Advances in Integrated Pest Management: New Tools and Tactics for Pest Control

Dear Colleagues,

The demand for sustainable agricultural practices has increased the importance of integrated pest management (IPM), both in the field and during storage. In the field, plants face a dynamic range of threats, including climate change-induced pest and pathogen proliferation, pest resistance development, and biodiversity loss. New research is vital for developing adaptive management strategies that address these challenges. Innovations in precision agriculture, such as pest monitoring systems and targeted interventions, hold promise for enhancing IPM effectiveness. Additionally, exploring the potential of beneficial organisms and natural predators can contribute to environmentally friendly solutions. At the same time, post-harvest losses due to pests and diseases also pose significant risks to food security. Developing advanced monitoring technologies, alongside improved packaging materials, can mitigate these issues. Moreover, understanding the interaction between stored-product pests and storage environments can inform the development of more robust protective measures . The future of global food security depends on the advancement of IPM as a cornerstone of modern agriculture and of resilient agricultural systems. In this context, the focus of this Topic is on the recent advances in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) related to, but not exhausted by, the following: 

• Integrated management of crop pests and pathogens (insects, acari, plant-parasitic nematodes, etc.); 
• Integrated management of stored-product insects (heat treatment, modified atmospheres, mating disruption, application of inert dusts, botanicals, etc.);
• Trapping and monitoring of field and storage pests;
• Precision farming technologies for crop and produce protection in the field and during storage.

We invite you to submit your manuscripts to this Topic, which aims to highlight recent research in integrated pest management for mitigating pre- and post-harvest losses and controlling field and stored-product pests.

Dr. Christos I. Rumbos
Dr. Eirini Karanastasi
Topic Editors