ABSTRACT
Attempts by farmers to increase crop production by the use of pesticides have raised concerns about a number of environmental issues, including the quality and safety of the food supply. This chapter focuses on the application of economic analysis to individual farmer pest management decisions, especially integrated pest management. The collective results of individual decisions regarding inputs to production ultimately determine pesticide use. This chapter introduces the concepts of economic injury and thresholds (marginal analysis), reviews current laws and regulations, and explains several mathematical models of pest control.
