ABSTRACT
References..............................................................................................................198
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a systems approach that provides an ecologically-based solution to pest control problems. IPM is defined here as
a sustainable approach to managing pests that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks
. It is a proven approach that balances economic, environmental, and societal (health) objectives. Previous authors had a vision for IPM that focused on “integrated control,” a strategy involving primarily chemical and biological control (Chant 1964, Pickett 1961, Pickett et al. 1958, Collyer 1953, Grison 1962, Stern et al. 1959, van den Bosch and Stern 1962, Franz 1961). While the latter two groups of authors broadened their scope of integrated control to include cultural and other means of physical pest control, their discussions still centered around classical chemical and biological controls. (van den Bosch and Stern 1962, Franz 1961). IPM has expanded its scope over the past 40 years to encompass a variety of applications in rural and urban settings. This expansion has resulted in a scientific exploration to discover new tools for maintaining pest populations at acceptable levels while sustaining an ecological balance. In addition to this expansion, IPM has become a target for change. IPM practitioners first recognized the need for this change as public concern over pesticide issues came to the foreground (Carson 1962). This concern has blossomed with the advent of additional pest control and regulatory issues. Resistance management, worker protection standards, water quality concerns, and food quality protection represent only a portion of the issues confronting IPM implementation today.
