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PSC201 Invertebrate Pest Management (8)

Abstract

The subject deals with forms, function, life-cycles, biology and approaches to the control and management of invertebrate pests in Agriculture and Horticulture.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Location

Session 2
InternalWagga Wagga Campus
Distance*Wagga Wagga Campus
*This subject offering contains a residential school. Please view following information for further details.
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: PSC201
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLSchool of Agricultural and Wine Sciences

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- Be able to accurately describe the classification, biology, life cycles and population dynamics of invertebrate pests, including;
- Define and characterise pest species.
- Identify major pest and natural enemy types.
- Economic, environmental and societal costs of pests.
- Population biology and pest dynamics.

- Be able to discuss the principles and approaches for the control and management of invertebrate pests including chemical, biological and cultural including;
- Define integrated pest management (IPM) and identify the fundamental principles related to this approach.
- Analyse and evaluate the major techniques used within IPM strategies.
- Describe biosecurity approaches.

- Be able to demonstrate techniques in working with invertebrate pest management including;
- Apply the economic injury level concept and its importance in an IPM program.
- Analyse the major techniques used for pest monitoring and surveillance.
- Identify and integrate pest management tactics.
- Evaluate interactions between pest management tactics in terms of implementing an integrated approach for various production and environmental systems.

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
Module 1, Pests and their biology - Properties of pestiferous arthropods. - Pest identification and its importance. - Applied population biology - Socioeconomic impacts of pests. Module 2 Pest management approaches - A brief history of pest management, control and biosecurity. - Pesticides (inc semiochemicals) - Biological control - Host plant resistance (inc transgenic crops) - Cultural control - Regulatory approaches (inc sterile insect technique) - Monitoring and thresholds in IPM - Planning and implementing IPM (including field scale tactics to area wide management) - Future of IPM (including barriers to and drivers for adoption, organic production, climate change)

Residential School

This subject contains a compulsory 2 day residential school. Primary focus is practical skills in insect handling, preservation, identification etc. Some work on use of Pebble Pad and raising awareness of the student-centred approach taken in the subject.

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The information contained in the 2016 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 06 September 2016. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.