Biointensive Integrated Pest Management In Horticultural Ecosystems

Through ‘Green Revolution’ in late 1960s, India achieved self-sufficiency in food production, but still the country has not achieved self-sufficiency in production of horticultural crops. Most of the growth in food production during the green revolution period is attributed to the use of higher levels of fertilizers and pesticides which are continuing to destroy stable traditional ecosystems. The challenge before the crop protection scientist is to increase yields from the existing land without harming the environment and resource base. This can be achieved by adopting eco-friendly Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (BIPM) strategy. BIPM incorporates ecological and economic factors into agricultural system design and decision making, and addresses public concerns about environmental quality and food safety. The benefits of implementing BIPM can include reduced chemical input costs, reduced on-farm and off-farm environmental impacts, and more effective and sustainable pest management. An ecology-based IPM has the potential of decreasing inputs of fuel, machinery, and synthetic chemicals-all of which are energy intensive and increasingly costly in terms of financial and environmental impact. Such reductions will benefit the grower and society. The present book deals with the most recent biointensive integrated approaches for pest management utilizing components such as bioagents [predators, parasitoids and pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses)], botanicals (biofumigation, oil cakes, FYM, compost, crop residues, green manuring and other organic amendments), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, physical methods (hot water treatment of planting material, soil solarization), cultural methods (crop rotation, summer ploughing, fallowing, intercropping, pruning, mulching, spacing, planting date, trap cropping, etc.), biorational chemicals (pheromones) and resistant cultivars. This book can serve as a useful reference to policy makers, research and extension workers, practicing farmers and students. The material can also be used for teaching post-graduate courses.

The book has covered recent techniques on bio-intensive integrated approaches of horticultural pest’s management. An attempt to compile information on non-chemical ways of pest management strategies including agronomic approaches to physical, mechanical, biopesticides, biocontrol agents, biorational pesticides etc. which are non harmful to environment and economically viable has been made. This book is a useful reference material for organic product producing farmers, researchers and students who are involved in bio-intensive pest management strategies. Note: T& F does not sell or distribute the hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

The present book deals with the most recent biointensive integrated approaches for pest management utilizing components such as bioagents [predators, parasitoids and pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses)], botanicals (biofumigation, oil cakes, FYM, compost, crop residues, green manuring and other organic amendments), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, physical methods (hot water treatment of planting material, soil solarization), cultural methods (crop rotation, summer ploughing, fallowing, intercropping, pruning, mulching, spacing, planting date, trap cropping, etc.), biorational chemicals (pheromones) and resistant cultivars. This book can serve as a useful reference to policy makers, research and extension workers, practicing farmers and students. The material can also be used for teaching post-graduate courses.

This book outlines a new paradigm, “Agro-ecological Intensification of Crop Protection”, which reduces negative impacts on the environment and enhances the provision of ecosystem services. It discusses the use of ecologically based management strategies to increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences, highlighting the underlying principles and outlining some of the key management practices and technologies required to implement agro-ecological pest management. It also comprehensively explores important topics like stimulo-deterrent diversion strategy, precision agriculture, plant breeding, nutrient management, habitat management, cultural approaches, cultivar mixtures/multiline cultivars, crop rotation, crop residue management, crop diversity, cover crops, conservation tillage, biofumigation, agro-forestry, and addition of organic matter. This timely book promotes the rapid implementation of this technology in farming community around the globe. It is a valuable resource for the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities related to agro-ecological pest management as well as policymakers and practicing farmers. It can also be used for teaching post-graduate courses.

The book has covered recent techniques on bio-intensive integrated approaches of horticultural pest’s management. An attempt to compile information on non-chemical ways of pest management strategies including agronomic approaches to physical, mechanical, biopesticides, biocontrol agents, biorational pesticides etc. which are non harmful to environment and economically viable has been made. This book is a useful reference material for organic product producing farmers, researchers and students who are involved in bio-intensive pest management strategies. Note: T& F does not sell or distribute the hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

This book focuses on pests (insect and mite) and diseases (fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode) in protected horticulture (fruits, vegetables and ornamentals) using physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance, and integrated methods. It opens with chapters describing the setting in which integrated pest and disease control operates, i.e., the greenhouse and its environment. Subsequent chapters present the basic strategies and tactics of different control methods including integrated control, with special reference to greenhouse crops. Further chapters include the different facets of biological pest and disease control – its scientific bases, its development in practice, its commercialization and quality control. The concluding chapters of the book highlight the present status of integrated pest and disease control for the most important greenhouse crops (fruits, vegetables and flower crops) worldwide. The book’s final chapter explores future challenges for researchers assigned to identify non-pesticide methods and integrate sustainable pest management technologies that can contribute to increased productivity, such as breeding for durable resistance, biological control and devising integrated methods that will have minimal adverse environmental and social impacts. Among productivity-enhancing technologies, protected cultivation has a tremendous potential to increase the yield of vegetables and flower cro ps by several fold. Pests and diseases are one of the major challenges to protected cultivation. Year-round warm temperatures and relatively high humidity together with abundant food make the protected environment of greenhouses highly attractive to pests and diseases. Nevertheless, very little attention has been paid to the manipulation of greenhouse environments expressly to avoid disease epidemics and insect infestations, which together can easily account for 30% of crop losses. This book will be of immense value to all members of the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities on protected horticulture. It also offers a useful reference guide for policymakers and practicing farmers, and can be used as a textbook for postgraduate courses.

The use of synthetic pesticides has undoubtedly resulted in the achievement of increased crop production. However, in recent times, there has been a considerable pressure on consumers and farmers to reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides in horticulture, since fruits and vegetables are consumed afresh. This concern has encouraged looking for better alternatives which are cheaper and eco-friendly than synthetic pesticides. It is well known that plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) play an important role in maintaining crop and soil health through versatile mechanisms. There are two main outcomes or effects from beneficial microorganisms: enhanced plant growth and crop protection, both of which represent the two main constraints to agriculture. The information on biomanagement of pests (insect and nematode pests, fungal, bacterial and viral/phytoplasma diseases) of horticultural crops (fruits, vegetables, plantation, spice, tuber, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops) using PGPR is very much scattered. There is no book at present which comprehensively and exclusively deals with the above aspects on horticultural crops. The present book deals with biomanagement of pests in horticultural crops in detail using PGPR. The present book deals with biomanagement of pests in horticultural crops in detail using PGPR. The present book is divided into six sections. The first section deals with the importance of PGPR including introduction, potential role of PGPR in agriculture, genera of PGPR, disease management, nematode management, insect pest management, integrated pest management, mechanism of biocontrol, mass production, formulation, delivery and commercialization. Pest management in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate fruit crops is dealt in Section II. The third section deals with pest management in Solanaceous, bulbous, Malvaceous, Cruciferous, Leguminous, Cucurbitaceous, leafy and root and tuber vegetable crops. Pest management in plantation and spice crops is in Section IV. Section V deals with pest management in ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops. The last section deals with a road map ahead including challenges, future prospective and conclusions. The book is extensively illustrated with excellent quality photographs enhancing the quality of publication. The book is written in lucid style, easy to understand language along with adoptable recommendations involving eco-friendly components of IPM.

This book outlines a new paradigm, Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production (SICP), which aims to produce more from the same area of land by increasing efficiency, reducing waste, conserving resources, reducing negative impacts on the environment and enhancing the provision of ecosystem services. The use of ecologically based management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences. The book also highlights the underlying principles and outlines some of the key management practices and technologies – such as minimum soil disturbance; permanent organic soil covers; species diversification; selection of suitable cultivars, planting time, age and spacing; balanced plant nutrition; agro-ecological pest management; efficient water management; careful management of farm machinery; and integrated crop-livestock production – required to implement SICP. The green revolution (by using high-yielding crop varieties, mono-cropping, fertilization, irrigation, and pesticides) has led to enormous gains in food production and improved world food security. In many countries, however, intensive crop production has had negative impacts on production, ecosystems and the larger environment, putting future productivity at risk. In order to meet the projected demands of a growing population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, farmers in the developing world must double food production, a challenge complicated by the effects of climate change and growing competition for land, water and energy. This book will be of immense value to all members of the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities concerning sustainable intensification. The material can be used for teaching post-graduate courses, or as a useful reference guide for policy makers.