Integrated Pest Management Knowledge Research Articles

Consumer Purchase Likelihood of Landscape Management Pest Scouting Program

The US landscape industry consists of 632,000 businesses with >1 million persons employed in 2022. The most common service that landscape service providers (LSPs) perform is pest management. Over the past 25 years, LSPs have been challenged to adopt more holistic approaches to pest management via the use of nonchemical and less toxic chemical controls. Integrated pest management (IPM), specifically scouting, may be a useful approach for LSPs to manage pests more sustainably and market new services, such as biological control releases. Scant literature is available on LSP scouting practices or consumer acceptance of scouting services. The goal of this study was to determine if IPM-aware consumers were more likely to purchase a scouting program offered by an LSP. An online survey was distributed across the United States through a third-party panel service. The final sample included 928 usable responses. Data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported having some knowledge or were very knowledgeable of IPM. Respondents 65 years of age and older were 13.1% points less likely to purchase a scouting service. Education level did not influence purchase likelihood. Consumer knowledge of IPM had a positive influence on the purchase likelihood, respondents with “some knowledge” (5.6%) and “very knowledgeable” (8.6%) were more likely to buy IPM services. Further, if the consumer was open to purchasing the scouting program, it is plausible that they might be more willing to allow an LSP to use a combination of chemical and nonchemical methods to manage pests.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Agriculture and Its Role in Maintaining Ecological Balance and Biodiversity

The production of sustainable crops and environmental management in farming face several significant potential obstacles, including climate change, resource depletion and environmental degradation. Weeds and insect pests that considerably reduce yields have put crop production systems in danger. The greatest worry for farmers is the decline in productivity due to illnesses and pests. Insects, weed pests, and plant pathogens destroy more than 40% of all potential food production every year. The widespread use of integrated pest management (IPM) is a result of worries about the long-term viability of conventional agriculture. IPM ensures sufficient, secure, equitable, and steady flows of both food and ecosystem services, as well as increased agricultural profitability due to lower pest management expenditures. A number of studies conducted on IPM have been combined. Important information from all these studies was analyzed and summarized in this literature review. In this article, we investigated the following: (1) explanation of different management components; (2) development in organically integrated weed and insect pest management, with possible ramifications and scope; (3) knowledge and adaptation status of IPM in the modern world; (4) resources and tools of IPM; (5) current challenges and suggested future research priorities. Regular training related to IPM should be arranged to spread the knowledge of IPM to all farmer levels. This requires the cooperation of the government. Furthermore, IPM will reach a new milestone if Internet of Things technology is practiced along with the existing pest control method. Overall, this review addresses the possibilities for researchers and farmers to use a variety of natural control agents as a full or partial replacement for synthetic pesticides.

Does the certification of agriculture products promote the adoption of integrated pest management among apple growers in China?

Seeking effective policies for reducing chemical pesticides has recently been the focus of agricultural sustainable development. A randomly selected sample of 559 small-scale farmers on the China Loess Plateau was investigated in 2018. We analyzed the effect of certification of agricultural production on the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) by using the Poisson regression model. The result shows that the certification of agriculture products, subsidies of integrated pest management, and the price increase of certified agriculture products significantly promote the adoption of IPM. However, government supervision in certified agriculture products does not significantly promote the adoption of IPM. The cognition of IPM acquired by farmers significantly promotes the adoption of IPM, while the age of farmers negatively affects the adoption of IPM. We suggest that the government should strengthen the certification of agriculture products and provide subsidies of the adoption of IPM for farmers who produce certified agriculture products. The market needs to guarantee a higher price of certified agro-products which the IPM are adopted. The government should strengthen supervision of certified agriculture products, promote the extension of IPM and enhance farmers' knowledge of IPM, and promote more farmers to replace chemical pesticides with IPM.

Pest Quest: A Game of Strategy, Uncertainty, and Sticky Traps

Abstract Educational games are employed to teach a variety of scientific skills and concepts. We evaluated Pest Quest, a co-operative tabletop game designed to teach about Integrated Pest Management. In it, students worked together to protect a farm from insect pests by scouting and making sound treatment decisions. We gave students in an introductory, nonmajors entomology course assessments of their Integrated Pest Management knowledge and attitudes toward agriculture before and after playing a digital port of the game. We also administered a postgame survey to gauge students’ opinions and feelings about the game. Pest Quest proved engaging and accessible, with students enjoying the game and having the impression it helped them learn. However, this conclusion was not captured in our assessments. We provide access to physical and digital versions of Pest Quest and suggestions for more effective implementation in entomology and agriculture classrooms.

Pesticide Policies and Farm Behavior: The Introduction of Regulations for Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management (IPM) was introduced in the 1960s as a response to increasing pesticide use and has since evolved from being understood mainly as an economic issue to also including environmental and human health considerations. The EU has made IPM mandatory for all farmers through the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper examines how Norwegian cereal farmers have responded to this requirement. The qualitative results show that most farmers have an understanding of IPM that goes beyond economic considerations only. The quantitative results display that farmers’ intrinsic motivation for IPM changed after introduction of the SUD. There is increased emphasis on using methods other than spraying, producing grain without traces of pesticides, and preventing pesticide resistance. Farmers’ self-reported knowledge of IPM increased, and 41% of farmers stated that they use IPM to a greater extent than before the SUD was introduced. These results demonstrate that mandatory IPM requirements have been a successful strategy for increasing farmers use of IPM in Norway. Clearer IPM provisions and increased intrinsic motivation for IPM among farmers will, however, be important to reduce the risks from pesticides further.

Knowledge and Attitude of Malaysian Fruit Growers on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach for pest control. However, the adoption of IPM remains low in Malaysia. The main objectives of this study were to identify the knowledge level and attitude of Malaysian fruit farmers on IPM. A total number of 150 respondents were selected through a non-random sampling method and the data was collected through an online questionnaire. The knowledge level and attitude of the respondents were accessed on a scoring scale of one to five. The respondents recorded a moderate knowledge of IPM with a mean score of 3.36. However, farmers showed poor knowledge on different modes of action of pesticides (2.25), and the ability to identify insect pests (2.25). The respondents showed a positive attitude on IPM with a mean score of 3.58. Among the attitude aspects, farmers displayed a positive attitude on the cost-effectiveness of IPM (3.53) and are willing to learn and adopt IPM practices (4.35). The Spearman’s correlation test revealed that there was no significant correlation between age and educational level of farmers on their knowledge on IPM. The findings of this study could assist in the development of IPM programs for better country wide IPM adoption.

Cost Effective Strategy to Disseminate IPM Technology: A Case of Banke and Surkhet District of Nepal

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic approach in reducing damage caused by pests without harming the environment. A study on cost effectiveness strategy to disseminate IPM technology was conducted in the Banke and Surkhet districts of Nepal. For assessing the spread of information, farmers were asked a series of questions during the survey to determine knowledge of IPM and degree of IPM adoption. Using descriptive statistics and differences in means, analysis was done on relationships among access to information, IPM knowledge and adoption, and word-of-mouth diffusion of IPM techniques to neighboring farmers. For the evaluation of dissemination methods efficiency and to examine the cost for using the different dissemination methods of IPM technology followed by IPM IL project in Banke and Surkhet district, the cost measurements was focused only on the dissemination methods of IPM technology with a public cost such as mass media, agricultural officers, MPC, collection centre, FFS, CBFs, cooperatives, neighboring farmers, agro-vets and field days. When the number of farmers needing to receive training for one farmer to adopt IPM practices is known, and then that value can be multiplied by the cost per farmer trained which allows in providing the cost per farmer adopting the technology by transfer method. Capacity building in IPM technology development and dissemination in the study area was I/NGOs working in that area. Market Planning Committee of Banke and Surkhet district has played a vital role in disseminating IPM technology in cost effective and efficiently.
 Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 8, Issue-1: 272-276

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) AND ITS APPLICATION IN RICE – A REVIEW

Rice is the staple food crop for more than half of the world’s population though it’s cultivation is done in only 11% of the world’s cultivable land. Several pests attack rice in different ways at different stages. Increased reliance on pesticides for pest control is found to be unsustainable and cost-ineffective. So, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been introduced as the best alternative for pest management in rice. IPM in rice helps to minimize risks to the environment and human health. Rice IPM uses the combination of cultural, use of resistant varieties, biological, physical, and chemical practices for pest control. Farmers Field School has been the most effective way to increase IPM knowledge among rice farmers. Such training helps to facilitate the farmers to apply ecologically informed farming practices. There are several challenges regarding the implementation of rice IPM. To increase IPM implementation in rice emphasis should be given on farmers’ training and education. The role of government is also vital for the successful implementation of IPM. This review article provides an overview of various IPM practices being performed in rice fields at present.

The influence of risk preferences, knowledge, land consolidation, and landscape diversification on pesticide use

AbstractResearchers have spent substantial effort to identify factors influencing pesticide use intensity. However, few studies have compared the relative importance of these factors. This study examines four categories of factors that potentially influence farmers’ pesticide use decisions by evaluating incentivized experiment data, farm survey data, and remote sensing data in China. Our results suggest that land diversification has the largest effect on farmers’ pesticide use. Compared with the most rice‐intensive landscape type, less rice‐intensive systems cause farmers to spray less on middle rice. Heavy pesticide use intensity is associated with land fragmentation as small‐scale farms still dominate crop production. Farmers’ integrated pest management knowledge has significant effects on pesticide use. We also find that loss and ambiguity preferences, rather than risk preferences, are more likely to affect pesticide use intensity.

Perspective: enhancing economic evaluations and impacts of integrated pest management Farmer Field Schools (IPM-FFS) in low-income countries.

Over the last few decades, the use of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) have been considered one of the best approaches to disseminate integrated pest management (IPM) practices that aim to reduce reliance on and misuse of chemical pest control methods in agriculture. However, the published empirical literature has been decidedly mixed in terms of the effectiveness of the IPM-FFS approach to improve economic outcomes in the short-term (e.g. reduce chemical use, improve profits), and the potential for scaling-up and IPM dissemination in the medium-term. This article briefly explores the empirical IPM-FFS literature and draws implications for future research directions that can potentially enhance IPM knowledge diffusion methods (including IPM-FFS) and increase the economic impact of IPM techniques in low-income countries. We find that promising research directions to improve understanding of IPM dissemination and IPM impacts will need to involve: (i) interdisciplinary long-run studies using rigorous evaluation methods; (ii) in-depth assessments of spillover effects; (iii) careful examination of IPM and IPM-FFS impact heterogeneity; (iv) evaluation of novel IPM packages with herbicide- and genetics-centered components; (v) piloting and impact assessments of alternative IPM knowledge diffusion structures; and (vi) piloting and impact analysis of IPM dissemination and learning programs with private sector involvement. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Agricultural Practice in Poland Before and After Mandatory IPM Implementation by the European Union

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.

What Do They Know and What Do They DO? A National Evaluation of Landscape Integrated Pest Management Knowledge and Use in the United States

Abstract Individual residents in the United States increasingly practice do-it-yourself pest management in their lawns and gardens. This self-managed pest control is frequently characterized by unnecessary and sometimes indiscriminate applications of pesticide that are often ineffective and environmentally damaging. Given residential consumers account for most of the world’s pesticide expenditures, the need to increase adoption of IPM best practices is critical. Through its education and technical training programming, we argue that Cooperative Extension is uniquely positioned to nudge residential DIY pest management away from an exclusive reliance on pesticide application and towards IPM best practices. To assess how best to encourage an increase in IPM adoption, we examined the relationship between an individual user’s knowledge of IPM practices and adoption of IPM behavior. Survey results from individual residents responsible for their lawn and garden management indicate that where there is high knowledge of IPM best practices, there appears to be a strong likelihood of behavior adoption. Results also show, however, that a significant number of respondents have little to no knowledge of IPM. To address this gap, we argue for the need to increase IPM-related education and provide recommendations for future research.

The Technological Trajectory of Integrated Pest Management for Rice in Cambodia

For the past two decades, while the efficacy of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been successfully demonstrated in Cambodia, its dissemination and sustained adoption among farmers have not met similar success. This study moves away from simplistic analyses about constraints in extension methods for IPM. Instead, we take a broader look into technological systems and the trajectory for pest management, which affected the spread and uptake of IPM in the country. Through a review of the wider context in policies and programs, and a survey of farmers from five provinces in Cambodia (N = 400), we examined the connections between options for pest management at the farmer level and conditions in the technological system. Using the Cambodian case study, we show that the technological system predisposes to pesticide use and as such hinders a trajectory of IPM. Systemic conditions, including interrelated agronomic practices, ecological conditions in farming communities, governance mechanisms, structures around the spread of knowledge and the industry around the technological options, have created mutual socio-technical dependencies. Although programs targeted change through knowledge of IPM, much of the systemic conditions sustain the trajectory of pesticide reliance. Hence, promoting an innovation environment that is supportive of IPM requires extension beyond knowledge dissemination, addressing these varied elements of the technological system.

Farmers’ Technical Knowledge about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Olive Production

While Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable approach of pest control, contributing to reduced use of pesticides and risks on human health and the environment, farmers have shown limited interest in practicing this method. The present study explored the levels of technical knowledge about integrated management of the olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) among olive growers in Roudbar County of Iran and factors underpinning olive farmers’ technical knowledge of integrated management. Data were collected in a survey of olive farmers, on the basis of a structured questionnaire. Almost half of the farmers (48.4%) had good to excellent levels of technical knowledge of integrated management, while almost a third of the farmers (35.4%) had a moderate knowledge level. However, a noticeable portion of the farmers (15.9%) had poor knowledge of integrated management. Moreover, most farmers showed average knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides on human health. While most farmers showed good levels of social participation, cooperation with institutes, and participation in extension activities, they showed low levels of community involvement (involvement in a group of people that have and share common interests with each other). Olive imports and the lack of a common action for olive fly control were perceived as the main barriers of IPM adoption among most farmers. Regression analysis revealed that increased community involvement, large area under olive farming, participation in education activities, and high farming experience promoted farmers’ technical knowledge of integrated olive fly control. Strengthening growers’ technical knowledge of IPM through community involvement and extension services among inexperienced small-scale olive farmers is recommended for reducing possible unnecessary insecticide sprays in olive production.

An Integrated Pest Management Intervention Improves Knowledge, Pest Control, and Practices in Family Child Care Homes.

To reduce young children’s exposure to pesticides when attending family child care homes (FCCHs), we developed an integrated pest management (IPM) intervention for FCCH directors. First, we developed IPM educational materials and resources to provide the foundation for an IPM educational intervention for FCCHs. Next, we conducted and evaluated a six-month nurse child care health consultant (CCHC)-led education and consultation IPM intervention to increase IPM knowledge, IPM practices, IPM policies, and decrease the presence or evidence of pests. The pilot intervention study was conducted by three CCHCs in 20 FCCHs in three counties in California. Pre- and post-intervention measures were completed by the FCCH directors and observation measures were completed by the CCHCs. Results indicated significant increases in IPM knowledge, (t-statistic (degrees of freedom), (t(df) = 2.55(10), p < 0.05), increases in IPM practices (t(df) = −6.47(17), p < 0.05), and a 90% reduction in the prevalence of pests. There were no significant differences in changes in IPM practices based on director education, FCCH county, or IPM intervention intensity or duration. A nurse-led IPM education and consultation intervention can reduce exposures of young children attending family child care homes to harmful chemicals.

Developing and Delivering a Needs-Based Integrated Pest Management Program for Public School Grounds Employees

Core Ideas We developed an engaging and needs-based IPM training curriculum for public school IPM and Coordinators and grounds employees in the Portland Metropolitan area. Although other training options are available, none specific to the needs of the Oregon school grounds employees were available prior to this pilot project. We used a focus group and survey to identify high-priority training topics. We conducted site visits to confirm the severity of these issues and determine if other IPM-related topics need to be incorporated into the future training events. Panel discussions and hands-on field demonstrations were used to foster active and hands-on education. Oregon Statute requires all Oregon schools to adopt an integrated pest management (IPM) plan, create a list of acceptable low-impact pesticides, designate an IPM Coordinator, participate in annual training for IPM Coordinators, and provide periodic training for other school employees. To assist Oregon schools in meeting the requirements of the Oregon IPM in schools law, we developed an engaging and needs-based IPM training curriculum for public school IPM Coordinators and grounds employees in the Portland Metropolitan area. We used a focus group and survey to identify high-priority training topics. These topics were (1) landscape rodent management, (2) landscape and turf weed management, (3) hardscape weed management, (4) building a low-maintenance landscape, and (5) maximizing low-impact pesticides. We conducted site visits to confirm the severity of these issues and determine if other IPM-related topics need to be incorporated into the future training events. Four separate training events were held in two different school districts. The four training events collectively reached 66 employees from 15 of the 23 school districts in the Portland area. On-site surveys were used to assess the quality of the training; follow-up focus group interviews and an on-line survey were used to quantify the impacts of this training. According to the survey, the majority of the participants (67%) felt the training improved their knowledge of turf and landscape IPM. Final assessment determined that the majority of attendees have used the provided take home material (85.7%) and plan to decrease pesticide use by using the skills they learned (71.4%).

Diversity of methodologies to experiment Integrated Pest Management in arable cropping systems: Analysis and reflections based on a European network

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) aims to promote physical and biological regulation strategies that help farmers contain populations of pests (pathogens, animal pests and weeds) and to finally reduce the reliance on pesticides. It is based on the holistic combination of multiple management measures rather than on the sum of single methods, each of them having only small effects on pests reduction. Thus, to analyse the interactions between IPM measures and to evaluate the sustainability of their implementation, we require an approach considering the whole cropping system (CS), i.e. a functional entity whose complexity is more than the sum of its parts. A network of European experiments at the CS level was set up recently, and aimed at sharing data and expertise to enhance knowledge of IPM. Comparison of existing methodologies highlighted a diversity of CS designs and experimental layouts. We deduced that the concept of CS itself was viewed differently among scientists, and this affected experimental protocols. Other differences were related to the research context and objectives. Some experiments aimed to explore very innovative strategies and generated knowledge on both their effects on the agroecosystem and their ability to satisfy a set of performance targets, while others aimed to provide quickly adoptable solutions for local farmers in line with the current socio-economic constraints. In some research programmes, the experiment was part of the CS design process — and tested CS were regularly revised based on an continuous improvement loop — while in other cases CS were kept stable across years so as to enable the evaluation of their long-term cumulative effects. A critical aspect contributing to the diversity among CS experiments was the distinction between a factorial design of experimental CS and systemic approaches: factorial experiments allowed quantification of the effects of each IPM component regardless of the consistency between components defining the CS. In contrast, systemic approaches focused on the overall evaluation of CS designed with consideration of their consistency, hence maximising their ability to meet the objectives. Because CS experiments represent a huge investment in terms of economics and time, preliminary reflections of the relevance of the experimental strategy is of critical importance.

Integrated Pest Management Intervention in Child Care Centers Improves Knowledge, Pest Control, and Practices

IntroductionTo reduce young children's exposure to pests and pesticides, an integrated pest management (IPM) intervention was provided for child care center staff. MethodsThe 7-month IPM education and consultation intervention was conducted by trained nurse child care health consultants in 44 child care centers in California. IPM knowledge surveys were completed by child care staff, objective IPM assessments were completed by research assistants pre- and postintervention, and activity logs were completed by the nurses. ResultsThere were significant increases in IPM knowledge for the child care staff who attended workshops. There were reductions in the prevalence of pests and increases in IPM practices at the postintervention compared with the preintervention time point. The nurses consulted an average of 5.4 hours per center. DiscussionA nurse-led IPM intervention in child care centers can reduce exposure to harmful substances for young children attending child care centers.

Determinants of integrated pest management adoption for olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) in Roudbar, Iran

Extensive use of highly toxic pesticides for pest management has generated concerns over the negative impact of these chemicals on both human health and the environment. The use of integrated pest management (IPM) can address some of these concerns, but studies on the adoption behavior of growers are generally limited. A survey of 171 olive growers was conducted to analyze factors determining adoption of IPM practices for the control of olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) in Roudbar county of Guilan province, Iran. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with randomly selected olive growers of the study area using a structured questionnaire. Some growers (9.9%) did not adopt any IPM practice for olive fruit fly control, while the majority of the growers (almost 54%) showed some low level of adoption. Twelve variables were found to be strongly correlated with adoption of IPM practices for olive fruit fly control. The strongest link was demonstrated with growers' annual income, land area under cultivation, farming experience, extension activities, technical knowledge, and average olive fruit production. Discriminant analysis was used to identify the variables with the greatest power of classifying growers in three groups of IPM adopters (low, medium, and high level of adoption). The variable: farming experience and especially the olive farming experience along with the variables: family size and extension activities gave an overall classification accuracy of 72.1%, implying a strong capability of correctly differentiating growers in the IPM groups. Understanding growers' characteristics and behavior concerning the adoption of IPM can be a first major step for boosting adoption rates among olive growers of the study area or among growers of other areas with a similar profile. To this end, government policies should strengthen growers' technical knowledge of IPM concerning olive fruit fly through extension services and community involvement, particularly among inexperienced small-scale growers.

Toward a Reduced Reliance on Conventional Pesticides in European Agriculture.

Whether modern agriculture without conventional pesticides will be possible or not is a matter of debate. The debate is meaningful within the context of rising health and environmental awareness on one hand, and the global challenge of feeding a steadily growing human population on the other. Conventional pesticide use has come under pressure in many countries, and some European Union (EU) Member States have adopted policies for risk reduction following Directive 2009/128/EC, the sustainable use of pesticides. Highly diverse crop production systems across Europe, having varied geographic and climatic conditions, increase the complexity of European crop protection. The economic competitiveness of European agriculture is challenged by the current legislation, which banned the use of many previously authorized pesticides that are still available and applied in other parts of the world. This challenge could place EU agricultural production at a disadvantage, so EU farmers are seeking help from the research community to foster and support integrated pest management (IPM). Ensuring stable crop yields and quality while reducing the reliance on pesticides is a challenge facing the farming community is today. Considering this, we focus on several diverse situations in European agriculture in general and in European crop protection in particular. We emphasize that the marked biophysical and socio-economic differences across Europe have led to a situation where a meaningful reduction in pesticide use can hardly be achieved. Nevertheless, improvements and/or adoption of the knowledge and technologies of IPM can still achieve large gains in pesticide reduction. In this overview, the current pest problems and their integrated management are discussed in the context of specific geographic regions of Europe, with a particular emphasis on reduced pesticide use. We conclude that there are opportunities for reduction in many parts of Europe without significant losses in crop yields.