ABSTRACT
An agroecological approach to agriculture involves the application of ecological knowledge to the design and management of production systems so that ecological processes are optimized to reduce or eliminate the need for external inputs. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the management of agricultural pests. There are a wide range of potential approaches to deal with crop pests (arthropods, nematodes, pathogens and weeds) in different types of cropping systems. Any single ecological approach will not provide a ‘silver bullet’ to eliminate a pest problem, rather successful management requires a suite of approaches that together create an agroecosystem where pest populations are maintained within acceptable levels (Liebman and Davis, 2000; SAN, 2000; van Bruggen and Termorshuizen, 2003). Thus agroecological management requires the careful integration of multiple techniques appropriate for each situation.
