Peter Borst wrote:

> Another *important* criterion of an Integrated Pest Management regime
> is that it HAS TO BE COST EFFECTIVE. No one is expected to lose money
> year after year. If beekeeping is your hobby you can sink tons of
> money in it. If it is your livelihood, you don't want to lose the
> farm.

Peter's comment is really where IPM is a hard sell to farmers. It
requires monitoring and they have to be shown that it can be done and
will reduce costs by less use of pesticides and optimum kills when they
are used. In Maine, some University students are lent out to farmers to
run their IPM program and show how they can save money. To an extent, it
works, but too often, when the student leaves, IPM does too.

Apple IPM was mentioned and some of the first research was done right
here in Maine. I was able to hear the presentations by the originators
at our Ag Show. They were "Organic" farmers who knew that the best apple
varieties needed spray and they wanted to reduce spraying to a minimum.
(I grow several different varieties of apples and without question, the
ones bred to use less pesticides have the least flavor - but they do
look good. I do not spray and eat around the damage. I have also come to
the conclusion that if it says Organic, it only means it might be,
especially with apples and probably is not with honey.)

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME