Impact of IPM implementation in South East Asia

by: Ikhsan hasibuan, Hong ling Er, Ma Rema lauron

Green evolution in S.E.A sees the increase in pesticide use. The problems associated with excessive pesticide use include threat to environmental and human health, secondary pest outbreak and development of pesticide resistance (example).Therefore, more environmental friendly approach should be taken in order to enable a more sustainable crop production.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a pest control method that aims at reducing the use of chemicals. It requires the knowledge of biological interaction between pest, natural enemies of pest and the crop so that complementary measures such as cultural control, biological control and selection of host plant resistance can be taken to reduce pest damage. During the last two decades, IPM has been promoted in Asian/African/Latin American countries under the collective efforts of FAO, government and NGOs. This is done through the farmer field school. In this methodology, farmers are trained to do observations and experiments in their own field. Group of farmers from neighboring places then meet up weekly to discuss their findings during the planting season. Farmer field school has been successful because it empowers the farmer, by letting them to decide for themselves the best measure in their farm, at the same time supporting them with knowledge on available technologies. As a result, pesticide use is successfully controlled, and crop yield is increased.

The philosophy of IPM coincides with organic agriculture. They are both knowledge intensive and aims at sustainable farming system. Both of them promote the use of cultural control such as crop rotation to increase biodiversity on farm. With higher biodiversity, a better balance between pest and their natural enemies can be achieved. And of course, they also select for crop varieties that are more resistant to pest. Although organic agriculture is broader than IPM because it has restriction on other aspects as well, such as fertilization, soil quality etc, IPM could be seen as a start. In this project, we would study how IPM has been implemented in S.E.A, the current state of organic agriculture in S.E.A and how organic agriculture could be promoted in S.E.A with similar approach as that of IPM, e.g. farmer field school.

Soil Quality; organic versus conventional farming

by: ikhsan hasibuan

There are some differences in soil quality between organic and conventional farming due to some restrictions in organic farming. organic farming aims to improve quality of crop yield through improving soil quality by using no chemical fertilizer and pesticide that can harm beneficial underground and aboveground organisms

ORGANIC SOIL QUALITY

• contains no pesticide residues, due to no pesticide applied
• low NO3 and P2O5 contents due to no chemical fertilizer, manure used containt lower N and P compared with chemical fertilizer
• adding manure improves organic matter content
  
• also improves soil structure since high fiber content in manure
• higher microbial diversity and activity. manure gives good environment for microorganism to live in soil
  
• higher microfauna diversity and number
• suppresiveness to root disease, due to diversity of microorganism in soil within the beneficial and non-beneficial that interact each other.

CONVENTIONAL SOIL QUALITY

• containt pesticide residue, due to large used of chemical fertilizer and pesticide
  
• used of chemical fertilizer increase NO3 and P2O5 content in soil
• chemical fertiliser and pesticide used give bad impact to soil structure since it has no fiber content
• lower microbial diversity and activity, chemical fertilizer and pesticide can harm the beneficial organisms and make unbalanced benefial-nonbeneficial organism
• lower microfauna diversity and number
• conducive to root disease

What is organic farming?

Organic agriculture is a sustainable form of production. It promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on methods that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

Organic farming does not use synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers relying instead on developing a healthy, fertile soil and sound crop rotations. In this way, the farm remains biologically balanced, with a wide variety of beneficial insects and other organisms to act as natural predators for crop pests and a soil full of micro organisms and earthworms to maintain its vitality.

If direct control measures have to be taken to prevent serious crop damages, different agents of natural sources (for example Neem and Pyrethrum extracts) and biocontrol agents (for example ladybirds against aphids) can be used. Organic livestock production focuses on animal welfare and husbandry methods that prevent the need for veterinary treatments. It is a method of agricultural production herbicide-resistant plants, and over 20 % are that is environmentally friendly, requiring high standards of animal welfare with health benefits for people. Organic farming recognizes that human health is directly connected to the health of the food we eat and, ultimately, the health of the soil.

Organic agriculture and environments

Through its holistic nature, organic farming integrates wild biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and soil conservation, and takes low-intensity, extensive farming one step further by eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which is not only an improvement for human health, but also for the fauna and flora associated with the farm and farm environment.

Organic farming enhances soil structures, conserves water and ensures the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetically modified organisms and pharmaceuticals. Pests and diseases are controlled with naturally occurring means and substances according to both traditional as well as modern scientific knowledge, increasing both agricultural yields and disease resistance. Organic agriculture adheres to globally accepted principles, which are implemented within local socio-economic, climatic and cultural settings. As a logical consequence, IFOAM stresses and supports the development of self-supporting systems on local and regional levels.

Agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world. Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as "algae blooms", are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain whereby top predators often consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.

For further information on the environmental benefits of organic agriculture, follow the links on this page.

Organic Facts

Organic agriculture is practiced in almost all countries of the world, and its share of agricultural land and farms is continually growing. The total land surface that is managed organically is currently more than 26 million hectares worldwide.

The market for organic products is valued at $28 billion, and includes a full spectrum of agricultural products. Europe and North America are the leading markets, but countries all over the world are exhibiting substantial growth.

IFOAM plays a central role in leading the organic movement on a broad range of issues, from the formulation of organic agriculture's basic principles, to the development of very specific positions and policies that support them.

IFOAM's members control the social and political agenda for organic agriculture, and its staff, under the direction of the representative and democratically elected World Board, attempts to implement the will of the organic movement by defining positions and policies through stakeholder dialogue, by commissioning research, training materials and other documentation, and by representing the organic movement in international forums, organizing events and disseminating the results.

This section highlights the role that organic agriculture, and IFOAM in particular, plays in creating a socially, ecologically and economically sound future for the planet.

Peranan mycorhiza dalam membantu pertumbuhan tanaman

by: Ikhsan Hasibuan

Mycorhiza merupakan sebuah hubungan simbiosis antara tanaman dan fungi (jamur) yang berada di jaringan kortex akar selama periode aktif pertumbahan tanaman. Hubungan ini antara lain ditandai dengan perpindahan carbon yang diproduksi tanaman ke fungi dan sebaliknya fungi memproduksi nutrient yang dibutuhkan tanaman.

Pada tanah-tanah yang tidak subur, nutrient yang diserap mycorhiza sangat membantu pertumbuhan tanaman dan produksinya. Tanaman dengan mycorhiza lebih toleran dan mempunyai penampilan lebih baik dan lebih kompetitif dibanding tanaman tanpa mycorhiza bila tumbuh pada tempat dengan kondisi stress lingkungan tinggi.

Namun penggunaan mycorhiza di lahan pertanian seringkali menunjukkan hasil yang mengecewakan, khususnya pada sistem pertanian dengan input tinggi, sehingga seringkali dianggap bahwa mycorhiza tidak berperan dalam mengatasi masalah pertanian.

Penelitian lebih mendalam membuktikan bahwa anggapan ini tidak benar, mychoriza terbukti meningkatkan pertumbuhan dan fotosintesa tanaman lebih tinggi dibanding dengan tanaman tanpa mycorhiza. Penampilan tanaman yang bersimbiosis dengan mycorhiza mempunyai batang yang lebih kokoh, daun terbuka (horizontal) dan warna daun lebih hijau. sedangkan tanaman tanpa mycorhiza memiliki penampilan batang yang kurang kokoh, daun menurup (vertikal) dan warna daun kurang hijau.

Perbedaan penampilan ini disebabkan adanya suplai hara P dari mycorhiza ke tanaman, sehingga kebutuhan hara tanaman akan P tercukupi dan menyebabkan tanaman lebih sehat.

Kondisi ini hanya terjadi bila tanah tempat tumbuhnya tanaman dalam kondisi suplai hara rendah. Penambahan pupuk N dan P dalam jumlah tinggi pada pertanian konvensional menyebabkan matinya mycorhiza, inilah yang menjadi penyebab mengapa seringkali mycorhiza dianggap tidak memberikan kontribusi terhadap produksi tanaman.