Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Officer
Olivia De La Mare
Green Camel, NSW
HILA Employment Category: Entomologist
As an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Officer, Olivia is responsible for controlling plant diseases and pests using a non-conventional approach. Olivia works in the high-tech glass houses at Green Camel, helping produce tomatoes and cucumbers organically. At its New South Wales operation, Green Camel delivers a meaningful organic/pesticide free product range that is offered in the major Australian food retailers. IPM is vital for this type of operation, and involves strategic releasing of beneficial insects to naturally control pests along with organic spray applications. It relies heavily on monitoring plants and planning ahead of time to control pests in a timely manner. The benefit of IMP is that is doesn’t use harsh chemicals to control a disease or pest, it looks closely at the lifecycle and uses natural predators and systems to prevent and eradicate problems.
Core tasks
- Monitoring and identifying plants pests and disease,
- Checking spray systems functioning,
- Investigating the chemical structure and function of living cells in plants and micro-organisms,
- Investigating the effects of environmental factors on plant grown such as rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil, topography, and disease.
- Studying the forms and structures of plant tissues by systematic observation, dissection and microscopic examination.
Study pathways
- AHC30318 Certificate III in Rural and Environmental Pest Management
- AHC41716 Certificate IV in Pest Management
Training Recommended
- Chemical Certificate
- Forklift License