge of the key tools that can be employed as part of an IPM approach


• A range of case study examples of IPM in practice and, by making use of experimental data, the ability to evaluate the system wide interactions that influence management decisions within those systems.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will be able to:

• Explain the key principles of integrated management, using examples from a range of case studies


• Recognise a limited range of plant disease signs, pests, weeds and beneficials


• Understand how parasitic organisms, weeds and beneficials transfer between host crops and multiply, both within crop and regionally


• Describe typical drivers of pest population - dynamics, with examples of their effects


• Be familiar with a range of pest control practices , monitoring and decision support tools, and critically evaluate them as part of an IPM approach


• Recognise, explain and evaluate selected examples of system-wide integration of management tactics


• Analyse simple pest problems and suggest system changes which will improve the overall outcome, based on experimental evidence

Additional outcomes:

Appreciation of the complexity of natural and cultivated ecosystems and better system-scale thinking; improved library research, identification and problem-solving skills. More informed reading of commercial advertising material.  Basic use of simple taxonomic keys to help identify pests and beneficials.

Outline content:

This module will: describe some of the basics of the biology of weeds, the most important herbivorous insect groups and a few of the taxonomic groups causing plant disease; demonstrate the importance of natural enemies; contrast case-histories representing successful and unsuccessful applications of biological control; introduce typical important patterns of population dynamics; show how a serious visible detriment to production is the outcome of the interaction of host, environment and pathogen, pest or weed; describe some contrasting examples to show how production systems may favour or disfavour particular organisms; discuss the action of pesticides within a cropping system and resistance evolution; decision making, precision approaches and the effect of outside constraints on use of pesticides or other agronomic variables.

The Lecture Content covers introductory biology of pest species, population dynamics applied to pathogens, weeds and pests, including the action of natural enemies; case-histories in biological control; examples of how interactions of host, environment and pathogen, pest or weed lead to different outcomes; effects and side-effects of pesticides within a cropping system; resistance evolution; precision approaches and decision support.

The Practical Content will cover: Examination and elementary diagnosis of example arthropods, nematodes, plant diseases caused by fungi, oomycetes, bacteria and viruses; estimation of effective dose of a herbicide.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Lectures; problem-based seminars; field/lab-based practicals; external reading.

Summative assessment- Examinations:

A two-hour exam including a choice of essay questions.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

A practical skills assessment comprising of a spots test (20%)

An in-class 'by scenario-type' extended answer question (30%)

Formative assessment methods:

Classroom feedback during problem-solving and identification sessions

Feedback on summative tests

Penalties for late submission:
Penalties for late submission on this module are in accordance with the University policy. Please refer to page 5 of the Postgraduate Guide to Assessment for further information: http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guidePG.aspx

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A mark of 50% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:

Re-examination in August/September

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):
1) Required text books:
2) Specialist equipment or materials:
3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:
4) Printing and binding:
5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:
6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence:

Last updated: 15 April 2019