Cabbage Integrated Pest Management : An Ecological Guide.

Ecology of Insect Pests and Natural EnemiesThe case of DBM resistance in Cordillera Region, Philippines.Over the years, diamondback moth (DBM) had become resistant to most availablepesticides in the Cordillera region in the Philippines. Human poisoning incidents dueto spraying of cyanide on cabbage in farmers’ desperate attempt to control DBM, were amajor reason to start a project. Collaborators of this project were ADB (donor), the InternationalInstitute of Biological Control (now integrated in CABI Bioscience), Philippines Dept. of Agriculture(Cordillera Region), Benguet State University, and Local Government Units in Benguet and MountainProvinces. The project aimed to transfer proven IPM practices to vegetable farmers in the Cordilleraregion, to reduce agrochemical input use, particularly of toxic insecticides, and to promote IPM asthe standard approach to pest and crop management in cabbage and potato.The project reached 1719 farmers in 65 FFS groups (average farm size 1ha).Impacts of the project (1994 – 1996) included:· Cabbage yield increased by 4.8t/ha (21% increase) in dry season cabbage· Potato yield increased by 3t/ha.· Decreased production costs/ha of cabbage (11%) and potato (2%)· Before training, 100% farmers used insecticides, after FFS only 25% using insecticides and notfor DBM.· Before FFS , 80% farmers preferred Category I and II highly toxic products. After FFS, 90%farmer shifted to Category IV products with lower mammalian toxicity and biopesticides· Due to successful biological control of key pest DBM (through parasitoid Diadegma sp.), manyfarmers now produce insecticide-free cabbage and consumers no longer worry about residues.· Conservation of native natural enemies encouraged. More species diversity in IPM fields thanregularly sprayed fields (159 vs.125) and lower proportion of pests· Net income of FFS farmers increased by 17 %· 80% average decrease in insecticide use (13.8 to 2.9l cabbage crop) in dry season and 55% inwet season.· Farmers rely less on agrochemical salesmen and more on own knowledge and other farmers forpest management information.· Synthetic fertilizer rate halved without negative effect on yield while organic fertilizer rate maintained.(CABI Bioscience. TSG IPM Analyses No. 6: Impact of Farmer Field School training on natural,human and social capital: case studies from the Philippines and Kenya)Related exercises from CABI Bioscience/FAO manual:1.3 Spray dye exercise1.4 Effect of pesticides on spiders and other natural enemies1.5 Role play on insecticide resistance4-A.13 Comparison of biological and chemical pesticides used in caterpillar control4-D.8. Spot application of acaricides to manage mites73 Cabbage Ecological Guide - 2000