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.