The importance of spatial scales and landscape heterogeneity to insect
populations is widely accepted in ecology and conservation biology. W
hat are the applications to crop protection? Theoretically, insect pes
t species with certain characteristic metapopulation dynamics may effe
ctively be managed by crop rotation, by applying the same tools as use
d in conservation. This strategy may in many cases necessitate regiona
lly planned rotations that exceed single farm boundaries. The basic id
ea of pest management by regional crop rotation is presented, the theo
retical background outlined and agroecological prerequisites discussed
. Spatiotemporal patterns of both pest occurrence and the host crop fi
eld allocation in the landscape are important. For example, the requir
ed degree of isolation between host crop patches cannot be achieved wi
th regionally covering major crops, e.g. cereals. The dispersal abilit
y of the pest determines the overall spatial scale at which the rotati
on is practised. Recruitment from wild hosts must not be excessive. Th
ese aspects .re illustrated with example species, the cabbage root fly
, Delia radicum a possible target for regional management, and the rap
e pollen beetle, Meligerhes aeneus, an unlikely target. Regional rotat
ion and biological control are not conflicting strategies, as the crop
-pest systems most promising for regional management are the least pro
mising for biological control.