Agricultural Entomology & Pest Management
Insect pests, beneficial insects, biological control and apiculture.
Agricultural entomology studies insects and mites that damage crops and stored products, as well as beneficial species such as pollinators and natural enemies of pests. It covers pest biology, population dynamics and insect-plant interactions.
Pest management research compares and combines insecticides, biological control with predators, parasitoids or entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria, pheromone-based methods and host-plant resistance. Related areas include beekeeping and bee products, sericulture and the use of insects as food and feed.
Studying agricultural entomology & pest management
Degree programs in this subject often run under these names:
What you typically learn
- Insect biology, ecology and identification
- Pest insects of crops and stored products
- Biological control and beneficial insects
- Pollinators and apiculture
- Integrated pest management and monitoring
Where graduates typically work
- Pest management advisory
- Biological control and beneficial-insect producers
- Plant health and quarantine services
- Beekeeping and pollination services
- Research and monitoring programs
Curricula differ by country and institution - the program pages linked below have the details.
Where to study agricultural entomology & pest management
32 programs in 20 countries. See all 32 programs
Where research is heading
Typical research questions
- How can insecticide resistance in pest populations be detected and managed?
- Under which conditions does biological control reliably suppress pests?
- How do pests and their natural enemies respond to changing climate and landscapes?
- What limits the health and productivity of managed bee colonies?
Publications per year
Papers whose main topic belongs to this field, 2010–2025.
Research fronts: fastest-growing topics
Papers 2024–2025 compared with 2021–2022, topics with at least 500 recent papers.
| Topic | 2021–2022 | 2024–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insect Utilization and Effects[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 2,634 | 4,407 | +67% |
| Study of Mite Species[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 2,796 | 4,273 | +53% |
| Agricultural pest management studies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 816 | 1,159 | +42% |
| Silkworms and Sericulture Research[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 1,203 | 1,659 | +38% |
| Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 3,408 | 4,106 | +20% |
| Insect Pest Control Strategies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 7,602 | 9,117 | +20% |
Largest topics
By number of papers 2024–2025.
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 11,431
- Insect Pest Control Strategies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 9,117
- Hemiptera Insect Studies[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,777
- Bee Products Chemical Analysis[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,667
- Insect Utilization and Effects[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,407
- Study of Mite Species[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 4,273
Highly cited recent papers
Most-cited articles and reviews published 2024–2025. Citation counts favor reviews and papers published early in the window.
- Integrated Pest Management: An Update on the Sustainability Approach to Crop Protection
- The global atlas of edible insects: analysis of diversity and commonality contributing to food systems and sustainability
- Pervasive sublethal effects of agrochemicals on insects at environmentally relevant concentrations
- Can biocontrol be the game-changer in integrated pest management? A review of definitions, methods and strategies
- A life-and-death struggle: interaction of insects with entomopathogenic fungi across various infection stages
- Harnessing Phytohormones: Advancing Plant Growth and Defence Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture
All study programs in agricultural entomology & pest management
- 植物保护 (Plant Protection) Bachelor Huazhong Agricultural University · China Usually taught in Chinese
- 植物保护 (Plant Protection) Bachelor Nanjing Agricultural University · China Usually taught in Chinese
- برنامج وقاية النبات (Plant Protection Program) Bachelor Ain Shams University · Egypt Full-time
- B.Sc. (Hons.) Sericulture Bachelor University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore · India
- Proteksi Tanaman (Plant Protection) Bachelor Universitas Gadjah Mada · Indonesia
- BSc in Plant Protection Bachelor University of Tabriz · Iran
- B.Sc. in Plant Protection Bachelor University of Jordan · Jordan
- Bachelor of Science in Crop Protection Bachelor Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology · Kenya 4 years
- Ingeniero Agrónomo Parasitólogo (Agronomist in Plant Parasitology) Bachelor Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro · Mexico
- Заштита на растенијата – Фитомедицина (Plant Protection – Phytomedicine) Bachelor Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje · North Macedonia
- Фитомедицина (Phytomedicine / Plant Protection) Bachelor University of Belgrade · Serbia Full-time · Usually taught in Serbian
- Фитомедицина (Phytomedicine) Bachelor University of Novi Sad · Serbia Usually taught in Serbian
- Entomology Bachelor National Taiwan University · Taiwan
- Bitki Koruma (Plant Protection) Bachelor Ankara University · Turkey 4 years
- Bitki Koruma (Plant Protection) Bachelor Cukurova University · Turkey Full-time
- Entomology: Pre-Professional Bachelor Oklahoma State University · United States Taught in English
- Entomology Bachelor University of Kentucky · United States 4 years · Taught in English
- Plant Protection Bachelor Vietnam National University of Agriculture · Vietnam Usually taught in Vietnamese
- Crop Protection Master University of Göttingen · Germany 4 semesters · Full-time · Taught in English · Starts winter semester
- MPhil Crop Protection Master Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology · Ghana
- MPhil Entomology Master University of Ghana · Ghana
- M.Sc. Entomology Master Indian Agricultural Research Institute · India Program document (PDF)
- M.Sc. Nematology Master Indian Agricultural Research Institute · India Program document (PDF)
- M.Sc. Entomology Master Punjab Agricultural University · India
- M.Sc. (Agri.) in Entomology Master University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore · India
- Master of Science in Crop Protection Master University of Nairobi · Kenya 2 years · Full-time / Distance learning
- M.Sc Crop Protection Master Ahmadu Bello University · Nigeria Full-time
- Màster Universitari en Sanitat Vegetal i Protecció Integrada de Cultius (Master in Plant Health and Integrated Crop Protection) Master Universitat de Lleida · Spain Full-time · 90 ECTS · Taught in Spanish
- Entomology Master National Taiwan University · Taiwan
- สาขาวิชากีฏวิทยา (Entomology) Master Chiang Mai University · Thailand
- Phytiatrie (cycle ingénieur) Master Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie · Tunisia 3 years (5 semesters)
- Entomology (MS, MAg) Master Auburn University · United States Taught in English