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Special Lecture: Assets of an IPM specialist with particular reference to Chilo*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Thomas R. Odhiambo
Affiliation:
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)P. O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

The main thrust of the article is to present the historical development of the idea of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) from the heyday of “pestophobia” (the insistence of elimination of any vestige of insect interference with the cosmetic appearance of our crops), which leads to the misuse and abuse of insecticides, to the era of employing IPM concepts, which leads to pest interventions which are necessarily knowledge-intensive. Illustrations are given using ICIPE's research experience in developing an IPM approach to the control of Chilo through adaptation of relevant intercropping patterns, plant resistant cultivars and biological control agents. In this task, the IPM specialist needs to have three assets to be successful in the tropics: he needs to be a first-class natural historian; he requires to build his new knowledge on the traditional knowledge of the rural farmer, and to rationalize it scientifically, and he needs to be able to manipulate new innovations—both technical and social.

Résumé

Le but principal de l'article est de présenter l'historique de l'évolution de l'idée d'une lutte intégrée contre les insectes nuisibles (IPM) en partant de l'apogée de “la pestophie” (qui met l'accent sur l'élimination absolue de toute trace d'un insecte nuisible rencontrée sur nos plantes), conduisant à un mauvais usage—surtout abusif—des insecticides, jusqu' à l'avènement des travaux de l'IPM qui nous conduit à des actions de lutte anti-insectes nuisibles basées sur des connaissances scientifiques plus fouillées.

En guise d'illustrations nous référons aux travaux de recherche de l'ICIPE qui a élaboré une approache de lutte intégrée (IPM) contre les Chilo consistant en une adaptation des types de cultures mixtes appropriées, des variétés de plantes résistant à l'insecte, et en introduisant des éléments d'une lutte biologique. Dans cette tâche, le spécialiste de la lutte intégrée contre les insectes nuisibles doit avoir 3 atouts principaux afin de mèner à bien son action: il doit avoir une connaisance très solide de l'histoire de la nature, il lui faut puiser ses nouvelles connaissances de la réalité du monde agricole traditionnel en milieu rural et pouvoir en dégager une interprétation scientifique, et enfin il doit être en mesure de manipuler des innovations nouvelles—tant techniques que sociales.

Type
Taxonomy, Distribution, Population Ecology, Dynamics and Crop Losses
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1990

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References

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