Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CONSTRAINTS IN ADOPTING BIOLOGICAL BASED PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Sudha Rani Daneti

Abstract

Biological control of insect pests is a “viable alternative” to insecticides with an aim to suppress the pest populations below economic injury levels and is the need of the hour. The key biological based management strategies include erection of pheromone traps for mass trapping/monitoring the incidence of moths (adults) of insect pests; conservation of natural enemies like predators/parasitoids in crop ecosystem; augmentation and inundative release of bio-agents like parasitoids and predators against the targeted pests; and application of bio-rational or “reduced risk” insecticides that effectively controls the insect pests and non toxic to other organisms with meager environment risk. Many research findings had strongly witnessed the biological pest management as superior method in suppressing the pest infestation levels in almost all crops, but the success rate is not substantial at farmer’s level. In order to assess the constraints in adopting biological methods and restraints in low success rate of these methods in suppressing the insect pests an explorative research study was conducted for a period of two successive years i.e., 2020-2021 and 2021-22. A total of ten mandals in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh was selected for the study wherein biological based management strategies are being practiced by the farmers. From each mandal three villages were randomly selected and from each mandal ten farmers were chosen for personal interview to document the constrains in adopting bio-control methods. The methodologies being practiced by farmers were also recorded. The results inferred that among the various restraints, non availability of bio-control agents/materials at market level (63%), adopting the methods at improper time (59%) and lack of knowledge on pest behavior/ecology (55%) are the major influencing factors for low success rate of biological control at farmer’s level. It can be accomplished from the present study that adoption levels of biological pest management strategies at farmers are to be strengthened by conducting regular training programmes, result demonstrations, front line demonstrations and also by encouraging farmers through some incentives and certifications of the harvested organic produce.