Integrated Weed Management Systems Technology for Pest Management

resources estimated at 30% of their sale value. These losses are currently valued at more than $35 billion annually. We also spend more than $10 billion each year to control pests. Thus, the losses caused by pests and the costs of their control are estimated at more than $45 billion each year. Of the total losses caused by pests, weeds cause about 10% of the agricultural production (crops, livestock, forests, and aquatic resources) losses valued at more then $12 billion annually, and farmers spend more than $6.2 billion annually to control weeds. The mission of agricultural research is to develop the technology needed to reduce such losses and costs and to assure an adequate supply of nutritious food, high-quality feed and fiber, and a quality environment. No mission is of greater importance to the general public. Those of us who contribute to this mission are privileged. We are not going to accomplish this mission unless we increase agricultural yields. You know, of course, that these yields have begun to level off globally. Even the most elementary analysis will show that we can increase agricultural yields with effective integrated pest management systems (IPMS) that utilize the best combination of principles, practices, technologies, and strategies. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach in which principles, practices, methods, materials, and strategies are chosen to control pests while minimizing undesirable results. Integrated weed managements systems (IWMS) are used as a part of pest-management strategies. IPMS require several levels of integration to deal with the diversity of pest problems. These include (a) the integration of several pro