Unfortunately the wet season in Namibia is quite short, and cultural control by changing production schedules maynotbefeasible. Solutions to these problems cannot be created in a short time, and will depend on extensive development commitment. Natural control procedures, whether by biocontrol agents or cultural methods, are an alternative to the technological and environmental problems posed by broad-spectrum, commercial control strategies. Some traditional, mainly cultural, pest management procedures are practised in rural Namibian communities. The efficiency of many of these measures has not yet been determined.
Biological control is a solution that is often offered by consultants to the Namibian government.
In most of the proposals, however, the development costs exceed the damage, or biological control have poor chances of success. On the other hand, the infrequent application of commercial pesticides may contribute to a higher incidence of natural enemies, less viable pest populations, and environmental resilience, but the potential returns from such 'natural' biological control has not yet been investigated. The low incidence of pesticide use and cost of finding biological control solutions need careful consideration when planning for long-term pest management strategies in Namibia. A solution to Namibia's pest problems may be to integrate traditional farming practise and scientific expertise to achieve self-help crop and storage protection. There is a real need to develop an agricultural environment within which suitable pest control measures can be developed for rural areas in northern Namibia, but without requiring major expansion of the resources committed by the government.