Articles
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN ETHIOPIAN ROSE HORTICULTURE
Article number
911_59
Pages
511 – 518
Language
English
Abstract
Rose cultivation in Ethiopia is a relatively new industry.
Application of
chemical pesticides is the main pest control method, with harmful impact on the workers, the environment, the crop and the plastic greenhouse cover.
Global
markets increasingly demand low residue levels, supported by some form of
certification.
Against this background, a broadly supported project was initiated in 2007 to introduce Integrated Pest Management in Ethiopian rose cultivation.
The project integrates stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, and focuses on the on-farm testing of established pest management technologies under local
conditions.
As red spider mite is the predominant pest, its management with a
combination of Phytoseiulus persimilis and Amblyseius californicus in a number of agro-ecological zones was evaluated over more than a year during which the system was exposed to a variety of environmental conditions.
The main findings are:
1. Careful monitoring and intensive communication are essential for a successful transition from chemical to integrated management.
The crop should be free of harmful chemical residues and pest levels should be sufficiently low before
predators are released.
2. Spider mite levels are substantially lower (down to complete absence) after
release of predators, than if full chemical control is applied.
3. The predator populations establish in most environmental regions.
However, low indoor temperatures and very low air humidity are some of the factors that may negatively affect the predator populations.
Additional chemical pest management may be required.
4. Farm managers indicate that integrated pest management results in production and quality increase in rose.
5. Knowledge exchange within and among the formal and informal knowledge
systems greatly speeds up the learning process.
6. Strategic governmental commitment is a prerequisite.
The project now scales up in terms of acreage per farm, number of farms, pests and crops.
Application of
chemical pesticides is the main pest control method, with harmful impact on the workers, the environment, the crop and the plastic greenhouse cover.
Global
markets increasingly demand low residue levels, supported by some form of
certification.
Against this background, a broadly supported project was initiated in 2007 to introduce Integrated Pest Management in Ethiopian rose cultivation.
The project integrates stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, and focuses on the on-farm testing of established pest management technologies under local
conditions.
As red spider mite is the predominant pest, its management with a
combination of Phytoseiulus persimilis and Amblyseius californicus in a number of agro-ecological zones was evaluated over more than a year during which the system was exposed to a variety of environmental conditions.
The main findings are:
1. Careful monitoring and intensive communication are essential for a successful transition from chemical to integrated management.
The crop should be free of harmful chemical residues and pest levels should be sufficiently low before
predators are released.
2. Spider mite levels are substantially lower (down to complete absence) after
release of predators, than if full chemical control is applied.
3. The predator populations establish in most environmental regions.
However, low indoor temperatures and very low air humidity are some of the factors that may negatively affect the predator populations.
Additional chemical pest management may be required.
4. Farm managers indicate that integrated pest management results in production and quality increase in rose.
5. Knowledge exchange within and among the formal and informal knowledge
systems greatly speeds up the learning process.
6. Strategic governmental commitment is a prerequisite.
The project now scales up in terms of acreage per farm, number of farms, pests and crops.
Publication
Authors
A. Elings, E. den Belder, Y. Yilma, M. Dawd, F. Lemessa
Keywords
on-farm trials, knowledge systems, two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Amblyseius californicus
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