Environment Task Force Newsletter
Ohio State University Extension
Summer, 1997, v1 #2

Effective and Ecological Pest Control

Kyle Sharp, Associate Editor Communications and Technology

Pesticide users who know all the control options can choose a method that best fits their financial and environmental needs and controls the pest, said Chris Penrose, agriculture and natural resources agent at the Athens County office of Ohio State University Extension.

Penrose developed a holistic pest control program in 1996. The program was designed to teach participants about cultural, organic, biological and chemical pesticide controls, and basic principles that apply to all of them.

"This program does not have an agenda pro or con to organic or chemical pesticides," Penrose said. "The objective is to use research-based information that provides a basic understanding of all areas of pesticide control, so people will use the safest and most environmentally sound options available."

Meeting a need

The program grew from pesticide recertification for farmers who use chemicals. Athens County has many organic farmers, in addition to conventional farmers, and the office receives a lot of requests for organic controls, Penrose said. So he decided to create a core program that could address the needs of everybody and be tailored to the wants of different audiences.

The goal is to have people start with cultural pest control practices, then turn to organic, biological and, if necessary, chemical options. Cultural practices include crop rotation or planting at times when potentially harmful insects, fungi or weeds are the least active. Planting crops that are resistant to certain pests is a type of biological control. Organic techniques include treating crops with natural substances such as abrasive dust and Bordeaux -- a copper, sulfur and lime mixture -- to control insects and diseases.

Sometimes stonger measures are necessary

If organic or chemical pesticides are needed, the program teaches participants how to read and understand label directions, so they use the most appropriate product for their needs, Penrose said.

The program points out the vast differences in pesticide toxicity and puts chemicals in perspective with commonly used organic materials -- such as nicotine, table salt and caffeine. It stresses that organic pesticides are not always safer than chemical pesticides by comparing LD50 levels -- the lethal dose required to kill 50 percent of a test population within 14 days after exposure to a concentration of a substance. The lower the number, the more toxic the material.

The LD50 levels for some common chemical pesticides taken orally are: diazinon, 300; sevin, 246; methoxychlor, 6,000; and captan, 9,000. In comparison, levels for some organic materials are: nicotine, 10; kerosene, 50; rotenone, 132; caffeine, 200; and table salt, 3320.

Penrose has presented the program to audiences of 10 to 55 people. The diverse groups have included Columbia Gas employees, Ohio University grounds maintenance employees, Hocking College landscaping students, fruit and vegetable growers, urban landowners, landscaping businesses, and local officials. It can run as long as two hours, or as short as 30 minutes.

The program's effectiveness and diversity earned it a Flagship Program award from the Ohio State University Extension Environment Task Force. The award program recognizes excellence and innovations in environmental education efforts that exemplify the national mission statement of Natural Resources and Environmental Management: "The NREM Program educates a diverse people to make decisions and take actions to improve the quality, productivity and sustainability of natural resources."

Groups interested in viewing or receiving information about the holistic pest control program should contact Penrose at the Athens County office of Ohio State University Extension, (614) 593-8555.