Biological pest control – natural enemies versus chemical pesticides

BiologyEcology & EnvironmentAges 17–18

Simulate one rice-growing season with a brown planthopper population and its natural enemies (mirid bugs, spiders). Choose a strategy: no intervention, scheduled spraying, releasing natural enemies, or integrated pest management (IPM) that sprays only above the economic threshold. Track pest density against the threshold, natural enemies killed alongside the pests, pest resurgence and resistance, and the season's final yield and cost.