IPM Guidelines

What are IPM Guidelines?

IPM Guidelines (also known as IPM Checklists, Elements, Protocols, Definitions, and Standards) are best management practices for specific crops, developed in cooperation primarily with growers, university Extension specialists, and IPM consultants. These guidelines are used by various programs to qualify or certify that a grower or IPM practitioner is using accepted IPM practices. IPM Guidelines have been evaluated for their practicality and are often assigned points based on their importance to IPM and the level of difficulty required to implement. While these guidelines represent the best management options currently available, they evolve as new IPM technologies are developed. To learn how guidelines are created, see the IPM Institute’s Guide to IPM Elements and Guidelines.

How are they used?

IPM Guidelines are designed to be flexible and adaptable to each farm's unique conditions. Many growers already employ these practices, and all farms should be able to adopt them over time. IPM Guidelines can be used

• as a checklist for growers to evaluate their on-farm pest management programs,
• to verify that IPM is practiced on the farm by food marketers such as SYSCO,
• to qualify for environmental incentive payments offered through agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service,
• as an educational tool to describe the scope and complexity of IPM.

IPM Guidelines for the Northeast

(Additional guidelines are posted by the National IPM Center.)