what is pest management

Pest management, also known as integrated pest management (IPM), is a comprehensive approach that integrates both chemical and non-chemical practices for the economic control of pests. It aims to suppress pest populations below the economic injury level and emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems, while encouraging natural pest control mechanisms. IPM involves a variety of actions, including cultural controls such as physical barriers, biological controls such as adding and conserving natural predators and enemies of the pest, and chemical controls or pesticides. The goal of pest management is to achieve desired outcomes at the lowest possible cost and with the least risk to humans and the environment. It is a system of integrated preventive and corrective measures to reduce or prevent pests from causing significant harm to humans or the environment. IPM focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage by managing the ecosystem, and it can be used to manage all kinds of pests, including plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, nematodes, and pathogens. By using a combination of techniques such as biological control, IPM aims to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. Overall, pest management is a systematic approach that saves time and money and results in better pest management outcomes.