BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: A VERITABLE NATURAL PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Abstract

The advent of synthetic pesticides in the 1950s makes the control of pests appeared easy and at hand. However, it soon became obvious that there were problems associated with pesticides use. Some pests became resistant, and some non-target organisms were adversely affected, pest resurgence occurred and environmental and human health concerns arose. There is also the problems of adulteration and leaving of poisonous residues in food after use. The much advocated Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy promotes non-chemical pest control tactics, like the use of pest-resistant crop varieties, cultural control methods and the use of biological control measure. In IPM, pesticides are used only when absolutely necessary, to prevent an economic loss and rarely to be used as a prophylactic option. These problems associated with synthetic pesticides usage had propelled researchers to look for alternative pest control measures that would be natural, safer, probably cheaper and more locally available, and also effective. This paper therefore, examines the biological control measure (known as the use of natural enemies), as a veritable alternative pest control strategy.