The Role of Sociologists in Evaluation of a Pest Management Tool

In September 1993, the Clinton Administration announced its commitment to reducing pesticide use and promoting sustainable agriculture through promotion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on U.S. crop acreage. A goal of IPM use on 75% of crop acreage by the year 2000 was established. However, a major obstacle to this goal is that approximately 70 definitions of IPM exist, resulting in varied and often dissimilar assessments in measuring IPM. The primary objective of this research was to develop and present a standardized measurement tool for IPM that can be utilized across regions and commodities. In this paper we discuss the role sociologists have played methodologically in working with entomologists on development of a standardized evaluation tool, present the proposed measurement tool, and discuss future plans for the tool. We believe the research methodology presented, with minor modifications based on differing contexts, could be used in a multitude of evaluation environments