Title:
Integrated Pest Management Can Increase Crop
Production
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
See text below
Text:
Farmers know that if you reduce harmful insects and
diseases in your crops, you have a chance for a
better harvest. Today, many farmers and experts
praise Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. IPM is a
series of choices and methods to control insects,
diseases and fungi. The program provides current
information on how pests live and act in the
environment. A number of non-governmental and other
organizations in many countries provide education in
IPM. Farmers can get information meant for the needs
of their own land. They can learn to recognize
possible problems and how to plan crops to help
prevent failures.Paul Jepson heads the Integrated
Plant Protection Center at Oregon State University.
He says farmers who have attended field schools in
Asia and Africa have increased the use of IPM. And
he says this has cut pesticide use. James Frederick
is an IPM expert with Clemson University's Pee Dee
Research and Educational Center in South Carolina.
He says one basic IPM method is to plant as early in
the season as possible so that most of the crop will
be in by the time a disease or pest arrives. Not all
insects are pests. Some are helpful. IPM programs
help farmers learn to identify different
kinds.Another IPM method is rotating crops. Farmers
do not plant the same crop season after season in
the same soil. Instead, they may plant corn one
season, soybeans the next, then corn again. Brenda
Vander Mey is also with Clemson University. She says
farmers should not endlessly work the same soil
without putting back some organic matter. James
Frederick says farmers need information about what
crops are best to plant. He says that sometimes
disease-resistant crops will reduce harvests. He
said a last choice would be chemical control. But he
suggests using management methods first. Another
possible method of pest control is using genetically
modified plants. They have had their genes changed
to contain a special characteristic, like resistance
to certain insects. Brenda Vander Mey says she
believes improvements in plants can be very helpful.
She noted the example of genetic engineering that
makes rice more nutritious by producing beta
carotene. For VOA Special English, I'm Alex
Villarreal. You can read and download our programs
at voaspecialenglish.com.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
To post a comment:
• Click "Comment using..." in
the window below
• Click your favorite service: Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail
• Login to the service
• Click "Add a comment..."
• Post your comment in the window
Students: Please post a
comment stating what you found interesting about this video. You are
welcome to include links to your English study blogs and any
other materials you think might be useful for learning
English.
Teachers: Please post your
thoughts about this video. You are welcome to include links to
your sites, blogs, and any other materials you think might
be useful for learning English.
Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
