Philippine E-Journals

Pest Management in vegetable Production: The Case of the Rainfed Lowlands in Ilocos Norte

Leticia A. Lutap | Marissa I. Atis

Discipline: Agriculture

 

Abstract:

This survey was conducted in ten rainfed-lowland vegetable-growing towns in Ilocos Norte within a rice-vegetable cropping system. It documented the farmers’ pest management practices, determined their knowledge and attitudes toward pests and their management; and assessed pesticide residues of vegetables commonly planted in the lowland areas. Farmers varied in their pest management practices and other cultural practices like sowing, planting, and harvesting. Most of them were dependent on inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticide spray. Their practices influenced the growth and development of their plants. Moreover, farmers were knowledgeable on the insects and weeds attacking their plants, but not on diseases. The major insect pests were aphids (Aphis craccivora, Koch.), fruitworms (H. armigera Hubner), thrips (Thrips palmi Karny), fruitborers (L. orbonalis Guenee), fruitflies (Bactrocera sp.), and diamondback moth (P. xylostella L.). Meanwhile the major diseases were damping off, bacterial wilt, mosaic, purple blotch, and tangle top caused by pathogenic organisms like fungus, bacteria, and viruses. On the other hand, the weed species associated with their crops were bermuda grass (C. dactylon), pig weed (T. portulacastrum), jungle rice (E. colona), Chinese lantern (C. halicacabum), and purple nutsedge (C. rotundus). To control these pests, farmers relied on chemical pesticide spray. Pepper, eggplant, bittergourd, pole sitao, tomato and cabbage were mostly sprayed with pesticides. Related to this, pesticide residues were detected in some vegetables sampled directly from farmers’ field and in the local market through the pesticide residue kit for carbamates and organophosphate residues. All the vegetables sampled in the local market exhibited positive results for carbamates, except for cabbage and sweet pepper, which had residues of organophosphate. On the whole, the present cultural practices of the farmers could lead to pest outbreak or resurgence such as unsynchronous planting, excessive nitrogen fertilizer use, but they reduced the amount of phosphorous and potassium, and caused poor seed reliance. Additionally, the practices of Ilocos rainfed-lowland farmers would aggravate insect pest and disease problems in producing vegetables. Other constraints that were identified other than pests were lack of capital, lack of quality seed material, natural calamities like drought and typhoon/flood, and labor.