IPM controls should be applied when pest populations reach what level?

The concept of an economic threshold is pivotal in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. This threshold represents the pest population level at which the economic damage they cause exceeds the cost of controlling them. Essentially, it is the point where the financial justification for applying control measures becomes evident; applying controls below this threshold would not be cost-effective.

When pest populations reach the economic threshold, it signals to growers that they should take action to mitigate potential losses. This approach integrates both economic and ecological considerations, emphasizing that control measures should be employed based on practical financial outcomes rather than arbitrary pest population counts or general observations.

While other thresholds such as action thresholds and monitoring thresholds are also relevant in pest management, they do not have the same economic justification as the economic threshold. The critical limit typically refers to non-pest management contexts, often involving safety limits rather than economic concerns. Therefore, the economic threshold is specifically designed to guide decision-making in pest management based on financial viability.