Which term describes the action of reducing pest populations to tolerable levels in IPM?

Which term describes the action of reducing pest populations to tolerable levels in IPM?

• A. Eradication
• B. Suppression
• C. Extermination
• D. Prevention

Answer: (B)

In IPM, the goal is to keep pest populations in check at a level that crops can tolerate, rather than trying to wipe them out completely. This idea is captured by suppression—the process of reducing pest numbers to tolerable levels and maintaining them there over time. Suppression relies on a combination of compatible tactics (cultural, mechanical, biological, and, when needed, chemical) to keep populations below the economic injury threshold, so damage remains acceptable and sustainable.

Eradication means removing a pest entirely from a defined area, which is rarely practical for widespread pests and isn’t the typical aim of IPM. Extermination focuses on killing pests, often in the short term, but doesn’t imply maintaining the population at tolerable levels long-term. Prevention is about stopping pests from entering or establishing in the first place, not about reducing an established population. So the term that best describes reducing pest populations to tolerable levels in IPM is suppression.