Economic evaluation of integrated pest management programs : a literature review

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach to making pest control decisions with increased information and the use of multiple tactics to manage pest popwations in an economically efficient and ecologically sound manner. The IPM concept emphasizes the integration of pest suppression technologies such as biological control, e.g., using beneficial organisms against pest organisms; cultural control, e.g., using rotations and cultivations to reduce pest problems; legal control , e.g., abiding by state and federal regulations that prevent the spread of pest organisms; and chemical control, e.g., judiciously using pesticides and other chemicals in a responsible manner.