**5.4 Biological practices**

The most important aspect of IPM is biological control of diseases and insect pests through biological methods. Biocontrol, in a more general meaning, is the use of living things to control other living things (pests). In other words, the deliberate use of parasitoids, predators, and diseases to control pest populations at a level below those

resulting in economic loss, either by introducing a new bioagent into the environment of pests or by increasing the effectiveness of those already present in the field.

#### *5.4.1 Parasitoids*

These are the organisms that deposit their eggs in or on their hosts' bodies and then finish their life cycles there, killing their hosts in the process. A parasitoid can also come in a variety of forms depending on where it is in the host's development or how far along it is in its life cycle. As examples, consider *Apanteles*, *Bracon*, *Chelonus*, *Brachemeria*, and different *Trichogramma* species, among others.

#### *5.4.2 Predators*

These are free-living organisms that feed on the other living things. Examples include several spider species, dragonfly and damsel species, ladybird beetles, *Chrysopa* species, and birds, among others.

#### *5.4.3 Bio-pesticides*

These are microorganisms that attack and infect their hosts, resulting in diseases that kill the hosts. Pathogens can be divided into three primary groups: bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Some nematodes can also transmit diseases to pest insects. Species of *Hirsutella*, *Beauveria*, *Nomuria*, and *Metarhizium* are important examples of fungi because they are known to infest and kill a lot of insects in fields (up to 90%). The nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) and granulosis viruses are the two most significant instances of viruses. There have been numerous reports of an outbreak of viruses in armyworms, cutworms, leaf folders, hairy caterpillars, and plant hoppers. *Bacillus thuringiensis* (Bt) and *B. papillae* are two typical examples of bacteria.

Sometimes, with the use of liquid or powdered formulations that can be sprayed like conventional chemical pesticides, pest diseases can be mass-produced in laboratories at a cost. Bio-pesticides are the name given to these mixtures. The several types of biocontrol techniques are categorised as follows:

**Introduction**: A replacement species of bio-agent is dispersed into the area during this phase in order to establish itself against its host. This is frequently done only after careful laboratory analysis and field tests to determine its efficacy.

**Augmentation**: By releasing identical species bio-agents from the field or from a lab in sufficient numbers to suppress the pest population in the area, the population of natural enemies already present in the area is boosted throughout this process.

**Conservation**: This is frequently the most crucial element of biological management and is crucial in the control of pests. Natural adversaries that exist in nature are protected from being killed during this process. Below are the numerous precautions that must be taken to protect against natural adversaries.


*Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Oil Palm,* Elaeis guineensis *Jacq. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108580*


#### **5.5 Chemical practices**

Chemical pesticides are only used as a last resort if all other efforts have failed to reduce the insect population below the point of economic loss. Due to the complexity of insect problems, pesticides would still be necessary for crop protection despite substantial advancements in pest control research. Therefore, to limit both the cost and issues they create, pesticide use should be need-based, judicious, and supported by pest surveillance. When employing chemicals to control an area, we must have a complete understanding of what to spray, when to spray, where to spray, and how to spray.


Due of the distinct way that vegetables and fruits are consumed by people, IPM approaches are especially pertinent to these crops. For the recommended crops, only pesticides that have been certified by the CIB&RC should be used. After the primary pesticide's waiting period is through, farmers should not use any additional pesticides, and the crops should be harvested. Applying pest management techniques to field crops must be done with the utmost care and caution.
