From chemical control to ecological resilience: Biological control and integrated pest management in arid agriculture

Abstract

Summary Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates supports food system resilience but operates under extreme heat, water scarcity, salinity, and persistent pest pressure. This systematized narrative review evaluates biological control and integrated pest management (IPM) as alternatives to intensive pesticide use, focusing on date palm, vegetables, and protected cultivation. Evidence indicates that routine pesticide dependence can accelerate resistance, disrupt beneficial organisms, increase occupational and residue risks, and threaten soil and water quality. UAE and Gulf studies show that pheromone monitoring, microbial agents, semiochemicals, sanitation, selective pesticides, and precision technologies can support more sustainable control, particularly against red palm weevil. However, variable field performance, limited local validation, farmer perceptions, advisory gaps, registration barriers, and weak incentives constrain adoption. A staged transition centered on monitoring, locally tested biological tools, stronger extension services, selective interventions, and aligned policy support offers the most credible and practical pathway toward resilient crop protection in arid UAE agriculture.