Pest control: using both old and new methods

Magda du Toit looks at the interconnectedness of more traditional pest control and the newer integrated pest management. Some experts also give advice on how to keep pests and diseases down to acceptable levels.

- Magda du Toit

Agricultural research and farming practices are increasingly driven by the need for sustainability and lower environmental impact.

Conservation agriculture comprises a wide spectrum of practices, including cultivation methods, cover crops, provision of a pollinator habitat, and integrated pest management (IPM), including biological pest control. Despite the fact that these practices are now more commonly used, there are some factors that may thwart successful implementation.

Neighbouring farmers should be sensitive to the fact that the manner in which they perform pest control may have an impact on each other's control practices.

FAST FACTS

Pests can be controlled by chemical or biological means.

The goal is to act preventatively instead of curatively and to suppress pest populations and damage.

Biological control can be combined with the use of compatible pesticides.

PEST CONTROL

In nature, it is not uncommon for organism populations to fluctuate from season to season. Organisms are frequently under attack from predators, parasites, parasitoids and diseases, often resulting in high mortality rates. Unfortunately, in agriculture, the farmer cannot always wait for nature to run its course. By the time nature brings balance to the ecosystem, the farmer's crop may be beyond help, or even be at a point that can be described as a disaster.

The ultimate goal of pest control programmes is to act preventatively rather than curatively and to suppress pest populations and damage.