ST. THOMAS -- Fintrac Senior Agronomist and Entomologist, Dr. Richard Pluke, took St. Thomas farmers deep inside the world of bugs during a presentation at the University of the Virgin Islands designed to help farmers identify and learn how to control insects on the farm.

Pluke rifled through slides of insects while the 23 in attendance peppered him with questions about insect problems and how to deal with them.

Pluke’s overall message stressed the importance of identifying and monitoring insects on the farm.

“Keep looking, see what you have, see what they do and see where they go,” Pluke said.

With proper identification, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program can be designed for specific problems on the farm. IPM is an inclusive approach to improve crops through careful ecological management of the farm, monitoring of pests and weeds and the use of control options that include the use of natural predators, pesticides, traps, crop rotation and live barriers.

“Basically you have got to confuse the pests,” Pluke said. For example, part of the IPM approach is to rotate crops so insect populations don’t build up on one type of crop. IPM also calls for looking beyond the crop for solutions – clearing weeds around the field so insects don’t have a stepping stone, and using live barriers such as sorghum and corn to surround the crop with protection and slow infestations. Also, the use of natural predators is an important part of IPM. Lady bugs, for example, help control aphid populations.

“I identified a lot of bugs and learned the good from the bad,” said St. Thomas farmer Jambee.

The IPM strategy struck a chord with St. Thomas farmers because many farmers grow organic produce.

Pluke stressed the importance of identification to find solutions and that the process takes time. Once insects are properly identified, IPM can be applied effectively.

“The way I look at it is, insects are nature’s tax, and it’s just about how much tax you are willing to pay before you do something about it,” Pluke said.

Pluke’s presentation was the second in a series of technical agricultural workshops held at UVI. Dozens of St. Thomas farmers and officials from the V.I. Department of Agriculture and UVI Cooperative Extension Service have participated. The “Integrated Pest Management” workshop followed a “Greenhouse Production” workshop held in March. Fintrac’s greenhouse expert, Melvin Medina, was flown in from Jamaica for the workshop. The “Integrated Pest Management” workshop will also be held at UVI’s St. Croix campus on July 1. A third workshop, “Plant Nutrition,” will be held on both islands in August. Fintrac, in conjunction with the UVI Cooperative Extension Service and the Department of Agriculture, is sponsoring the training workshops and promoting Fintrac techniques as a free service to the V.I. farming community.