Integrated Pest Management

Clearly, it is highly desirable to use integrated pest management systems, especially in comparison with broadcast sprays of conventional, synthetic pesticides. This is particularly true of those relatively few pests for which effective biological controls have been discovered, because these methods have few nontarget effects.

It is unfortunate that in spite of ongoing research into their development, effective integrated systems have not yet been discovered for most pest management problems. Because it is important to manage pests, their control must therefore continue to rely heavily on synthetic pesticides. Regrettably, the toxicological and ecological damages associated with a heavy reliance on pesticides will continue until a broader range of integrated tools is available to pest managers.

Integrated pest management is the key for reducing the reliance on pesticides in intensively managed systems in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and public health.