Sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management in China.

Abstract

In developed countries, emphasis is being switched from high productivity through the use of high inputs to ecologically sustainable agriculture. In developing countries such as China priority must be given to increasing food production while simultaneously trying to optimize sustainability. Achievements in plant protection are being countered by continued evolution of the pest ecosystem, in part driven by application of pesticides or the introduction of new crop varieties. Future management of the agricultural ecosystem requires the development of a method of 'super-long-term' prediction to evaluate possible consequences of different strategies of plant protection. Crop plants with durable resistance to pests must be derived by conventional breeding or by using biotechnology and genetic engineering. Genetic vulnerability can also be reduced by techniques such as gene rotation and mixed cropping. Biological control of plant pests shows promise but requires ecological study of the relationships among crop, pest and natural enemy. Implementation of sustainable pest management will need training and education of farmers, extension workers and policy makers to deliver new information in the developing countries.