Download Farmer Participatory Approaches

Pest management issues
in the Caribbean
Moses Kairo, CAB International
Caribbean & Latin America Regional
Centre, Trinidad and Tobago
Why insect pests?
• Although this paper covers insect pests,
the issues discussed are applicable to
other pests
• Three interrelated topics discussed:
– development of ecological crop production
– Invasive species management
– Agro-biodiversity
Climate change and insects
• Sustainable management of insect
pests: currently a major challenge
for agriculture
• Climate changes that exacerbate
insect pest problems make this
challenge even more difficult
Ecological Crop/Pest Management
• Intensive production of short-term crops
with high input of chemical pesticides:
– not sustainable
– harmful to humans and the environment
• Safe, healthy food for local needs
• More stringent export requirements
= Develop Ecological Crop Management
(ECM)
ECM Needs
• Development of biologically based pest
management e.g. biological pesticides
• Development of rational pesticide use
and application technologies
• Use of cultural and other practices that
enhance crop health
• Use of participatory approaches
Participatory Approaches
Research
Extension
Farmer
Invasive spp. management
• Increased spate of invasive species
globally and in the Caribbean e.g. HMB,
PMB, Thrips palmi, citrus blackfly, citrus
leafminer, fire ants, giant African snail
• Climate change can exacerbate this
problem by increasing the geographic
and ecological range of some species
Invasive spp: Needs
• Survey and documentation of invasive
species and their potential risks
• Assistance to countries to develop
national strategies and action plans
• Issues of safety of biological control in
small island systems
Agrobiodiversity
• Loss of natural environments and
associated biodiversity in the Caribbean
• Environmental degradation leads to loss
of biological resources and soil fertility
as well as changes in climate
• Loss of smaller organisms essential in
agro-ecosystems are often overlooked
Agrobiodiversity - Needs
• Characterize and utilize biodiversity
• Understand:
– functional relationship between crop
intensification, changing environments
and biodiversity in farmers’ fields
– impact of agronomic and climate
changes on the biodiversity and
conservation of small organisms
Thank You