Management of insects has tended to be studied on a local or individual field level, although insects do not respect field or property lines. Studying insect populations within this framework allows one to develop an understanding of the population dynamics and genetics of pest insects and devise strategies that will lead to longer term management practices. Presently, the primary management tools for insect populations are insecticides, plants bred or engineered to resist pest attack and biological control. The introduction of a biological control agent, whether it be a pathogen, parasitoid or predator, may not have the same capital costs as mentioned above, but does require a substantial investment. The expenditures required for the development of any of these management tools emphasizes the necessity for a careful, creative and farsighted analysis of a cropping system and its future needs.
Farmers deal with landscape issues daily.
Whole farm management plans are becoming requirements for most farming operations and force growers to deal with waste and water management issues, as well as crop rotation strategies. Researchers and extensionists involved in pest management need to take the same 'landscape approach' in order to maximize the benefits of existing and developing technologies available for pest management. The durability of management practices to be used to control insect pests of vegetables and other crops will be dependent on an understanding of how any control strategy operates within the agricultural and ecological context in which it is deployed. Similar differences will be seen with parasites that act on different stages of an insect or on transgenic plants that alter host development. If one can examine these questions from a landscape point of view that incorporates an understanding of the ecology and genetics of the insects, it is more likely that longer term solutions to insect infestations in vegetables will be utilized.