INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT  (I. P. M.)

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT is a series of techniques used in agriculture  to help control pest populations
    using a minimum of chemical pesticides (to minimize runoff and other side effects).

I. P. M. techniques include:

• Monitoring pest populations to minimize the expense of controls that are unnecessary.
      Economic Impact Level is the minimum level of a pest population, below which control measures are unnecessary.
      Pheromone traps can be used to attract and trap pests to monitor their population numbers.
• Using biodegradable pesticides as much as possible (to minimize bioaccumulation and other side effects).
• Avoiding monocultures by planting different species together (in alternating rows, or in different fields), or by using crop rotation.
• Maintaining the natural enemies of pest species, and maintaining their natural habitats nearby.