§ 148-d. Vegetable and potato pest management. Within the integrated pest management program, there shall be established a vegetable and potato pest management program. Such program shall be conducted in such a manner to achieve the following objectives:

1. determine the occurrence and severity of pest problems in commercial fields, and identify the specific environmental factors influencing these events. Document the current pesticide usage and assess the effectiveness of current pest management practices;

2. determine accurate and time-efficient sampling procedures and forecasting methods which can be utilized by private consultants or through cooperative extension. Determine the economic relationship of pest incidence to yield or quality loss. Develop non-pesticide methods of pest management in the areas of cultural practices, biological control and crop resistance. In addition the proper timing, selection and use of pesticides will be integrated into the overall management programs;

3. aid growers in executing the most optimal crop protection program by providing them with timely reports on pest presence and population density levels, forecasted pest occurrences, crop growth, weather and other environmental information, and providing the most current interpretation of the data;

4. increase efforts to educate growers in the principles and tactics of integrated pest management and demonstrate the economic advantages of such a program;

5. develop concepts, techniques, and cultivars for integration of pest resistance with other management tactics in potato production (e.g. crop rotation, biological control, optimum use of pesticides);

6. develop pest sampling procedures, sound action thresholds, forecasting procedures, and economic data necessary for effective decisions in use of pest resistant cultivars and other tactics for management of pests;

7. demonstrate the benefits and reliability of improved pest management tactics to the New York potato industry; and

8. monitor performance of the proposed integrated pest management program during its initial phase of implementation by the potato industry.