Pest Thresholds: Their Development and Use in Vineyards for Arthropod Management

Abstract

Thresholds provide a quantitative basis upon which crop managers can decide whether arthropod pest populations are below, at, or exceeding a level that warrants the expense of activities to reduce the pests density. These interventions may be cultural, biological, or chemical control practices that reduce the pest population below the economic threshold. Thresholds are an essential component of an IPM program, and their use can lead to significant reduction in pesticides applied to crops and lower costs of production for farmers (Pedigo et al. 1986).