Large-scale sugarcane farmers' knowledge and perceptions of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), push–pull and integrated pest management |
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| Institution: | 1. Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany;2. Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;3. Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, USA;4. Biodiversity International, CGIAR, Landscape Restoration and Management, Montpellier, France;5. University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology, Madison, WI, USA;6. Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Sciences Building, College Park, MD 20742-4454,USA;7. University of Wisconsin, Department of Zoology, Madison, WI, USA;8. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, PO Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;9. Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA;10. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;11. Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Turrialba, Costa Rica, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, ID, USA;12. National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO, USA;13. Virginia Tech, Department of Horticulture, Blacksburg, VA, USA;14. Cornell University, Department of Entomology, Ithaca, NY, USA;15. Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA;p. INRA, ISVV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR SAVE, F-33883 Villenave d''Ornon, France;q. CSIRO, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia;r. Bio-Protection Research Centre, Burns, 514, Cnr Springs and Ellesmere Junction Roads, P O Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand;s. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States |
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| Abstract: | A push–pull strategy for controlling Eldana saccharina Walker is being promoted as part of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme in the South African sugar industry. Understanding farmers' perceptions of pests and pest management can improve rates of adoption of pest management strategies, in particular for knowledge-intensive practices such as AW-IPM. Fifty-three large-scale sugarcane farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Respondents recognised the threat which E. saccharina posed, and 83% had heard of push–pull and IPM. Ecozone delineations played a more important role in adoption decisions than demographic and general enterprise factors such as farmer age, experience and land tenure, supporting the suggestion that experiential learning activities with small, local groups of farmers are suitable for introducing new pest management strategies. Notwithstanding good basic knowledge of E. saccharina, push–pull and IPM which farmers demonstrated, there is still a need for more detailed and practical knowledge on the implementation of push–pull at farm level. This knowledge should be made available to farmers in a hands-on manner with an emphasis on locally-oriented field days and model farms. Eldana saccharina may not be a priority for all farmers in the region where surveys were conducted. However, farmers should not be allowed to become complacent about this pest, as its range is increasing. These results will be used to formulate future push–pull and AW-IPM dissemination activities amongst large-scale sugarcane farmers in South Africa. |
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| Keywords: | Agricultural extension Farmers' perceptions Sugarcane Technology adoption |
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