Articles
INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT OF TROPICAL VERSUS TEMPERATE CROPS; PATTERNS OF SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN APPROACH
Article number
894_3
Pages
45 – 56
Language
English
Abstract
In temperate areas of the world, the population dynamics of insect pests, their natural enemies and the plants on which pests depend are heavily influenced by the occurrence of a cold winter.
This winter season is followed by the sudden availability of large crop monocultures, and the synchronous crop cycles are closely followed by synchronous pest development.
This situation allows many pests to escape natural control for a time, even when managed intentionally for the enhancement of natural mortality factors. In contrast, population swings of tropical pests and their natural enemies are muted, particularly in areas where plant host material as well as moderate temperatures and rainfall persist throughout the year.
For this reason and others, it can be argued that biological control methods are simpler to implement in tropical versus temperate agro-ecosystems.
Integrated pest management, or IPM, can be defined as the employment of a combination of pest control tactics which work together to achieve satisfactory and sustainable pest control.
Case studies of successful IPM programs in the tropics show that biological and cultural control tactics are those most frequently credited for the success.
Therefore many opportunities exist in the tropics for achieving natural pest control through cultural control methods (e.g. use of trap crops, companion plantings, and the development of permaculture systems), as well as introductions of natural enemies from abroad.
This winter season is followed by the sudden availability of large crop monocultures, and the synchronous crop cycles are closely followed by synchronous pest development.
This situation allows many pests to escape natural control for a time, even when managed intentionally for the enhancement of natural mortality factors. In contrast, population swings of tropical pests and their natural enemies are muted, particularly in areas where plant host material as well as moderate temperatures and rainfall persist throughout the year.
For this reason and others, it can be argued that biological control methods are simpler to implement in tropical versus temperate agro-ecosystems.
Integrated pest management, or IPM, can be defined as the employment of a combination of pest control tactics which work together to achieve satisfactory and sustainable pest control.
Case studies of successful IPM programs in the tropics show that biological and cultural control tactics are those most frequently credited for the success.
Therefore many opportunities exist in the tropics for achieving natural pest control through cultural control methods (e.g. use of trap crops, companion plantings, and the development of permaculture systems), as well as introductions of natural enemies from abroad.
Authors
R.G. Hollingsworth
Keywords
IPM, IPM tactics, pest management, tropics, tropical versus temperate
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