Biological Control of Agricultural Pests

Abstract

Biological control, a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to managing agricultural pests, harnesses natural predators, parasites, and pathogens to regulate pest populations. This method contrasts with conventional chemical pesticides, aiming to mitigate environmental risks while maintaining crop productivity. The efficacy of biological control relies on understanding pest ecology, host specificity, and the dynamics of natural enemies. This abstract explores the principles and applications of biological control in agriculture. It discusses key strategies such as classical biological control, where exotic natural enemies are introduced to target invasive pests, and augmentative biological control, involving the mass release of native predators or parasites. These methods are complemented by conservation biological control, which enhances existing natural enemy populations through habitat management and selective pesticide use.