Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T10:09:52.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Agricultural Production in the Third World - a Challenge for Natural Pest Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

N. W. Hussey
Affiliation:
21 Harsfold Road, Rustington, Sussex BN16 2QE, England

Summary

Prevention of the enormous losses of crop production in the Third World, both before and after harvest, would make a substantial contribution to the survival and well-being of countless small fanners. Many attempts to reduce the scale of pest attacks by facilitating the purchase of pesticides and fertilizers have failed in the face of maladministration, mistrust, primitive conditions and ignorance. Yet, despite the difficulties, these fanners have evolved a pattern and practice of production which incorporates many positive attributes which have only recently been appreciated by western scientists. Attention is drawn to some of these methods and also to the benefits and limitations of both classical and manipulated biological control. It is concluded that further improvements depend on the ability of entomologists to adapt some of the concepts widely used in China to utilize scientific techniques within a socio-economic structure where even the plastic bag must be regarded as high technology.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abote, T. (1988). Experiments with trap crops against African bollworm, Heliothis armigera, in Ethiopia. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 48:135140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Altieri, M. A. (1984). Pest-management technologies for peasants: a fanning system approach. Crop Protection 3:8794.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anon. (1987). Crotalaria – a plant more effective than pesticides. CIAT Report 1986:3942.Google Scholar
Brader, L. (1979). Integrated pest control in the developing world. Annual Review of Entomology 24:225254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coaker, T. H. (1960). Investigations on Heliothis armigera in Uganda. Bulletin of Entomological Research 50:487506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbett, P. S. (1970). Pest management: Objectives and prospects on a global scale. In Concepts of Pest Management (Eds Robb, R. L. and Guthrie, K. E.). NC State University.Google Scholar
Crofts, A. (1986). Use of decoy plants helps to control Kenyan pest damage. Ceres 110:4.Google Scholar
Devaux, A. & Haverkort, A. J. (1987). The effects of shifting planting dates and mulching on late blight (Phytophora infestans) and drought stress of potato crops grown under tropical highland conditions. Experimental Agriculture 23:325333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dessemond, A. & Weltzien, H. C. (1986). Influence of sorghum and cowpea intercropping on plant pests in a semi-arid area of Kenya. Mededeilung Faculteit Landbouwissensthaftlichen Rijksuniversiteit Ghent 51:(3a)11471156.Google Scholar
Fisher, N. M.Raheja, A. K. & Elemo, K. A. (1987). Insect pest control for cowpea in crop mixtures. Experimental Agriculture 23:920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gold, C., Bellotti, A. & Altieri, M. (1988). Intercropping and population dynamics of the cassava whitefly. Cassava Newsletter 12:710.Google Scholar
Grainge, M. & Ahmed, S. (1988). Handbook of Plants with Pest Control Properties. London: Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Greathead, D. J. & Waage, J. K. (1982). Opportunities for biological control of agricultural pests in developing countries. World Bank Technical Paper 11:144.Google Scholar
Greathead, D. J. (1984). Biological constraints and agricultural production. In Advancing Agricultural Production in Africa (Ed. Hawksworth, D. L.). Slough: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau.Google Scholar
Hague, F. (1986). Pesticide subsidies seen as hampering improved pest control. Ceres 110:1011.Google Scholar
Haskell, P. T. (1977). Integrated pest control and small farmer crop protection in developing countries. Outlook on Agriculture 9:121126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hussey, N. W. (1978). Biological pest control techniques in China. Royal Society CL/3 (77), 714.Google Scholar
Kang, B. T., Wilson, G. F. & Lawson, T. L. (1984). Alley Cropping: a Stable Alternative to Shifting Cultivation. Ibadan: International Institute for Tropical Agriculture.Google Scholar
Khader, K. B. A. & Anthony, K. (1968). Intercropping: a paying proposition for Areca growers. Indian Farming 18:1415.Google Scholar
Kottegoda, M. B. (1985). Safety in use of pesticides and medical treatment. Chemistry and Industry 18:240244.Google Scholar
Kring, T. J. & Gilstrap, F. E. (1986). Beneficial role of corn-leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Homoptera: Aphididae) in maintaining Hippodamia spp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in grain sorghum. Crop Protection 5:125128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laster, M. L. & Farr, R. E. (1972). Heliothis population in cotton-sesame intercroppings. Journal of Economic Entomology 65:15241525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Litsinger, J. A., Price, E. R. & Herman, R. T. (1982). Small farmer pest control practices for rainfed rice, corn and grain legumes in three Philippine provinces. Philippine Entomologist 4:6586.Google Scholar
Mahadevan, N. R. & Chelliah, S. (1986). Influence of intercropping legumes with sorghum on the infestation of the stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) in Tamil Nadu, India. Tropical Pest Management 32:162163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matteson, P. C., Altieri, M. A. & Gang, W. (1984). Modification of small farmer practices for better pest management. Annual Review of Entomology 29:383402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordlund, D. A., Chalfont, R. B. & Lewis, W. J. (1984). Arthropod populations, yield and damage in monocultures and polycultures of corn, maize and tomatoes. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 11:353367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norman, D. W. (1974). Rationalizing mixed cropping under indigenous conditions: the example of Northern Nigeria. Journal of Development Studies 11:321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okigbo, B. N. (1974). Cropping systems and related research in Africa. Ass. Advancement Agricultural Science in Africa.Google Scholar
Pair, S. D., Laster, L. & Martin, D. (1982). Parasitoids of Heliothis spp. larvae in Mississippi associated with sesame intercroppings in cotton 1971–1974: implications of host-habitat interaction. Environmental Entomology 11:509512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perrin, R. M. (1977). Pest management in multiple cropping systems. Agro. Ecosystems 3:93118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, R. R., Young, J. H. & Morrison, R. (1972). Strip cropping effects on abundance of Heliothis-damaged cotton squares, boll-placement, total bolls and yields in Oklahoma. Environmental Entomology 1:145149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rust, R. W. (1977). Evaluation of trap crop procedures for control of Mexican bean beetle in soyabeans and lima beans. Journal of Economic Entomology 70:630632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarup, R., Panwar, V., Marwaha, L. & Siddiquii, R. H. (1977). Exploitation of polyphagy for the control of Chilo partellus (Swinloe) infesting maize crops. Journal of Entomological Research 1:184192.Google Scholar
Schmitt, A. T. (1988). Using Baculovirus erinnyis in the biological control of cassava hornworm. Cassava Newsletter 12:14.Google Scholar
Singh, A., Singh, M. & Singh, D. V. (1986). The successful use of intercropping for weed management in medicinal yam. Tropical Pest Management 32:105107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Speight, M. R. (1983). The potential of ecosystem management for pest control. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 10:183199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, B. R. (1986). Sesame agronomy in S.E. Tanzania. II. Intercropping with sorghum. Experimental Agriculture 22:253261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woolley, J. N. & Rodriguez, W. (1987). Cultivar and cropping system interactions in relay and row intercropping of bush beans with different maize types. Experimental Agriculture 23:181192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zelazny, B., Chiarappa, L. & Kenmore, P. (1985). Integrated pest control in developing countries. FAO Plant Protection Bulletin 33:147158.Google Scholar