• Marx, Jean L.
  

As the condition of the environment goes downhill--and the cost of applying and developing insecticides goes up--many members of the agricultural community are recognizing that total reliance on chemical insecticides is both environmentally and economically unsound. As a result, the trend during the past few years has been toward "integrated pest management," in which synthetic chemicals are only one part of the arsenal for controlling insect pests. Also included in that aresnal are the pests' natural enemies, insect hormones and pheromones that disrupt their development and mating, insect-resistant plant strains, and alterations in crop management procedures.