The IOBC defines 'direct plant protection' as "control" of problems rather than "prevention."

Priority must be given to natural, cultural, biological and highly specific methods of pest, disease and weed control, and the use of agrochemicals must be minimized. Plant protection products may only be used when justified. The most selective, least toxic, least persistent product or control procedure, which is as safe as possible to humans and the environment, must be selected.

Control measures should be used from the more selective to the less selective

1. Use of control measures that act exclusively on target organisms (pests, diseases, weeds)
   • Release of sterile insects
   • Repeated release of parasitic organisms
   • Encouragement of predators
   • Introduction of competitive plants
   • The use of selective chemicals (Pheromones)
2. The application of less selective control measures, to be used when the previous measures do not prevent economic damage
   • The use of semi-selective pesticides (i.e. BT, insect growth regulators, sterol synthesis inhibiting fungicides, etc.,)
   • The use of non-selective short persistence pesticides