IPM, means a pest management system that in the context of the associated environment and the population dynamics of the pest species, utilizes all suitable techniques and methods in as compatible a manner as possible and maintains the pest population at levels below those causing economically unacceptable damage or loss. - Source: FAO

5-Step Integrated Pest Management Programme approach taken to contain and/or control Bagworm outbreak thus limiting the usage of monocrotophos:

1. Integrated Pest Management
   E.g. planting of beneficial plants to enhance the natural parasitic and predator activities against bagworm. Todate more than 262,905 beneficial broadleaf flowering plants have been planted.
2. On-going Monitoring
   Census gangs deployed on each estate who take random frond samples in a pre-determined pattern throughout each estate. These fronds are subsequently subjected to insect counts and damage assessments by trained personnel.
3. Aerial Surveillance
   Regular aerial reconnaissance is carried out to better detect, pre-empt and treat potential outbreaks.
4. Use of biological control agents
   E.g. Bacillus Thuringiensis as the first line of treatment against an outbreak.
5. Final Resort
   As a final resort and only when Steps 1 to 4 have proven to be futile in containing or controlling the natural equilibrium between pest and beneficial predator, our trained personnel intervenes with the specific treatment of trunk injection using monocrotophos.
   

Establishing Beneficial Flowering Plants
Todate (2018), a total of 262,905 beneficial broadleaf flowering plants have been planted in our plantations encouraging parasite and predator activities which is a vital part of our IPM programme. There has been a steady increase in the number of beneficial plants which were planted in our Malaysian and Indonesian properties over the last few years. However due to replanting activities in most of the Malaysian estates as well as the loss of beneficial plants to floods, beneficial plants numbers have been setback for some years although numbers are expected to rise in the coming years.

Tunera ulmifolia, a beneficial plant, planted as part of our overall Integrated Pest Management programme.

Surveillance and Monitoring of Pest Outbreaks

The key to minimizing both the economic impact of pest and environmental impacts from excessive use of pesticides is by regular surveillance and monitoring. Treatment is only carried out when the damage exceeds established critical thresholds. Several census gangs are deployed on each estate to survey the extent of pest infestation. This is coupled with regular aerial reconnaissance in order to track and pre-empt pest build-up thereby more effectively treating potential outbreaks.

We are committed to phase out the chemicals that fall under the WHO Class 1A & 1B and Stockholm or Rotterdam Conventions. We are still working with several multinational chemical companies to evaluate, determine and implement alternative pest control strategies to totally phase-out these chemicals when effective and suitable alternatives are available. Meanwhile, chemicals that fall under the WHO Class 1A & 1B and Stockholm or Rotterdam Conventions are only used in emergency and/or exceptional circumstances such as pest outbreaks.

Use of Biological Pesticides and Pheromones

First line treatment against leaf pests i.e. Nettle Caterpillar and Bagworm is by biological treatment in the form of Bacillus thuringiensis. The use of pheromones to trap Rhinoceros Beetles thus reducing the dependency on chemical pesticides is also adopted on all estates.
Pheromone traps also provide management with statistical information of the severity of the beetle problem and only if many beetles are caught in the buckets, thus necessitating spraying of chemical rather than prophylactic spraying to reduce beetle damage.

Pheromone trap is used to control rhinoceres beetle population in the fields.

Overpopulation of rats, beetles and various kinds of weeds can have profound negative impact on production yield. UP Group attempts to minimize the usage of chemical control-agents where possible, and the Biodiversity Division undertakes a number of research projects to maximise the usage of biological control agents where possible. For example, leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is one of the key-predators of rats and other small rodents, and preliminary studies on the effect of these cats as rat-controllers in a plantation landscape is ongoing.

A leopard cat predating on a rat.

The results have been very promising, and UP’s biodiversity team is currently exploring ways to enrich the habitat conditions for leopard cats, to maximise the population density and thereby reduce the effect of rat damage. Apart from leopard cats, the team also records ecological parameters along with the effect on rat populations of other predators such as barn owls (Tyto alba), Spitting cobra (Naja sumatrana) and water monitor lizards (Varanus v. salvator).

Barn owls are the best partners to oil palm growers due to their ability to adapt well in oil palm plantations, significantly reducing rat population and usage of rodenticides.

Three day old baby Sumatran cobra was released at the same spot where the clutch was found at the first time.

Mowing of Harvesters’ Paths
Blanket weeding is discouraged, soft weeds with shallow root system which do not grow to excessive heights are encouraged outside the weeded palm circle. Harvesters’ paths are mowed. This practice maintains a flora which is favorable to natural enemies of crop pests and reduces soil loss.

Greater emphasis is given to the mowing of the harvesters’ path to control weeds, soil erosion and rutting. The practice effectively reduces the use of herbicides and associated smell and odour problems, including air pollution in general