ECOLOGICAL PEST-MANAGEMENT (EPM) - GENERAL APPROACHES

Ecological pest management (EPM) uses many elements of integrated pest management (IPM) but it is based on keeping and supporting the natura l stability of the agro-ecosystem and suppressing pest outbreaks at th e very beginning when the pest population density is still low. The st ability of the agro-ecosystem and high biodiversity may be achieved by certain combinations of different crops and lands with natural comple xes of plants. If naturally beneficial insects cannot suppress the gro wth of the pest population density, artificially reared enemies of thi s pest should be used. The release in spring of artificially reared in sects which eat weeds is supposed to be especially useful because thes e insects may also be a good food base for many predators and parasite s. The biological method is supposed to be more effective when the den sity of the pest population is still low. The usage of chemical pestic ides should be brought to a stop because they always decrease the ecos ystem stability. EPM is proposed to replace IPM in future.