Agroecological foundations for a renewed basis for pest management

Authors

  • Clara Ines Nicholls
Keywords: agroecology, ecological pest management

Abstract

The strategies of Integrated Pest management (IPM) have been domintaed by a “magic bullet” mentality to control pest outbreaks. IPM approchaes do not address the ecological root causes of pest problems in modern agriculture. This paper poses that the only sustainable way by which pest problems can be addressed is by re-structuring the management of agroecosystems, breaking the monoculture nature of the systems with diversification schemes that maximize preventive forces as the inherent ecological mechanisms of diversified agroecosystems are strengthened.Therapeutic approaches may strictly be used as complimentary tactics to natural regulation mechanisms. This agroecological approach requires a deep understanding of agroecosystem processes, including how to enhance the natural factors that inhibit and suppress pest populations at the field and landscape levels.

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How to Cite
Ines Nicholls, C. (2010). Agroecological foundations for a renewed basis for pest management. Agroecology, 5, 7–22. Retrieved from https://revistas.um.es/agroecologia/article/view/160521
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