Physical Control Methods in Plant Protection, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2001

Jointly published with INRA, Paris.

Pesticide resistance is becoming more frequent and widespread with more than 500 insect species known to have become resistant to synthetic insecticides. On the other hand, consumers increasingly demand agricultural products without any pesticide residues. This book, for the first time, shows the alternative: solely physical methods for plant protection by means of thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical and vacuum processes. A glossary rounds up this extremely valuable book.

Plant Protection and Physical Control Methods. The Need to Protect Crop Plants.- Thermal Control Methods.- Thermal Control in Plant Protection.- Flame Weeding in Corn.- Thermal Control of Colorado Potato Beetle.- Control of Insects in Post-Harvest: High Temperature and Inert Atmospheres.- Control of Insects in Post-Harvest: Low Temperature.- Electromagnetic Methods.- Electromagnetic Radiation for Plant Protection.- The Use of Microwaves for Insect Control.- Optical Filters against Grey Mould of Greenhouse Crops.- Photochemical Treatment for Control of Post-Harvest Diseases in Horticultural Crops.- Control of Insects in Post-Harvest: Radio Frequency and Microwave Heating.- Electrical Weed Control: Theory and Applications.- Mechanical Control.- Mechanical Weed Control in Agriculture.- Mechanical Weed Control in Corn (Zea mays L.).- Mulching and Plasticulture.- Physical Barriers for the Control of Insect Pests.- Control of Insects in Post-Harvest: Inert Dusts and Mechanical Means.- Pneumatical Control.- Pneumatic Control of Insects in Plant Protection.- Pneumatic Control of Agricultural Insect Pests.- Pneumatic Control of Colorado Potato Beetle.- Vacuuming Insect Pests: the Israeli Experience.- Current Status and Prospects for the Use of Physical Control in Crop Protection.- List of Contributors.