Practical Aspects of Pest Management

Abstract The concept of integrated pest management (IPM) has received widespread acceptance only within the past decade. Evidence of this is reflected in the increased number of articles dealing with pest management being published in scientific journals, and the increased number of papers presented at various scientific meetings. However, it is not all that new. A version of the IPM called supervised control was being practiced in alfalfa and cotton in California over 30 years ago and a sophisticated cotton insect scouting program was being used in Arkansas in the 1950s. Though these early programs were aimed at insect control, they demonstrated the advantages of extensive monitoring, which is the backbone of any pest management program.