ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some examples and consequences of temperature interactions with pest management strategies such as chemical and biological control, host plant resistance, and the use of pheromones. The influence of temperature on biochemical reactions and resultant arthropod activity may either enhance or limit the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM). Central to the implementation of any IPM system is the concept of the economic injury level: the population density of a pest at which control measures must be undertaken to avoid economic losses. At extreme temperatures, arthropods and their host plants may be differentially stressed. Stability, vaporization, penetration, activity, and degradation of insecticides are all partly dependent on physical and biochemical processes that proceed at characteristic rates at different temperatures. Planting of insect-resistant cultivars of crop plants is a time-honored IPM technique particularly in field crops such as maize, and alfalfa, to which insecticide application is often not economical. Microbial pathogens offer an environmentally benign alternative to chemical insecticides.
