Pest control 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... 

The synthesis of pheromones remains an important cornerstone of pheromone research and development. The initial synthesis of an insect pheromone serves not only to confirm the structural identification, but also provides authentic material for either laboratory or field bioassay. Oftentimes, larger quantities of the pheromones are desired for the development of monitoring and pest control methods. The scale up of the synthesis of complex pheromone compounds is often a major bottleneck in the practical application of pheromones. Also, the unusual structure of some pheromone compounds beckons synthetic chemists to apply new methodology in order to show off their methods. 

With the availability of inexpensive, convenient, and easily applied pest control methods based on application of pesticides, irradiation disinfestation has not yet received priority. Nevertheless, radiation disinfestation was performed on an industrial scale in the... 

The introduction of pest control methods is often a result of the broad-spectrum activity of compounds that have been commercialised in other crop situations. Control of locusts, for example, is an important aspect of crop protection in much of Africa and the Middle and Far East. The... 

Ladybugs are natural predators of aphids, mealy bugs, and leaf hoppers and may be introduced into a garden environment as a nonchemical pest-control method. 

In principle, most countries have adopted integrated vector control as a strategy however, in the absence of fully developed alternative vector and pest control methods, most continue to rely mainly on chemical pesticides. 

The different types or groups of pests are defined and the various pest control methods for each group are discussed in Chapter 3. 

Use a pest control method only when that method will prevent the pest from causing more damage than is reasonable to accept. 

Unfortunately, natural controls often do not control pests quickly enough to prevent unacceptable injury or damage. In these cases, other pest control methods must be initiated. Those available include ... 

Timed planting and harvesting are two of the oldest known pest-control methods. Using this method, gardeners either plant (or harvest) a crop earlier or later than usual in order to avoid the most damaging pest stages. 

This theme is continued in the consideration of complementary pest control methods. The term complementary pest control is used to describe two activities. Firstly, it can refer to those activities performed either immediately before or after a pesticide application, or to those performed at regular intervals in between treatments, with the objectives in both cases of increasing efficacy of control and... 

This chapter sets out to give an outline of the complementary pest-control methods that exist, and to provide further details on some in common use in selected situations. Pest control in agriculture and public health is an extensive field, and it is not possible here to present a full account of the multiplicity of methods used. For further detail, the reader should consult one of a number of standard texts on the subject (e.g. Mallis, 1982 Metcalf and Luckmann, 1982 Scopes and Stables, 1989 Pimentel, 1991 Bell et al 1996). 

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