Abstract
Integrated pest management (IPM) is nowadays considered the most appropriate approach to pest control. The introduction of IPM in developing countries is however not easy. Experience shows that it is a long-term process. Some experience of IPM programmes are briefly discussed (cotton in Latin America; rice in South East Asia and basic food crops in the Sahel). The attention of tropical entomology should not be focused on IPM only, but also be directed at problems not directly related to IPM. These include the need for better pesticide management, the avoidance of further spread of pests to previously infested area and the control of grasshopper outbreaks in Africa.
The recently developed “International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides” which was unanimously adopted by FAO Member Countries in 1985, can be an important instrument for better pesticide management. To make this code work is a challenge. The control of introduced pests absorbs resources which otherwise could have been used for the control of indigenous pests. Therefore quarantine measures should be strengthened to prevent such spread. Strengthening of Plant Protection Services represents another challenge as these services play a key role in pest control in general and also in implementing IPM. Training in biological control has to be strengthened with emphasis on practical methods which effectively lead to better field pest control. Biological control units have to be set up in countries where they do not exist. There is no fixed level of IPM which should be reached. IPM strategies should fit local conditions and be promoted in conjunction with improved agricultural practices. Priorities for intervention have to be set when developing IPM programmes.
Résumé
De nos jours, la lutte intégrée apparaît comme le moyen le plus efficace d’aborder la lutte contre les ravageurs. Il n’est cependent pas facile d’introduire la lutte intégrée dans les pays en voie de développement. L’expérience prouve que c’est une processus à long terme. Diverses expériences en matière de programmes de lutte intégrée sont brièvement discutées (coton en Amérique latine, riz en Asie du Sud-Est et denrées alimentaires de base au Sahel). L’entomologie tropicale ne devrait pas àtre entièrement concentrée sur la lutte intégrée, mais répondre également aux besoins immédiats de la lutte contre les ravageurs à savoir: mieux utiliser les pesticides, éviter la propagation des ravageurs dans les régions déjà infestées, établir ou renforcer les services de protection des végétaux et lutter contre les infestations de criquets/acridiens.
Le Code international de conduite pour la distribution et l’utilisation des pesticides établi depuis peu, fut adopté à l’unanimité en 1985 par les pays membres de la FAO. Il peut permettre des progrès sensibles en matière d’utilisation des pesticides. Appliquer ce code représente un véritable défi. La lutte contre les ravageurs qui ont été introduits utilise des ressources qui sinon auraient pu àtre utilisées pour lutter contre les ravageurs locaux. Par conséquent, les mesures de quarantine devraient àtre renforcées pour empàcher une telle propagation. Le renforcement des services de protection des végétaux est un autre défi car ces services jouent un rôle déterminant dans la lutte contre les ravageurs en général ainsi que dans l’établissement de la lutte intégrée. La formation en lutte biologique doit àtre renforcée, en insistant tout particulièrement sur les méthodes pratiques qui permettent véritablement d’améliorer la lutte contre les ravageurs. Des unités de lutte biologique doivent àtre établies dans les pays où il n’en existe pas. En lutte intégrée, il n’y a pas de niveau standard: les diverses mesures devraient àtre adaptées aux conditions locales et promues en màme temps que les techniques culturales améliorées. Des priorités doivent àtre déterminées lorsque le programme de lutte intégré est mis en place.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allien M. A., Martin P. B. and Lewis W. J. (1983) A quest for ecologically based pest management systems. Environ. Manage. 7, 91–100.
Brader L. (1979) Integrated pest control in the developing world. A. Rev. Ent. 24, 225–254.
Carson R. L. (1962) Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Cramer H. H. (1967) Plant protection and world crop production. Pflanzenschutz Nachr. 20, 1–524.
FAO (1968) Report of the First Session of the FAO Panel of Experts on Integrated Pest Control. Sept. 1967. Rome, FAO, PL/1967/M17.
FAO (1982) Agriculture toward 2000. Economic and Social Development Studies No. 23.
FAO (1986a) International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides.
FAO (1986b) Informal Consultation Among Regional Plant Protection Organizations. 19–22 May. Ref. PL 30/10.
Gahukar R. T., Guevremont H., Bhatnagar V. S., Doumbia Y. O., Ndoye M. and Pierrard G. (1986) A review of the pest status of the millet spike worm, Rhaguva albipunctella de Joannis (Noctuidae; Lepidoptera) and its management in the Sahel. Insect Sci. Applic. 7, 457–463.
Georghiou G. P. (1986) The magnitude of the resistance problem. In: Pesticide Resistance: Strategies and Tactics pp. 14–43. National Academy Press. Washington DC.
Goodell G. (1984) Challenges to international pest management research and extension in the third world: Do we really want IPM to work? Bull. ESA, Fall, 26–28.
Greathead D. J. and Waage J. K. (1983) Opportunities for biological control of agricultural pests in developing countries. World Bank Technical Paper No. II.
Herrera J. (1985) Terminal Statement of the Latin American Inter-country Programme for the Development and Application of Integrated Pest Control in Cotton-growing.
Hodges R. J. (1986) The biology and control of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)— A destructive pest with an increasing range. J. Stored Prod. Res. 22, 1–14.
Kenmore P., Litsinger J., Bandong J., Santiago A. and Salac M. (1986) Philippine rice farmers’ insect control: Thirty years of growing dependency and new options for change through training. In: Integrated Pest Management: Farmer’s Perceptions and Practices. (Edited by Tait E. J., Bottrell D. G. and Napompeth ). Proc. of the Fourth International Conference on Pesticide Management and Pest Perceptions—Chiangmai, Thailand, 7–11 January 1985.
Kenmore P. (1987) Crop loss assessment in a practical integrated pest control programme for tropical Asian rice. In: Crop Loss Assessment. (Edited by Paul Teng), American Phytopathological Society. In press.
Logan J. W. M. and Schofield P. (1984) The environmental effects of insecticides on non-target organisms in tropical and subtropical developing countries: 1970–1983, TDRI (UK) Information Service. Annotated Bibliographies Series No. 3.
Matteson P. C., Altieri M. A. and Gagné W. C. (1984) Modification of small farmer practices for better pest management. A. Rev. Ent. 29, 383–402.
Metcalf R. L. (1980) Changing role of insecticides in crop protection. A. Rev. Ent. 25, 219–258.
Moore N. W. (1967) A synopsis of the pesticide problem. Advan. Ecol. Res. 4, 75–129.
Pimentel D. (1971) Ecological effects of pesticides on non-target species. Washington D.C.: US Off. Sci. Tech., 1971.
Ripper W. E. (1956) Effect of pesticides on balance of arthropod populations. A. Rev. Ent. 1, 403–438.
Silvederio O. S. (1985) The economics of insect pest control on rice utilizing economic threshold level (ETL) technology and farmer’s practices. Plant Protection News 14, 26–32. Manilla, Philippines.
Wodageneh A. (1985) Cassava and cassava pests in Africa. FAO Plant Prot. Bull. 33, 101–108.
Zelazny B., Chiarappa L. and Kenmore P. (1985) Integrated pest control in developing countries. FAO Plant Prot. Bull. 33, 147–158.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schulten, G.G.M. Challenges Facing Agricultural Entomology in the Tropics. Int J Trop Insect Sci 8, 397–405 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400022372
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400022372
Key Words
- Integrated pest management
- code of conduct
- pesticide management
- quarantine
- biological control
- plant protection service