UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The three Rs and the ABCs long have been staples of the public school curriculum. But soon, Pennsylvania students also will be learning their IPM, thanks to a regulation recently adopted by the state Board of Education.
The regulation mandates that integrated pest management, or IPM, be taught as part of the "ecology and the environment" curriculum. Proposed academic standards specifying what students should learn about IPM and related subjects are expected to be approved soon.
IPM aims to manage pests -- such as insects, plant diseases and weeds -- by using knowledge of pest biology in combination with physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible. Farmers, landscapers, foresters, homeowners and others who use IPM often can reduce pesticide use.
The Pennsylvania IPM Program, a collaboration between Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, worked with the state education department to develop the proposed IPM academic standards. With a grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania IPM Program now is developing IPM materials and hands-on activities for use in K-12 classrooms.
"IPM integrates scientific knowledge with real-world, problem-solving skills," says Lyn Garling, Penn State IPM education specialist. "Because IPM is an information-intensive, scientific approach, it is a good learning tool in subjects such as biology, chemistry, math and statistics.
"IPM can help students to develop critical-thinking skills and to become better-informed citizens who can contribute to society's decision-making process," Garling says. "Ultimately, we want to overcome science illiteracy and increase public involvement in environmental issues."
Garling says learning IPM principles also will give students a greater understanding of agriculture and food production issues, including the complex decisions and problems faced by farmers.
"Pest management must take into account such factors as when the pest will emerge, the pest's biology and what tactics can be used successfully to control that pest," Garling explains. "It's a very complicated and scientifically based enterprise, and many people don't appreciate that. They think farmers just spray pesticides all over the place and that's the end of that. But that's not often the case."
In addition, Garling says students will learn how IPM can be used in non-agricultural settings, such as homes, gardens and even school buildings. "Many school districts have adopted IPM to manage pests on school grounds," she says. "By working with teachers and school maintenance personnel to scout for pests and implement the IPM techniques that they've learned in the classroom, students will have opportunities for hands-on learning."
Penn State and agriculture department IPM specialists have held workshops to educate teachers about IPM concepts and to illustrate how IPM relates to various facets of ecology and the environment. "Teachers not familiar with IPM often come in confused, but leave enthused," Garling says of the workshops.
For more information on IPM, visit the Pa. IPM Program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.
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EDITORS: Lyn Garling can be reached at 814-863-8884. For more information on the Pa. IPM Program, contact Kristie Auman at 814-865-2839 or visit the program's Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.
Contacts: Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax