Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pragmatic eco-system-based management practice that integrates biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools to manage pests and diseases in agriculture. It does not aim to eradicate pests but to reduce their numbers so that the cost of the damage that they can cause is less than that required for further intervention. One of the main aims of an IPM program is to reduce the use of chemical controls, and to use control strategies that are least damaging to the crop, non-target organisms, humans, and the environment.
The application of IPM to manage pests and diseases helps protect ecological and environmental infrastructures in vineyards, whilst also protecting their economic viability and minimising health risks.