Economics of reducing insecticide use on celery through low-input pest management strategies

Abstract

A low pesticide input management system for celery, Apium graveolens, was developed and implemented. The overall effectiveness of this system was compared with a conventional pesticide application program and an untreated control, over 4 years in field station trials, and then implemented in a commercial trial. The low-input program relied on biological control agents and rotations of selective, environmentally-safe biorational insecticides ( Bacillus thuringiensis, spinosad, tebufenozide) applied only when pests exceeded threshold levels. The conventional program included prophylactic applications of broad spectrum synthetic pesticides. Yield losses from key insect pests were documented and economic analyses comparing the monetary returns accruing from the use of the different programs were generated. Insect damage was lower for conventional program in only one of the 4 years. The integrated pest management (IPM) program utilized significantly fewer applications of insecticides, but there were no significant differences in the total number of marketable cartons. These lower insecticide costs resulted in greater net profits for the IPM program. A commercial trial, which included a low input program for managing the fungal pathogen Septoria apiicola, was conducted in collaboration with a celery producer in Ventura county, California and provided similar results to the field station trials. The combined IPM program used over 25% fewer pesticides than the grower's program, and pest management costs were over $250 ha −1 lower for the IPM program than for the grower standard program. Although the IPM program used fewer pesticide applications, there were no significant differences in yield or net profits among treatments.