Integrated Pest Management in Sustainable Agriculture

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic framework that seeks to balance agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship by integrating multiple control tactics. Central to IPM are regular field monitoring, the use of economic thresholds to guide interventions and a preference for biological and cultural controls over chemical inputs. Practices such as the introduction of natural enemies, crop rotation, resistant varieties and habitat manipulation work in concert to suppress pest populations while preserving agroecosystem health. When chemical pesticides are required, they are selected and applied in a targeted manner to reduce non-target impacts and slow resistance development. By embedding decision-support tools, farmer engagement and adaptive feedback loops, IPM enhances resilience to climatic variability and emerging pest threats. Its adoption contributes to sustainable intensification by maintaining yields, lowering production costs and safeguarding biodiversity and human health. Contemporary research emphasises digital monitoring platforms, landscape-scale coordination and policy frameworks that incentivise IPM uptake, ensuring its continued relevance in meeting global food security and environmental objectives.

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Integrated Pest Management in Sustainable Agriculture publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in integrated pest management in sustainable agriculture across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A decision-based approach that combines cultural, biological, physical and chemical tools to suppress pest populations while minimising environmental and health risks.

Push–pull technology: An agroecological strategy using repellent intercrops (“push”) and attractive trap crops (“pull”) to manage pests and enhance soil fertility.

Ecological intensification: The optimisation of ecosystem functions and biodiversity to increase agricultural productivity with reduced external inputs.

Extension services: Institutional mechanisms that deliver knowledge and training to farmers to support adoption of sustainable practices.

References

1. Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture in Asia and Africa. Insects (2015).
2. Integrated pest management: good intentions, hard realities. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (2021).
3. Are agricultural extension systems ready to scale up ecological intensification in East Africa? A literature review with particular attention to the Push-Pull Technology (PPT). Food Security (2023).
4. Push-pull technology enhances resilience to climate change and prevents land degradation: Perceptions of adopters in western Kenya. Farming System (2023).