The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.

The use of pesticides and other control practices responded to economic factors such as input and output markets and agricultural policies. Changing societal values toward pesticide risks and benefits profoundly affected pesticide policy, influencing the pesticides available for use, but only indirectly affecting aggregate quantities used. While the current pesticide regulatory process might have economic inefficiencies, it might be consistent with policy preferences held by much of the public-to reduce pesticide hazards rather than minimize regulatory costs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.

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An economic threshold of agricultural pest management is derived. Results provide a method for researchers to use in making improved pest control recommendations to farmers without farm level decisionmaking. An empirical illustration for lesion nematode management in irrigated corn is given and directions for further research are indicated.

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Economic thresholds are often important components of pest management strategies. An action threshold is the minimum pest population to which a fixed dosage of a pesticide is applied. While the fixed dosage will maximize profits for only one pest infestation level, the dosage will be applied to any infestation level greater than the action threshold. This paper describes the procedure for developing the economically efficient combination of action threshold and fixed pesticide dosage. The procedure addresses the variety of pest infestations to be treated by including a probability distribution for pest infestation. Since that introduces variability of profits, a measure of risk preference which accounts for the producer's willingness to accept lower average profits to reduce the changes of a large financial loss is incorporated. The procedures are described graphically and then applied to the control of lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) infesting field corn (Zea mays L.) in Coastal Plain soils. In this example, pesticide dosage, threshold, and expected nematicide use increase as the measure of risk‐aversion increases.

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