Page 117 - ORNAMENTALES DEL TRÓPICO

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IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ORNAMENTAL PESTS

Catharine Mannion

I. Challenges to pest management

There are numerous challenges to pest management, particularly in the tropics and subtropics.

The mild (warm and humid) conditions can be very favorable for insect establishment and

growth. Many of the key pests of ornamentals can be difficult to identify. Some pests are very

small or difficult to notice until damage is severe. Frequent or heavy use of pesticides can not
only develop insecticide resistance in the target pests, but also can have a negative impact on

natural enemies which play a role in the management of the pest. The most important step in

pest management is to determine if the plant problem is caused by a pest and to identify what

type of pest it is. It is only then that a rationale decision can be made about its management.

Occasionally, insect or mite problems are sometimes confused with abiotic, harmless,

or sometimes beneficial organisms or symptoms or sometimes with the symptoms of disease

or nutritional problems. Some commonly mistaken identities include normal plant structures

such as lenticels in the bark of stems and twigs of woody plants that can resemble scale insects,

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas