Agricultural experts in Machakos County want farmers to embrace Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for sustainable crop growing and improved yields.
Speaking in his office in Kangundo sub-county agricultural officer Benson Kariuki said that IPM was a sustainable approach to reduce use of pesticide and risks of adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Kariuki disclosed that increased environmental awareness had led to the need for sustainable agricultural production systems and IPM has become an essential component of sustainable agriculture.
“The integration of the various control measures, where pesticides are used only as a last resort emphasizes reliance on preventative practices and balances the strengths of one practice against the weaknesses of another, to provide a more complete or holistic pest management approach,” he said.
He singled out the use of the available compatible methods, including planting disease resistant varieties, early planting, inter-cropping, crop rotation and biological control to maintain pests below levels that caused economic damage and loss.
He urged farmers to ensure proper weed control on their farms to create an environment which insects would find unattractive, because by controlling weeds within their fields, many of the destructive creatures were kept at bay.
Kariuki observed that in some cropping systems, the use of pesticides was important with some pests because of the sheer numbers, continuous occurrence, low thresholds or food contamination issues.
“However, pesticides should only be used as the last resort when all other management tools, including preventative techniques, have failed or are no longer economical,” he said.
He noted that a dense crop canopy shaded the ground, making emerging weeds less competitive and also prevents germination of more weeds, thus reducing weed seed production in the subsequent years.
“Planting certified seed assures that the grower is not spreading new weed species. This is due to the fact that certified seed fields are inspected by trained people to determine that they were free of weed species as well as seed borne diseases,” he said.
The officer said that if a pest was found in a new area, quarantine officials may demand that a crop be sprayed or destroyed in an attempt to prevent the spread of a new species of pests.
He disclosed that his office, through extension officers, has been creating awareness to farmers through free technical advice to upscale the intake of IPM strategy.