Reflecting the resistance trend, pesticide sales in the U.S. have risen from about $3 billion a year in 1970 to more than $10 billion in 1995. About 3 pounds of pesticide active ingredient was applied to each of the 300 million acres under cultivation in the u.s. in 1995. By weight, herbicide use has nearly tripled since 1970, though insecticide poundage applied has dropped due to development of more potent and toxic insecticides.

There is a good discussion of pesticide toxicity, exposure and risk. The authors conclude that "pesticide risks today are at least as serious as they were in the 1970s and are rising in some regions and circumstances." Herbicides are appearing more frequently in drinking water, and consumers are often treated to a complex mixture of pesticides in their diet. For instance, USDA monitoring in 1993 showed that nearly 40% of the food tested contained two or more pesticides. Complex mixtures increase the chance of synergistic interactions. Perhaps most disturbing is the evidence presented that about 40% of all pesticides actually applied in agriculture are potential endocrine disruptors.

The nature of pesticide regulation is clarified. Especially interesting is the process resulting in approved tolerances or approved pesticide residue levels on crops. Approved tolerances may have to be reduced in some cases, since The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 require that exposure from all sources, not just food sources, be evaluated before a pesticide is registered.

An important part of the book is a clarification of what IPM means and the status of its implementation in this country. Rather than a unique set of rules, the authors see IPM as a continuum of approaches from "low IPM" which involves just scouting for key pests and timing chemical sprays, to "biologically intensive " IPM where both pests and beneficials are scouted, and biological controls, resistant species, mating disruption, mechanical and cultural methods are the most important pest management techniques.

Since the 1970s, the U.S. government has encouraged and led the way toward implementation of IPM. The National Park Service has been joined by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration and the Forest Service in conversion to IPM methods. The Clinton Administration has pledged to get 75% of agricultural cropland acreage under IPM methods by the year 2000. The EPA has interpreted this policy as on of pesticide risk reduction, and has expedited registration of reduced risk and low-risk pesticides.

Though the government has encouraged IPM, biologically-intensive IPM has received a number of setbacks. Funding at many universities has been shifted from classical biological control toward genetic engineering approaches. Reflecting this trend, there were 1140 biological control articles published in 1985-1986 and 528 in 1993-1994.

This book provides assessment and documentation of current methods, and many excellent suggestions for change. By analyzing case histories, the authors are able to project how no IPM or low IPM can be converted to a biologically intensive pest management scheme. The IPM continuum model proposed by the authors suggests a slow conversion, a step-by-step approach that is realistic and economically effective.

The authors see that the information-intensive nature of IPM will require integration of computers as pest management tools. Throughout the book, sample Web pages are reproduced to reinforce this concept. This book will be an important part of pest management literature throughout the next few years. It should be an essential part of every pest management library.