Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

Pest management strategies

• A pest management strategy is the overall plan to eliminate a pest problem. The particular strategy developed depends on the particular life system of the pest and crop involved.
  
1. Do nothing: When pest densities are below the economic threshold, ‘do nothing’ is the stratergy to follow. Otherwise a net loss occurs from pest management.
   
2. Reduce pest population number: Usually employment in a therapeutic manner when densities actually reach the economic threshold or in a preventing manner based on a history of problem.
   
3. Reduce the crop susceptibility to pest injury. This is most effective and environmentally desirable strategy. The tactics involved are HPR (hose plant resistance) and ecological management.
   
4. Combine reduced population numbers with reduced crop susceptibility – combination of objectives of all the above strategies to produce a pest management programme with several tacties. The use of multiple strategies and tacties is a basic principle in developing insect pest management programmes.