Superadditivity between control methods in pest management

Abstract

Pest Management (PM) has its 1959 origin in Integrated Control, a combination of a reduced dose of insecticide with biological control. At the time, it was not recognised that the interaction between these two control methods was more than additive. This ‘superadditivity’ can also be achieved with the full dose of insecticide, for example, by localising its application in space. There is also likely to be superadditivity in the interaction between partial plant resistance and biological control. Pests on resistant hosts are usually smaller and the same mortality can often be obtained with just two‐thirds or one‐half of the dose of insecticide needed on susceptible plants, giving superadditivity between partial plant resistance and chemical control. These positive interactions between biological control, chemical control and partial host plant resistance form a ‘Pest Management Triad’, though legislation and risk‐aversion may limit the practicability of protocols based on the Triad.