What are the advantages of sustainable pest management?

It reduces the possibility of air and groundwater pollution. Protect non-target species by reducing the impact of pest control activities. It reduces the need for pesticides by using several methods of pest control. Reduce or eliminate problems related to pesticide residues.

When we implemented it on one of Environmentbuddy's tree farms, it took us almost 2 years to see the results. IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach that offers a wide variety of tools to reduce contact with pests and exposure to pesticides. IPM methods are environmentally friendly and focus on the use of pest control techniques that present the lowest risk. The borer is a major pest of corn, and its increasing incidence has coincided with the increase in the cultivation of corn as a monoculture.

However, the use of synthetic pesticides presents additional challenges and it is now clear that alternative methods must be applied, which reduce pest damage while avoiding the cost and negative results associated with synthetic pesticides. By the late 1980s, pesticide imports had fallen by two-thirds, and FFS established that it would move to training 1.5 million farmers in Indonesia alone. However, farmers' fears are difficult to overcome; they have often been encouraged by the pesticide industry. Looking at weather patterns and historical data will give you a good idea of when and if a pest problem might occur.

Since the primary objective of IPM techniques is to safely reduce the pest population and preserve the environment, the use of natural methods to combat pests is recommended rather than intensive chemical and pesticide measures. This category of IPM involves classical biological control, in which a generally invasive pest is controlled through the discovery, import and release of a predator or parasitoid. Over the past 20 years, there have been substantial increases in pesticide use, with consumption increasing in China four times, Argentina eight times, Brazil three times, Bangladesh five times and Thailand four times. IPM programs leverage all appropriate pest management strategies, including the prudent use of pesticides.

Conventional thinking about agricultural sustainability has often meant that a net reduction in the use of inputs makes these systems essentially extensive (requiring more land to produce the same amount of food). Natural pest control mechanisms, such as introducing more natural predators, modifying habitat, or sterilizing males to reduce numbers, can effectively reduce many pest-related problems without causing lasting environmental damage. Consequently, each IPM program is designed based on the pest prevention objectives and the eradication needs of the situation. However, these disadvantages are easily eliminated, as there are organizations that provide appropriate IPM training and education to farmers and people who would like to use it.

Blanche Hochstine
Blanche Hochstine

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