Integrated pest management (IPM) is the selection, integration, and implementation of pest control based on predicted economic, ecological, and sociological consequences. IPM seeks maximum use of naturally occurring pest controls, including weather, disease agents, predators, and parasites. In addition, IPM utilizes various biological, physical, and chemical control and habitat modification techniques. Artificial controls are imposed only as required to keep a pest from surpassing intolerable population levels predetermined from accurate assessments of the pest damage potential and the ecological, sociological, and economic costs of the control measures. The presence of a pest species does not necessarily justify action for its control, and in fact tolerable infestations may be desirable, providing food for important beneficial insects, for example.

The book deals with the present state and problems of integrated pest management (IPM) as relating to stakeholder acceptance of IPM and how IPM can become a sustainable practice. The book covers the implementation of integrated pest management in USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, China, India, Indonesia, Australia, Africa, and its impact in reducing pesticide use in agriculture. The book also deals with the impact of transgenic crops on pesticide use.

The book begins by establishing an economic framework upon which to apply the principles of IPM. Then, it looks at the entomological applications of economics, specifically, economic analyses concerning chemical, biological, cultural, and genetic control tactics as well as host plant resistance and the cost of sampling. Lastly it evaluates whether the control provided by a traditional IPM system is sufficient, or if changes to the system design would yield greater benefits.

Biometeorology in Integrated Pest Management is a resulting book from a conference with the same title held at the University of California in 1980. This book presents integrated pest management (IPM) in different viewpoints and perspectives. It serves as a helpful exchange of ideas to strengthen the research in integrated pest management. From a biometeorological viewpoint, the microclimate of agricultural systems is introduced in this book to describe the environment in which pests live. The first few chapters in this book discuss IPM in the perspective of biometeorology. Some of the topics include crop canopies (general heat exchange and wind movement), microclimate (instrumentation, techniques, and simulation), and microclimatic stress (remote sensing). The following section of the book focuses on plant pathology. The subject areas covered in this section include radiation quality and plant diseases; management of plant pathogens; and plant canopy modification and impact on plant disease. The last section focuses on weed science. The interaction of weeds to other pests, effects of light and temperature on weed growth, and weed seed germination are some of the topics discussed in this part. This book is a good source of reference to both students and professionals in the field of biometeorology, entomology, and agriculture. Other interested parties in the research of integrated pest management will also find this book helpful in their endeavors.

A comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres in every climate zone.