The history of pest management dates back to the birth of agriculture in 8,000 B.C., but it wasn't until after World War II that the use of chemical pesticides became prevalent.

Until then, crop rotation, burning crop residue and tillage were used to suppress disease or insect damage. The boom in new chemical pesticides resulted in immediate yield increases, but contributed to future environmental problems, such as pollution of the streams and oceans, as well as agricultural problems, including pesticide resistance.

It 1962, environmentalist Rachel Carson published "Silent Spring," bringing the issue of pesticide safety to public attention. As Carson wrote, "No responsible chemist would think of combining in his lab the multitude of chemicals that are jumbled together when dumped."

Five years later, a sustainable, environmentally friendly and effective approach to managing pests in home gardens was introduced. Called integrated pest management, the system combines several methods for long-term prevention and management of pest problems to minimize risks to human health, beneficial organisms and the environment. Economic risks can be minimized, too. As concern for food, human and environmental safety has increased, integrated pest management has become the accepted philosophy of pest control.

There are several keys to successful integrated pest management:

• Prevention: This might include monitoring pests to avoid high populations or using disease-resistant plant varieties.

• Identify your pest: To understand the pest completely, you will first need to correctly identify the insect or disease that is causing the problem. Local extension agents or your local master gardener help line can help you identify your insect or disease correctly.

• Learn pests' life cycles: Know which of the pests' stages cause damage and which are most susceptible to management with the various possible control methods. Understanding a pest's life cycle and relationship to the susceptible host plant and knowing what control methods are available can help gardeners use integrated pest management most effectively.

To see live demonstrations of integrated pest management practices and environmentally sound pest control for home gardeners, join O'ahu master gardeners for their Second Saturday at the Garden program at the University of Hawai'i Urban Garden Center in Pearl City today from 9 a.m. to noon.

Live demonstrations will start at 9, 10 and 11 a.m.

The elimination of or reduction in pesticide use that can be achieved through thoughtful application of integrated pest management strategies will prevent misuse of pesticides and help keep the environment healthy.

To learn more about these strategies, visit www.ctahr .hawaii.edu, click on "free publications" in the "publications" drop-down menu at the top of the page, then select "Insect Pests" to find the "Integrated pest management for the home garden: Insect identification and control" article by extension agent Richard Ebesu.

Jayme Grzebik is an urban horticulturist with the University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Cooperative Extension Service. She can be reached at grzebik@hawaii.edu.