Irrigation as a factor influencing the m anagem ent of agricultural pests

Abstract
Irrigation, probably more than any other single factor, has contributed to man’s ability to manipulate and to increase the productive potential of agricultural systems. The main effect of improved water management has been to stabilize the crop habitat and overcome the vagaries of seasonality, with profound implications for pest population dynamics and disease epidemiology. The paper illustrates this thesis by reference to examples and discusses the ways in which such effects can be minimized.