Comparison of perceptions and implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) between IPM and conventional farmers of greenhouse vegetables in northern Greece

Abstract

Reform of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), especially through Regulation 2078/92, provided a dual role for farmers as food producers and stewards of the environment and the countryside. Implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) in greenhouse enterprises in Greece is a part of this effort. In this study, the effectiveness of the adoption and implementation of IPM practices in greenhouse vegetable cultivation in Central Macedonia (Greece) was assessed. Eighty-six farmers enrolled in an IPM programme and 28 conventional greenhouse farmers were selected and interviewed in 1997, using a questionnaire designed to assess their behaviour in the greenhouse and examine their attitudes towards the environment. Wide adoption of IPM was found still to face many hindrances, mainly due to the lack of appropriate technical and advisory support by the agricultural local services, and farmers' low level of knowledge of IPM. Comparisons between IPM and conventional farmers revealed that: (1) the two groups' behaviour did not differ significantly in greenhouse production practices, but (2) IPM farmers were more aware of the new environmental dimension of the CAP, and (3) they expressed more concern about the negative effects of modern agriculture on nature, than conventional farmers.