A knowledge-based insect management system, WHIMS, is being built to provide multi-pest damage assessments for the crop simulation model GOSSYM and to assist in the management of on-farm insect problems. Because the system addresses the present and future impact of the pest complex in the context of a dynamic agroecosystem, a higher order of complexity is needed in the design constraints of the model. A history of the Crop Simulation Research Unit, USDA-ARS, at Mississippi State is presented, along with examples illustrating the necessity for developing holistic management techniques for cotton.