In IPM, what is an economic threshold?

• A. Pests density at which control action should be taken to prevent economic loss
• B. The pest population level at which harvest is canceled
• C. The weather conditions during pest outbreaks
• D. The overall cost of pest management across the season

Answer: (C)

Economic thresholds in IPM are the pest density at which you should start control actions to prevent economic loss. It’s the trigger that tells you when intervention is warranted, so you apply control before damage becomes costly. This threshold is set below the level where actual damage equals control costs, giving time to act and keep yields profitable. The other ideas—relying on weather during outbreaks, deciding when harvest should be canceled, or weighing total season costs—don’t describe the density-based trigger that signals when to intervene.