A method for controlling pests of soybean plants comprises the step of contacting the soybean plant, parts of it, its propagation material, the pests, their food supply, habitat or breeding grounds with one or more components of the ginkgo tree selected from the group consisting of bilobalide, ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B, ginkgolide C, ginkgolide J and gink-golide M.