The impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases, and adaptation strategies for the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

The workshop report provided evidences from numerous single factorial laboratory studies and modelling exercises that crop pests and diseases were affected by the vagaries of climate change viz., temperature, rainfall and wind patterns. There was also adequate support for the notion on the innate ability of crop pests and diseases to adapt to changing environmental conditions. It was revealed that organisms respond in different ways to various ecosystem templates thus lending credence to the fundamental need for one to be cognitive of organisms’ ecology and that of the nexus with ecosystem services. In contrast, it was recognized that there were conflicting messages on impacts of climate change on crop pests and diseases that were sent out to policy makers and farmers. Several key aspects were identified and the following needs for refinement were recognised: (i) Research designs that span across spatial and temporal landscapes; (ii) Effective modalities of communicating impacts to influence policies and changes and (iii) Re-designing policies and national agricultural frameworks to enhance resilience to climate changes (e.g. ecological engineering). The workshop highlighted several issues pertinent to climate impact on pests and diseases. The issues focused on the following questions: (i) The specific needs (viz. ecological and implementation) in the development of climate change adaptation strategies for P&D management, (ii) New policies or infrastructure that need to be designed to enhance sustainable agriculture, (iii) Policy change activities that could be initiated, and (iv) the key imperatives that need to be addressed to improve farmer livelihoods, learning and motivation. Overall, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity to take stock of the current state of affairs pertaining to the impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases and the adaptation strategies needed to plan and prepare the best set of collective actions in the face of climate change. The output list of recommendations and next steps will enable us to forge ahead with the directions and plans to diagnose and identify optimum efforts that will benefit the rural poor who are chronically vulnerable to the threats of climate change

Towards a collaborative research: A case study on linking science to farmers' perceptions and knowledge on Arabica coffee pests and diseases and its management

The scientific community has recognized the importance of integrating farmer's perceptions and knowledge (FPK) for the development of sustainable pest and disease management strategies. However, the knowledge gap between indigenous and scientific knowledge still contributes to misidentification of plant health constraints and poor adoption of management solutions. This is particularly the case in the context of smallholder farming in developing countries. In this paper, we present a case study on coffee production in Uganda, a sector depending mostly on smallholder farming facing a simultaneous and increasing number of socio-ecological pressures. The objectives of this study were (i) to examine and relate FPK on Arabica Coffee Pests and Diseases (CPaD) to altitude and the vegetation structure of the production systems; (ii) to contrast results with perceptions from experts and (iii) to compare results with field observations, in order to identify constraints for improving the information flow between scientists and farmers. Data were acquired by means of interviews and workshops. One hundred and fifty farmer households managing coffee either at sun exposure, under shade trees or inter-cropped with bananas and spread across an altitudinal gradient were selected. Field sampling of the two most important CPaD was conducted on a subset of 34 plots. The study revealed the following findings: (i) Perceptions on CPaD with respect to their distribution across altitudes and perceived impact are partially concordant among farmers, experts and field observations (ii) There are discrepancies among farmers and experts regarding management practices and the development of CPaD issues of the previous years. (iii) Field observations comparing CPaD in different altitudes and production systems indicate ambiguity of the role of shade trees. According to the locality-specific variability in CPaD pressure as well as in FPK, the importance of developing spatially variable and relevant CPaD control practices is proposed. (Résumé d'auteur

Biological control of the millet head miner Heliocheilus albipunctella in the Sahelian region by augmentative releases of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor: effectiveness and farmers’ perceptions

On-farm augmentative releases of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) for controlling the millet head miner (MHM) Heliocheilus albipunctella (de Joannis) were tested in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from 2007 to 2009. In addition, a survey of farmers’ perceptions of insect pests, with particular focus on MHM, and the biological control program (BCP) was carried out. There was a significant increase of MHM parasitization rate after the releases, with up to 97% mortality. The survey on farmers’ perceptions revealed a fair knowledge of the MHM and the ability of farmers to describe the pest and the damage it caused. Farmers claimed that the biocontrol agent H. hebetor is effective and perceived a significant gain in grain yield due to this control strategy. Implications of these findings for a large extension of the MHM biocontrol program are discussed

A review of principles for sustainable pest management in rice

This review addresses four principles on which sustainable pest management in rice is to be grounded. The goal of modern pest management is to contribute to agricultural sustainability, with its different facets (food security, balanced relations between man-made and natural ecosystems, conservation of ecosystem services). The four principles are considered in turn within the classic Human - Pest - Environment - Crop framework. Biodiversity, as a first principle, is fundamental to the functioning of food webs. The second principle, host plant resistance (HPR), is a pro-poor, and an often highly efficient element that critically contributes to sustainable crop protection. HPR needs to account for the other principles in its implementation in order to sustain durable resistances over time and space. The third principle, landscape ecology, encompasses inter-linked levels of spatial hierarchies governing the performance of systems (pests, host plants, plant genotypic make-ups, plant and crop physiology, trophic chains, and the physical environment). The fourth principle, hierarchies, concerns the different levels of hierarchy in a landscape, from biological to social. This principle concerns the very fabric of human societies, which involve perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes, which translate into decision-making at several scales, from the individual farmer to policy-makers. This principle thus addresses psychological, policy, and decision-making dimensions. In this review, all organisms that may be harmful to rice are referred to as 'pests', including pathogens and animal pests. We do not address all rice pests, but proceed through a few key examples, nor do we enter into the specifics of pest management strategies covering the range of rice production situations. This is because of the very large range of rice pests, of the corresponding diversity of rice production situations worldwide, of the unprecedented rate of diversification of rice production in response to environmental, climatic, social, and economic drivers, and lastly because plant protection in rice faces emerging crop health challenges that continually call for new solutions in new contexts. The review shows that the considered framework - Human - Pest - Environment - Crop - applies, with each of its summits having a different bearing depending on the pest considered. The review further underlines the need for basic research across a range of disciplines, with novel approaches and methods, as well as the need for connecting hierarchy levels, from farmers, to consumers, to societies, the environment, and to policies. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd