Abstract
Integrated pest management (IPM), a worldwide agricultural strategy, contains methods to control or manage agricultural pests and diseases in a more efficient way, and consequently, to obtain better quality raw materials for food production. The engagement and practice of farmers play a key role in the success of this strategy. Since January 1, 2014, Poland and other European Union countries have been obligated to apply the principles of IPM. This paper shows the results of surveys conducted in 280 randomly selected farms the year before and the year following mandatory IPM implementation. The aim of this study was to gather information about farmers’ knowledge of IPM and the most commonly used plant protection methods. Our results show that law regulations do not significantly change agricultural practice. Among the non-chemical methods farmers most often comply with are: implementing the agrochemical calendar, sowing healthy material, destroying volunteer plants, rotating crop, applying balanced fertilizer, plowing stubble and preventing excess nitrogen. Integrated plant protection is not possible without proper knowledge of diseases. This factor needs improvement in Poland. The average Polish farmer lacks the knowledge about basic cereal diseases such as powdery mildew or brown rust, though larger farm operators tend to be more knowledgeable. The results of this survey demonstrate the necessity to provide informative farmer training campaigns to promote on-farm application of IPM and to improve the knowledge of disease issues.
Highlights
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a strategy that encourages the reduction of pesticide use by employing a variety of nonchemical pest control methods to contain or manage pests below their economic injury levels [1]
Non-chemical activities were, out of actual control, while the research presented in this paper mainly focuses on the two first principles of integrated pest management methods: prevention and suppression of harmful organisms by non-chemical means and monitoring of these organisms
We provided farmers with 13 examples of agro-technical methods used by farmers to reduce the pressure of pests and their harmfulness and asked the farmers which methods they used on their own farm in the year before and one year after the mandatory IPM implementation
Summary
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a strategy that encourages the reduction of pesticide use by employing a variety of nonchemical pest control methods to contain or manage pests below their economic injury levels [1]. The beginnings of integrated pest management took place in the United States in the 1960s as a response to the emerging environmental problems associated with the use of large amounts of chemical plant protection products [5]. Since January 1, 2014, farmers in EU countries (including Poland as a member state) must use IPM methods in daily plant production operations, according to Directive 2009/128/EU [11]. According to the directive [12], the principles of integrated plant protection should include:
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