Agro-Ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture Agro-Ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture P

P. Parvatha Reddy Agro-ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture Agro-ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture P. Parvatha Reddy Agro-ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture P. Parvatha Reddy Former Director, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research Bengaluru, Karnataka, India This book was advertised with a copyright holder in the name of the authors in error, whereas the publisher holds the copyright. ISBN 978-981-10-4324-6 ISBN 978-981-10-4325-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4325-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017940270 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore Foreword Even though the intensive crop production practices adopted in achieving green revolution (using heavy doses of fertilizers, indiscriminate use of pesticides and herbicides) led to enormous gains in food production and improved world food security, it had negative impacts on production, ecosystems, and the larger environment (causing environmental damage, pollution, reliance on fossil fuels), putting future productivity at risk. The food production in the developing world must be doubled, in order to feed the world’s growing population that is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Since there is no scope to increase the land available for cultivation, the increase in production should come from sustainable intensification of agriculture – getting more crops out of the same amount of farmland with less environmental impact. In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (which last until 2030) set forth by the UN (to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture), the increased food production should be achieved through environment-friendly and economically sustainable manner. More than 30% of crops worldwide are blemished, damaged, or destroyed by agricultural pests – insects, mites, weeds, nematodes, and disease pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses). The crop losses due to pests viewed in terms of food security would represent the equivalent of food required to feed over one billion people. For over last five decades, chemical control has been the prevailing pest control strategy, resulting in safety problems and ecological disruptions. Hence, there are renewed appeals for economically acceptable, effective, and eco-friendly alternative pest management strategies, which reduce pest damage while avoiding the cost and negative externalities associated with inorganic pesticides. One of the emerging strategies in crop protection, “Agroecological Pest Management”, is being recognized in the present-day context. The new paradigm emphasizes on the incorporation of ecological principles into pest management while ensuring high productivity and profitable harvests without causing harm to the environment. The restructuring of the crop production system to incorporate preven- tative ecological measures that keep organisms from reaching pest status is the long- term pest management strategy. The use of biological processes has been given emphasis to regulate pest populations (as an alternative to direct control via synthetic pesticides) through the redesign of cropping systems via plant species’ spatial and v vi Foreword temporal diversification, while also preserving and improving the soil health (fertil- ity, biological activity, structure, etc.) in agroecological pest management. The information on agroecological pest management is very much scattered, and there is no book at present which comprehensively and exclusively deals with the above aspects in agriculture emphasizing on food security. This book, Agro- ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture, outlines a new paradigm which aims to increase productivity through increasing efficiency and reducing waste, while conserving resources, reducing negative impacts on the environment, and enhancing the provision of ecosystem services. The use of ecologically based pest management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences. The preventive strategies rather than reactive strategies form the basis of agroecological pest management. In order to build a farm’s natural defenses, the preventive practices based on above- and below-ground habitat management (crop/soil management) should be given primary focus in cropping program, followed by planned (problems not solved by preventive practices – planned supplemental pest/soil management practices) and reactive (problems not solved by planned practices – reactive inputs for pest management/reduce plant stress) strategies. The book also highlights the underlying principles and outlines some of the key management practices and technologies required to implement agroecological pest management. I compliment Dr. P. Parvatha Reddy for his meticulous contribution on a very potential topic of agroecological pest management. This book will be of immense value to the scientific community in agriculture as a whole and to those who are involved in crop protection in particular. The material can also be used for teaching postgraduate courses. It can also serve as a very useful reference to policymakers and practicing farmers. Bioversity International N.K. Krishna Kumar G-1, B-Block, NASC Complex DPS Marg, Pusa Campus New Delhi, 110012 India February 5, 2017 Preface The green revolution (using heavy fertilization and indiscriminate use of pesticides) during 1960s has led to enormous gains in food production and improved world food security. However, intensive crop production has had negative impacts on production, ecosystems, and the larger environment, putting future productivity at risk. The world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050; therefore, there will be a need to raise food production by almost 100% in developing countries. An estimated 80% of the required food production increases will thus need to come from land that is already under cultivation, through higher productivity. Hence, new and more environmentally sustainable and economic approaches are demanded and sought to meet future societal needs. Pests (insect and mite pests, disease pathogens, nematodes, and weeds) are the important limiting factors in crop production and productivity. They are responsible for significant crop losses to the extent of 26–40% of the attainable yield every year in major food and cash crops. The present modern agricultural systems are reliant on agrochemical inputs for pest management. Overreliance on pesticides disrupts parasitoid and predator populations, causes outbreaks of secondary pests, exposes farmers to serious health risks, has negative consequences for the environment, causes development of pesticide resistance, leaves pesticide residues in food prod- ucts, decreases effectiveness of many pesticides, adds to increased costs, and pol- lutes the air, soil, and water. Hence, there is an immediate need for alternative pest management strategies to overcome the above limitations, and to provide sustainable and eco-friendly production systems. The use of ecologically based pest management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences. Agroecologically based pest management makes full use of natural and cultural practices and methods, including host resistance and biological control. In order to stabilize the population of pest species throughout the food web, the new designs should concentrate on managing the farm environment through ecosystem enhancements (i.e., landscape ecology), crop attributes, or other means. This book, Agro-ecological Approaches to Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture deals with optimal resource use for pest management with high productivity and enhanced ecosystem services. This alternative paradigm has been shown to work in many parts of the world, and is biologically and ecologically as well as economically more efficient in producing the required outputs of goods such as

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