Review and guidance for integrated management of economically significant weeds, pests and diseases in a range of horticultural and other edible field crops.

Integrated Pest Management is an effective approach to control pests, diseases, and weeds economically with reduced chemical plant protection product input. Within the horticulture sector, IPM is already widely adopted, and in some cases is the only viable option. In soft fruit crops, for example, there are no currently available chemical plant protection products for vine weevil control, therefore this pest can only be controlled through a carefully planned IPM
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programme using a combination of cultural and biological methods. This review has identified over 1500 IPM strategies for non-broadacre crops which either could be used more by growers or where there is little potential for increased use as growers are already adopting them, or strategies that justify further research and development.
The review examines the pest, disease and weed problems considered to be of greatest economic importance for each crop with the four groups, and existing and potential ways to reduce their impact other than by using conventional plant protection products. Measures were reviewed starting with those at crop planning, and then during pre-cropping, before turning to those enacted within the crop. On completion of the review, the perceived effectiveness of each measure, its speed of action, its ease of implementation and the cost of doing it were each rated and utilised in an equation that incorporated the likely greater potential use over the current use. The resulting tables created were then filtered to identify priorities for attention where there was potential for an increase in use of a given strategy. Those measures having a low strength of evidence were recommended for further research before greater knowledge exchange. Strong evidence of effectiveness was found for 368 of these IPM strategies (including many decision support systems, variety choice and good hygiene). Here further uptake may require more knowledge exchange with growers for them to be fully implemented. The tables provide pointers to the review and should be read in conjunction with the full text of the review.
For 343 strategies, more research to develop the methods and to fully understand how to implement them is required. Across the crops, the number of references (~1000) emphasises the volume of research that has already been carried out in this area, however there is a need for further research to improve our understanding and uptake of the various components of IPM. Research tends to focus on a particular measure; however, it is the implementation of a series of steps that will culminate in the ultimate protection of the crop; from planning where the crop is to grow, pre-cropping decisions ensuring the growing area and the seeds or plants to be grown are as free from pests and pathogens as possible, to finally implementing in-crop husbandry. Each crop situation is unique, but this review provides details of measures, both established and more recently developed, that can be integrated within individual crop management plans.