Pest management and other agricultural practices among farmers growing cruciferous vegetables in the Central and Western highlands of Kenya and the Western Himalayas of India

Abstract

A survey of 125 farmers was conducted in 2005 in the Central and Western highlands of Kenya and the Kullu valley in the Western Himalayas of India to investigate pest management practices and constraints among farmers growing cruciferous vegetables. Lepidopteran insects were the most important pests affecting the crops and pest management relied primarily on application of pyrethroid and/or organophosphate insecticides with high environmental impact quotients (measuring the potential negative effects of insecticides on human and environmental health) averaging 65.6 in the Kenya highlands and 55.7 in the Kullu valley. Just over half (54.4%) of farmers based their decision to apply insecticides on the presence of the pest in the crop, around a third (30.4%) based it on a calendar, and 15.2% based it on both. Farmers cited their own experience (66.4%) and pesticide providers (44.8%) as the main sources of pest management information, while advice from extension (24%) and other farmers (15.2%) was less important. Most farmers interviewed (94%) were not aware of natural enemies. Possibilities to improve pest management practices are discussed in the context of the farmers interviewed.

Keywords:

• Highland agroecosystems
• cruciferous vegetables
• environmental impact quotient
• Lepidoptera
• natural enemies
• insecticide alternatives

Acknowledgements

We are deeply indebted to all the farmers that gave generously their time to share their pest management concerns and practices. Thanks to Dr G. T. Gujar (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) and Drs B. Löhr and D. Mithoffer (International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology) as the main contacts that facilitated conducting this research in India and Kenya, respectively. Thanks to Professor Desh Raj, Dr R. N. Barwal, Dr J. K. Sharma, Dr S. D. Sharma, R. Thakur, Dr R. Lal, and Dr V. Gautam in India as well as I. Macharia, G. M. Njuguna, L. Kariuki, M. Aggrey, M. de la Rocha, and P. Tingaa in Kenya for assistance with farmer visits and logistics. Thanks to K. Grace-Martin for assistance with statistical analyses. Special thanks to the following programs at Cornell University for providing partial funding for this research: Cornell Institute for International Food, Agriculture and Development, Griswold Fund of the Department of Entomology, Sigma Xi, African Institute for Development, and South Asia Program.