Dr. Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F. Smith on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Dr. Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F. Smith on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In the pest control indutries, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a popular topic, and many scientists promote this concept, method, and implementation. Theoretically, Integrated Pest Management is a conception and practice of controlling plant pest organisms by integrating a multidisciplinary approach to managing pests, weeds, and plant pathogens. These two figures, Dr. Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F. Smith, work together in developing environmentally friendly concepts and reducing the excessive use of pesticides.

In their biography, they are both academics and educators. Dr. Adkisson was born in Arkansas on March 11, 1929. He received a master’s degree in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in entomology from Kansas State University. During his time, after completing his formal studies, he actively went on research activities several times for the University of Missouri until he finally joined Texas A&M University’s Department of entomology in 1958. Meanwhile, his colleague, Dr. Smith was born in California in 1919 and earned his bachelor’s degree in entomology from the University of California, Berkeley. From 1946 until his retirement in 1982, he was a professor of entomology at his alma mater.

 

In terms of agricultural ecology and plant pest organisms, Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F. Smith are known to be enthusiastic. The two of them met in 1960 and believe that reducing pesticides in the field resulted in a positive impact on increasing crop yields and environmental health. It is this common vision and view that strengthens their long-term relationship.

For their services, efforts, and contributions, Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F, Smith, jointly received the Nobel Food Prize or known as the World Food Prize in 1997. They are among the pioneers who are concerned about the negative impact of agricultural practices based on synthetic pesticides on the balance of the environment, health, and agribusiness.

They either independently or jointly demonstrate and popularize the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program on agricultural land in various countries by campaigning for the reduction of pesticide use in various aspects of agricultural activities. Combining their interests, talents, and efforts, the 2 professors and several of their colleagues across the country committed the resources essential to integrating and promoting the new IPM program.

 

In 1972, the Huffaker Project, involved more than 200 scientists from various universities throughout the United States. They tested and implemented Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems for some of the major United States crops that are most widely cultivated in the United States such as alfalfa, apple, cotton, and soybeans. At that time, Dr. Adkisson presided over this wide scale run from 1978 to 1985.

from the existence of this project, at that time, United States government statistics estimated that America’s dependence on chemical insecticides fell by up to 50 percent as a direct result of the research and training that emerged from this project. The project is also an important part in spreading the concept and practice of pest control (IPM) around the world. Several hundred graduate students and researchers are involved in learning the theory and practice of IPM systems. This has triggered the establishment of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) scientific network throughout the world through various extension programs at the university and farmer levels.

From time to time, the application of the IPM system has widely been implemented on various crops including horticultural crops, alfalfa, soybeans, cotton, sorghum, peanuts, and rice. In terms of farm efficiency due to the introduction of this system, it is estimated that US cotton farmers alone could save up to $1 billion per year by reducing pesticide costs. With using a variety of pest prevention and control in the Land, they don’t just rely on the use of Pesticides. Reducing usage of chemical pesticides means saving more money. Until now, globally, the concept and practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) have spread widely in various countries. Data from the United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 1 million farmers in more than 60,000 villages in every region of the world have implemented IPM methods and saved billions of dollars on chemical pesticides.

 

Bibliography of Dr. Perry L. Adkisson and Dr. Ray F. Smith on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

 

 

Entomological Society of America. 2025. Perry L. Adkisson, ESA Fellow (1984). Accessed via https://www.entsoc.org/fellows/adkisson  on February 8th, 2025.

Wikipedia. 2025. Ray Fred Smith. Accessed via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_F._Smith  on February 8th, 2025