Ecology and integrated pest management

Abstract

The struggle to control populations of organisms that feed on agricultural crops, livestock, and directly on humans is as old as recorded history, and will continue into the perceivable future. Only 30 years ago, the availability of relatively cheap and highly effective synthetic organic pesticides was thought to be the ultimate solution to pest populations. However, our naivete regarding the ability of pest populations to rapidly adapt to simplistic man-induced selection pressures has become increasingly apparent, as have the detrimental impacts of pesticides on the environment. The evolution of the integrated pest management paradigm can be traced to these concerns, and it is now accepted that sustainable solutions to the management of pest populations will only be borne out of ap increased understanding of the functioning of ecosystems. Knowledge of the population dynamics, and underlying causes of density changes in pest populations, behavioural ecology, and population genetics of pests and natural enemies, are essential elements for designing appropriate biologically intensive strategies for pest management. Progress is being made, and several examples of innovative strategies and promising areas of research, are discussed. Future work must continue to be based on a solid foundation of ecological understanding, to avoid the pitfalls of simple opportunistic solutions.