Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
P Rajarathinam, S Vijay and SD Sivakumar

Abstract:
The integrated pest management (IPM) is a method which employs a decision-based well-suited use of diverse methods for optimizing the management of all classes of pests in an ecological and environmentally safe. An alternative for chemical pesticides as important key elements of integrated pest management system like Many bio-control agents including, arthropod natural enemies, entomopathogens, botanicals and insect viruses. Biotechnology and can genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can contribute to the sustainable agriculture by the positive impact on food security from an attack of insects by placing these methods in a right place to enable full exploitation. Under protected cultivation, emphasis should always be on management of the pests rather than control of pests. Even if some insect-pests are noticed, we should not resort to harmful pesticides straight away, but should exploit other measures for managing these pest species with minimum pesticides applications. Naturally occurring biological control agents/biopesticides/botanicals/safer pesticides/ cultural control measures etc. should be used to manage the pests below ETL by causing specific biological effects rather than inducing chemical poisoning. Alternate pest control methods and the restricted use of pesticides can minimize the risk of pesticide usage. Pesticides can prove to be the most effective instruments in crop protection and if correctly used, their effect is fast and complete, which makes them applicable against nearly every pest. In this chapter, IPM for biosafety through eco-friendly pesticides is discussed.