A more holistic way of farming

In this article, Zunel van Eeden, a master's student at North-West University, explains why integrated pest management provides short as well as long-term, sustainable benefits.

- Zunel van Eeden

FAST FACTS

• Insecticide resistance has led farmers to shift to more holistic farming practices. 
• Effective integrated pest management requires understanding the effects of prevention decisions on control measures.
• IPM manages pest populations while halting pesticide resistance.

Modern-day farming experiences immense pressure to provide the necessary food resources demanded by the growing populace. This pressure has ignited renewed attention to agricultural practices that promote food production in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

However, farmers are challenged by climate change, which not only has a major impact on the success of crop production but also influences the management of agricultural pests. Increasing temperatures directly affect a pest’s ability to reproduce, survive, spread and establish. While chemical control may have been a farmer’s first response in the past, insecticide resistance has led farmers to shift to more holistic farming practices, better known as integrated pest management (IPM).

WHAT IS INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT?