Adoption and Impacts of Integrated Pest Management in Bangladesh: Evidence from Smallholder Bitter Gourd Growers

Md Sadique Rahman,George W Norton

doi:10.3390/horticulturae5020032

Abstract

Determinants of integrated pest management (IPM) adoption, productivity and efficiency of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) growers in Bangladesh were jointly measured using propensity score matching (PSM), sample selection stochastic frontier production function (SFPF) and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) techniques. The significant value (P < 0.05) of the selectivity variable (ρ(w,v)) coefficient justifies the use of the sample selection SFPF. The decision to adopt IPM was positively influenced by the training and other farmers’ decisions to adopt. Mean technical efficiency (MTE) was found to be significantly higher for adopters (0.59) compared to non-adopters (0.40). The MTE analysis suggests that arranging more training sessions and making farmers more familiar with the IPM practices would improve the technical efficiency of the growers. Adoption of IPM practices significantly reduced the number pesticide applications, which imply environmental benefits from their adoption.

Highlights

Pesticide use in Bangladesh increased in the early 1970sdue to government’s support for chemical control measures to prevent crop losses and increase production [1,2,3,4,5]
The results revealed that integrated pest management (IPM) adoption has a positive and significant (P < 0.01) effect on the yield of bitter gourd, which is consistent with the findings of [24]
The study jointly analyzed the determinants of IPM adoption as well as productivity and efficiency impacts of IPM adoption on the bitter gourd growers in Bangladesh

Summary

Introduction

Pesticide use in Bangladesh increased in the early 1970sdue to government’s support for chemical control measures to prevent crop losses and increase production [1,2,3,4,5]. Inappropriate use of pesticides has caused harmful effects on farmers’ health [6,7,8,9], while farmers’ good health has a positive effect on production efficiency [10,11]. Pesticide use in Bangladesh is high in vegetables, which has caused other countries to consider restricting vegetable imports from Bangladesh [12]. To reduce the negative impacts of pesticides, the Government of Bangladesh has emphasized the use of integrated pest management (IPM) and declared a national IPM policy with the goal of ensuring healthy crop production and increasing the income of the farmers on a sustainable basis [13]. IPM integrates different pest management practices to minimize pesticide use and ensure favourable economic and ecological consequences [14,15,16,17].

Methods

Results

Conclusion