IPM Packages for Crops

pepper IPM techniques

• Application of fertilizers and compost inoculated with Trichoderma spp., neem cake, and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhi- za (VaM) fungus, improve the nutrients available to the crop, priming the plant’s own defenses and reducing the incidence of nematodes and other plant diseases. • Select a high-yielding, locally preferred pepper variety that is resistant or moder- ately resistant to diseases such as bacte- rial wilt and Phytophthora blight. Grow seedlings in covered seedbeds to prevent aphids, whiteflies, and transmission of viral diseases. Discard infected seedlings. • Treating seeds/seedlings with the Trich- oderma viride or T. harzianum fungi, Pseu- domonas fluorescens , and Bacillus subtilis bacteria provide protection cropfrom fungal, bacterial, and nematode attacks, increases seedling vigor, and induces plant defense against pests. • Use of seedling trays with cocopith reduces contamination. Irrigation should be monitored to prevent excess moisture, which increases the incidence of fungal diseases.

• Before sowing, remove and destroy plant debris or infested plant material from the field to avoid fungal diseases. Remove weeds, which may serve as a reservoir for disease. • Mulching conserves moisture, harbors natural enemies, and reduces insect pest, mite, and disease incidence. Use reflec - tive mulches or straw mulch to reduce the aphid, whitefly, and thrip populations. • Setting up yellow sticky sheets in fields reduce populations of pests such as aphids, thrips, and whiteflies. • Use of formulations of the fungi Verti- cillium, Paecilomyces, Metarhizium , and Beauveria species, bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis , botanical neem, and benefi - cial nematodes such as Heterorhabditis sp. and Steinernema sp. • Use safe insecticides if needed.

Farmers add coconut husk to seedling trays