Pest control cultural methods

Sustainable Agriculture. The third factor that will influence the future of pesticide sales is the emphasis on sustainable agriculture systems that rely on more natural pest control methods and reduced pesticide usage. These are integrated systems that requke nutrients and crop protection chemicals from on-farm natural sources and cultural methods. Many current sustainable farms are site-specific systems that may depend on the soils in a... 

Beans are grown widely throughout Latin America and are one of the staple foods. As they are often interplanted with corn or other crops, disease and insect control with pesticides is seldom practiced. At present levels of production it is doubtful whether such control would pay. Investment in pest control is economically sound only when it is practiced in conjunction with improved cultural methods and higher yielding varieties. 

Many cultural control practices are thought to work on a variety of levels. Companion planting is generally thought of as a general cultural practice that lessens pest problems. In specific cases, the companion plants may attract beneficial insects, and so in a sense, are a biological control. Other plant companions may serve as a trap crop for pests—a physical method of pest management. Often it is the oldest methods that are least understood in terms of how and why they work. 

With increasing awareness of the side effects of pesticides and the increasing number of cases of pesticide resistance, integrated pest management (IPM) is an important method of pest control. IPM involves using cultural methods of control combined with the use of pesticides. Pesticide use is minimised in an attempt to protect and enhance the activities of beneficial insects (natural enemies and polhnating insects) and extend the life of the pesticides that are available. 

Byers, R. E., Young, R. S., and Neely, R. D., 1976, Review of cultural and other control methods for reducing pine vole populations in apple orchards, Proceedings, Seventh Vertebrate Pest Conference, ... 

The history of agricultural production has been inextricably lirtked to the control of weeds, pests and diseases in crop production practices. There is no doubt that the production of consistently high yielding, highqrrality crops requires the use of pesticides. Although orgarric production methods provide a viable alternative the yields achieved are lower arrd the qrrahty of the produce can be more variable. The aim, therefore, of an IFM system is to utilise the cultural control methods that are known to reduce the incidence of pests on crops, and then use crop protection chemicals as a final resort. 

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