Quantifying Texas sorghum growers' use of IPM for insect pests

Data on the extent of IPM used by farmers are needed to evaluate success of technology deployment and educational activities. Also, a goal of the EPA and Clinton administration is that IPM be used on greater than or equal to 75% of U.S. crop acreage before the year 2000. Criteria for what qualified as IPM use by Texas growers of sorghum, Sorghum? bicolor (L.) Moench, were based on data from a questionnaire mailed to IPM specialists in Texas who r anked the importance of 14 sorghum insect pests and 22 IPM tactics in their regions. In a questionnaire mailed to 739 sorghum growers, 84.3% ranked gr eenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), very important and "headworms", Heli coverpa tea (Boddie) and Spadoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), second-most im portant. Growers themselves (77.4%) did most scouting for insect pests in s orghum. They needed to receive $5.16 per hundredweight before it paid to hi re someone to scout their sorghum. At this price, growers would be willing to pay someone $2.75 per acre to scout. During the past year, most sorghum growers attended at least one chemical company- (79.8%), seed company- (75. 8%), or Extension Service-sponsored meeting (75.3%) to learn how to manage insect pests. Most sorghum growers found bulletins and other written media (93.9%), Extension Service advice (85.2%), and shortcourses, seminars, and meetings (81.9%) helpful sources of information about IPM. During the past 5 yr, sorghum growers grew more sorghum (average 643.7 acres) than other cr ops. Most grow sorghum for profit (94.0%) or as a rotation crop (65.1%). Th eir incentives for growing more sorghum were: better price (96.2%), higher yield (89.4%), less input costs (77.9%), and availability of pest-resistant hybrids (71.6%). IPM practices used most often for sorghum insect pests we re cultural controls - seedbed preparation to promote seed germination and seedling growth, crop rotation, fertilizer management, tillage, and pest-re sistant varieties. About 80% of growers used scouting and economic threshol ds, but only 40-60% used insecticides for sorghum insect pests. Fifty-five percent say they use IPM to manage sorghum insect pests. However, based on criteria set by IPM specialists, 87.4% of Texas sorghum growers are IPM use rs on 2.8 million acres.