Understanding Economic Damage, Economic Injury Level, and Economic Threshold in Pest Management: A Guide to Making Informed Decisions
In the world of agriculture, it's crucial to have a good understanding of economic damage, economic injury level (EIL), and economic threshold (ET). These terms may sound similar, but they have different meanings and implications in pest management. Economic damage refers to the actual yield loss or damage caused by a pest or disease. It is the point at which the cost of controlling the pest outweighs the value of the crop saved. This is an important concept in determining the economic impact of a pest and whether or not it is worth investing in control measures. On the other hand, EIL is the pest population level at which the cost of control equals the expected value of the damage caused by the pest. In other words, it is the pest density at which the economic damage is just about to occur. At this point, it is economical to start implementing control measures to prevent further yield loss. Lastly, ET is the pest density or population level at which control measures shou