The best alternative to chemical control is often seen as being
biological control - the introduction of natural enemies in areas where
foreign pests become abundant. However, biological control alone is not
always sufficient to maintain pest populations under a tolerable level;
and it is necessary to learn how to make it compatible with other
methods of control, and in particular with chemicals, in integrated
control programs. Data on these important aspects was collected and
elaborated over a period of seven to eight years and synthesized in this
volume, which was originally published in 1976. The data relates to five
groups of species recognized as main agricultural pests over vast areas
of developing countries. It shows how complex the interrelationships
between microorganisms are how much research effort has to be invested
in such disciplines as systematics, physiology, ethnology and ecology
for their understanding.