BIOLOGICAL 10 CONTROL AND INTEGRATED CROP PROTECTION Following the example of the other training manuals produced by COLEACP PIP programme, training manual 10 has been designed and written by the PIP Training Unit of the programme. Bruno Schiffers, professor at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech and head of the unit, is the author of all chapters in the manual. Henry Wainwright, PIP expert, is co-author of chapter 3. PIP is a European cooperation programme managed by COLEACP. COLEACP is an interna- tional network promoting sustainable horticultural trade. PIP is fi nanced by the European Union and implemented at the request of the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacifi c) Group of States. In accordance with the Millennium Development Goals, the global objective is to : «Maintain and, if possible, increase the contribution made by export horticulture to the reduction of poverty in ACP countries». This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of PIP and COLEACP and can in no way be taken to refl ect the views of the European Union. PIP c/o COLEACP 130, rue du Trône • B-1050 Brussels • Belgium Tel : +32 (0)2 508 10 90 • Fax : +32 (0)2 514 06 32 E-mail : [email protected] www.coleacp.org/pip BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AND INTEGRATED CROP PROTECTION Chapter 1: Introduction: from chemical control to integrated crop management 1.1. Chemical control at a crossroads 1.2. The various crop management concepts 1.3. Steps towards integrated crop management Chapter 2: Principles of biological and integrated control 2.1. Biological control 2.2. Principles of integrated pest management 2.3. Disease and pest management measures to be integrated 2.4. Alternative control methods to chemical products Appendices: Definitions and various preparations Chapter 3: Case studies 3.1. Integrated control of the Whiteflies 3.2. Integrated control of Leaf Miners 3.3. Integrated control of Phytophthora in pineapples 3.4. Integrated Pest Management of Diamondback Moth Appendices Most used abbreviations and acronyms Bibliographical references Useful Websites 10 Chapter 1 Introduction: from chemical control to integrated crop management 1.1. Chemical control at a crossroads ........................................................................6 1.2. The various crop management concepts ............................................................10 1.3. Steps towards integrated crop management ......................................................14 Chapter 1 Introduction: from chemical control to integrated crop 1.1. Chemical control at a crossroads management 1.1.1. The impact of changes in traditional practices In Africa and other countries in the southern hemisphere, many farmers still practise subsistence farming, and the vast majority of producers of fruit and market garden produce cultivate their crops on very small plots of land, often for just a few weeks or a few months of the year. Generally, although the know-how acquired by these farmers has been passed down from one generation to the next, these producers have only limited agricultural knowledge and technical resources at their disposal. Where they are mostly mixed (crops and animals), family-based, small-holdings, farmers tend not to apply large amounts of pesticides and fertilisers. Against this backdrop, despite the climatic conditions, which are often unfavourable for plant growth but conducive to pest and disease proliferation (heat and humidity), the farmers have nonetheless developed effective production systems. They have learned to make the most of their environment and have utilised the natural resources available to them (botanical insecticides, plants that act as beneficial insect refuges, and various minerals, ashes and smokes that reduce insect attack) to manage the pests and diseases that affect their crops and disrupt their food supplies. The hardiness of numerous local varieties, which often give poor yields but are well adapted, and the considerable natural biodiversity of the environment combined with non-intensive cultivation methods (minimal cultivation, cover crops and crop rotation), have enabled them to keep both disease- and pest-related pressures within tolerable limits. The situation is entirely different in the case of horticultural cash crops, which are an important agricultural activity for rural communities as well as for urban and peri-urban populations in Tropical Africa. The production of fresh fruit and vegetables intended for local and export markets has become a significant source of income for many small-scale producers. Producers have gradually integrated the use of inputs (fertilisers and pesticides) into their agricultural practices, abandoned their traditional varieties and slowly but surely relinquished their traditional production and protection methods in order to protect their harvests, increase production, improve the quality of their produce and boost their income. The horticultural exporting sector in ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) states is still characterised today by a large number of small- and medium-sized operations. As a general rule, in this situation, it is neither beneficial nor appropriate to completely replace traditional methods by chemical control because the latter is not always within the farmer’s grasp. In fact, farmers do not usually have an opportunity to put chemical control to good use because they have limited information on this topic and do not generally have sufficient funds to purchase adequate (effective and authorised for use on the crop in question) plant protection products or the high-quality equipment for safe and effective application to their crops. 6 Chapter 1 Introduction: from chemical control to integrated crop The recommended equipment and products are often not sold locally or else are management difficult to obtain. Furthermore, product presentation (e.g. no labels or labels in an incomprehensible language, defective packaging), poor quality of the formulations, unsuitable pack sizes and the lack of protective equipment, training and information for farmers make the use of pesticides a random, costly procedure fraught with health and environmental hazards. At the present time, most small-scale horticultural producers unfortunately resort to the routine use of synthetic pesticides, sometimes comprising highly complex blends of various products, without knowing anything about their properties. As vegetables are short-cycle crops, which are consumed fresh or after having undergone minor processing, the risks incurred through the excessive, uncontrolled use of inputs (pesticides/fertilisers) are all too real and have been the subject of expert debates that have highlighted the following issues: the presence in harvested produce of residues at concentrations that are harmful to consumer health ; contamination of ground and surface waters; destruction of beneficial organisms and natural enemies and, as a general rule, a loss of biodiversity; adverse effect on the health of operators, and that of their families, following repeated exposure; frequent accidents (inadvertent poisoning); development of resistance by the pests and diseases that are to be eradicated; emergence of new and hitherto unnoticed pests and diseases; a reduction in soil fertility. These risks are compounded by the increased dependency on chemicals by the producers who are faced with the need to purchase inputs (pesticides/fertilisers), and the loss of income when the use of such products is not off-set by an increased yield and/or healthier harvested crops and improved plant protection. Although export production represents only a small portion of small-scale horticultural production in ACP states, it is nevertheless strategic because it represents the only income source for many family businesses. Europe is by far the main export market for the ACP fresh fruit and vegetable sector. The relative importance of these exports on the countries’ economies obviously varies considerably: over thirty ACP states regularly export fruit and vegetables to Europe. For these countries, the horticultural export sector represents a substantial economic and social asset, especially in view of the jobs it creates and the income it generates in rural settings where poverty and unemployment pose particularly serious problems. Today, faced with rising European demands in terms of food safety and animal and plant health measures, coupled with the increasing commercial requirements of large-scale retailers, ACP producers have no choice but to correct their practices in order to supply compliant products [e.g. compliance with MRLs and other standards] and safeguard their market share. Moreover, consideration of only the “health”-related aspects of their production methods will no longer suffice because the market is gradually imposing criteria focusing on environmentally friendly approaches, the protection of biodiversity and the adoption of ethical production methods; in short, the role of chemical control in crop production systems is clearly being questioned. 7 Chapter 1 Introduction: from chemical control to integrated crop Rather than consider these changes as disruptive and negative for the ACP horticultural management sector, which provides a living for millions of people in rural settings, these market trends should ideally be put to good use to challenge the drift away from traditional practices, rekindling interest in traditional control techniques, questioning the use of chemical