Decision-Making Levels

The chapter “Decision-Making Levels” in the book “Decision System in Agricultural Pest Management” delves into the fundamental concept of economic decision-making levels within integrated pest management strategies. These levels are established on the principle that a specific threshold of pest population density and associated damage is tolerable. Economic decision-making levels are determined by the number of pests per plant surface area or other sample units, indicating the expected level of host plant damage or crop loss. Factors such as the economic and biological characteristics of the pest and its host plant play a crucial role in defining these levels. The economic injury level (EIL), a key concept in economic decision-making levels, was introduced by Stern et al. in 1959, driven by a question posed by Pierce in 1934 regarding the relationship between pest activity and measurable host plant damage. The chapter delves into theoretical frameworks, mathematical models, and practical examples of computing economic decision-making levels, encompassing assessments of crop loss, economic considerations related to these levels, and various types of decision-making levels illustrated through real case studies.