BioWiki / Environment

Water Management

Practical biological control, IPM and environmental pest-management knowledge.


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Water Management

Overview

Water management strongly influences crop stress, humidity, root health and pest pressure.

Irrigation strategy is therefore an important component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).


IPM relevance

Poor water management may contribute to:

  • plant stress
  • weak growth
  • humidity instability
  • root disease risk
  • sciarid fly pressure
  • slug pressure
  • biological control disruption

Environmental influence

Water affects:

  • canopy humidity
  • substrate oxygen
  • transpiration
  • crop temperature buffering
  • root activity
  • nutrient uptake

Environmental stability is often linked closely to irrigation consistency.


Crop stress interaction

Both overwatering and underwatering may increase susceptibility to pest pressure.

Stressed crops are often more vulnerable to:

  • spider mites
  • aphids
  • thrips
  • root-feeding pests

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