2013 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 63-70
For more than half a century ecology-based integrated pest management (IPM) has contributed to developing a wide range of sustainable crop production technologies by reducing risks to people and the environment. The knowledge and experience accumulated in IPM programs can serve to improve pest management in organic farming systems. Because the use of synthetic pesticides is strictly limited, however, organic agriculture lacks virtually all emergency pest control measures. Thus the creation of agroecosystems that maintain pest densities below acceptable levels is essential. Vegetation management in time and space is expected to play a key role in achieving this goal. The design of vegetation management strategies should aim to suppress pest immigration, settlement, survival and reproduction, and enhance conservation biological control. Investigation of successful pest management practices in organic farming may provide cues for developing advanced technologies with more general applicability. Collaborative and interdisciplinary research among various technology fields is highly recommended for developing successful pest management in organic farming. Efforts are needed to provide as much information as possible so that organic farmers can choose most appropriate pest management technologies for themselves.
