Pest Control in Agroecological Systems

Abstract

Agriculture changes and adds technology to increase production, the impact on ecosystems also increases, causing degradation and important losses of its main functions. These functions are represented by ecosystem services, including biological control of pests and diseases. This article aims to identify and report mechanisms triggered and responsible for the effective control of pests and diseases in an agroecological system. The pursuit of this objective took place through a bibliographic survey in databases, by subject, through the use of strings and operators to refine the searches in a previous eleven-year horizon. These searches revealed some strategies that can be used to control pests and diseases without the need for more aggressive management with the use of industrial inputs. The functionality and permanence of ecosystem services, such as pollination, nutrient cycling, microclimate regulation and increased soil fertility, depend on maintaining biodiversity in Agro-ecosystems. The adoption of such strategies by small farmers depends to a great extent on the work of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension that can promote the dissemination of the necessary knowledge for the adoption of these practices.