Controlling pests that damage crops and plants is necessary both to safeguard food security and to ensure viable income to farmers for their production. This needs to be done while minimising the risks to people and the environment. Such an approach, using natural methods whenever possible and chemical pesticides as last resort, is called ‘integrated pest management’ (IPM). Today, the European Commission published a database presenting an overview of the IPM methods currently available, accompanied by a study assessing their effectiveness and prospects for their further uptake.
The database includes about 1300 examples of practices, techniques and technologies across eight IPM principles established at EU and international level, such as the use of crop rotation and balanced fertilisation, monitoring of harmful organisms, targeted and reduced application and, more importantly, the preference for non-chemical pest control methods.
Eden Research plc (LON:EDEN) is an AIM-quoted company focussed on sustainable biopesticides and plastic-free encapsulation technology for the use in global crop protection, animal health and consumer products industries.