Ecological Pest Management

Ecological pest management is an economically practical and environmentally responsible approach to crop protection. This practice uses monitoring, avoidance, suppression, and a combination of compatible biological, cultural and mechanical controls to reduce pest damage in crops and pesticide risks in production.

A generalized ecological—or integrated—pest management program might include

• Planning before planting

• Altering planting schedule to avoid infection periods

• Planting naturally resistant varieties or biotech hybrids for genetic control

• Crop rotations and specialized tillage schemes

• Proper irrigation and fertilization to maintain crop health

• Early detection, accurate identification and constant monitoring of weeds, insects and diseases

• Application of cultural and mechanical controls like tillage, grazing, flooding, soil solarization or burning to kill weeds or prevent seed germination

• Application of beneficial biological controls—parasites, predators or pathogens—to suppress pest populations

• Farm-scaping to enhance natural biological control and preserve biological diversity

• Sanitation procedures to remove pest overwintering or breeding sites

• And application of minimally toxic, short-acting pesticides that will not harm non-targeted organisms

For more detailed information on ecological pest management, check our sources. 

• Biointensive Integrated Pest Management 
  (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)                               

• Conservation Practice Standard for Pest Management
  (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)                      

• Principles of Sustainable Weed Management for Croplands
  (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)                                   

• Crop Profile for Corn in the Northern and Central Plains
  (North Central Integrated Pest Management Center)                      

• Field Corn Pest Management Strategic Plan, North Central Region
  (North Central Integrated Pest Management Center)                                  

And be sure to visit

• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Pest Management

• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management Database

• North Central Integrated Pest Management Center

• USDA National Agricultural Library: Ecological Pest Management