SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS December, 1971 A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO PEST CONTROL RESEARCH

WHY SYSTEMS ANALYSIS of objects and any object can be described by listing its attributes." Systems analysis would be a useful tool for certain kinds of pesticide research, particularly that involving Within any system, many subsystems exist. All decisions affecting the environment or the ecosystem. systems are subsystems of the next higher one. This is A well-designed systems analysis would permit re- particularly obvious for pesticide research. The major searchers and policymakers to learn more about the hierarchies of subsystems for studying pesticide complete effects of their decisions relating to pesti- effects are discussed in the section which follows. cides. It is doubtful whether any one person or group of persons can mentally formulate all the complex A system is in equilibrium if in the absence of effects of a pesticide on the environment, on external shock (environmental change) the system optimum farm organization and practices, on human remains unchanged, or after external shocks are re-welfare, and on the myriad of other interrelated ceived it returns to the position occupied before the factors. shock. It is being increasingly recognized that to evaluate USING SYSTEMS ANALYSIS IN RESEARC