ABSTRACT
The concept of looking at the whole farming system and using a diverse variety of natural, enhanced, and supplemented control measures has also been researched and discussed for decades, first as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and more recently as what is known as Ecologically Based Pest Management (EBPM). In some areas of the country, private sector Crop Advisors have developed IPM systems for particular crops and provide the scouting and monitoring services necessary to properly implement the IPM programs. In addition, the federal government and many state and local governments have adopted IPM approaches in their own pest management practices. The pest management benefits of cover crops include reducing weed growth, thereby reducing the need for herbicides. The National Research Council (NRC) report focuses on the problem of pests developing resistance to synthetic chemical pesticides, which currently limits the efficacy of many chemical pesticides and has eliminated any viable chemical control for some pests.
