Insect pest management in San Joaquin Valley cotton can be characterized as lacking pests which dominate production decisions, such as bollworm, budworm, boll weevil, or silverleaf whitefly. Instead, key pests must be managed within an IPM system which relies on natural enemies and judicious use of disruptive broad spectrum insecticides. Insect pest management crises can arise for at least two reasons, introduction of a dominant new pest or upsetting the balance between pests and natural enemies through the use of broad spectrum insecticides. Maintaining an IPM program in shifting pest environments requires the development of management plans arrived through consensus of the community.