INTEGRATING BIOPESTICIDES IN PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR TROPICAL VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

Vegetables,cultivated on 4.65 million ha with annual production of 53.5 million t in Southand Southeast Asia, are subject to severe yield losses from insect pests anddiseases in the tropics. Chemical pesticides account for onethird to one-halfof the total mean material input cost for vegetable production in the region.Extensive and inappropriate pesticide use has led to pests developingresistance to major groups of pesticides, resurgence of secondary pests, highpesticide residues in produce, and decimation of natural enemies. The adverseeffects on human and environmental health cannot be ignored. Integrated pest management(IPM) strategies often have been suggested to mitigate such a problem. Althoughvarious IPM strategies have been developed and promoted for vegetables,adoption remains low due to IPM’s limited effectiveness in managing insectpests compared with chemical pesticides. Moreover, IPM has been promoted as acombination of techniques without giving due consideration to the compatibilityof each component. Biopesticides could play a crucial role in IPM strategies althoughthey cover only about 4 percent of the global pesticide market. Biopesticideshave high compatibility with other pest management techniques such as naturalenemies, resistant varieties, etc. Integrating biopesticide could enhanceperformance of IPM strategies. For instance, with the adoption of Bacillusthuringiensis based biopesticides, parasitoids such as Diadegmasemiclausum, Cotesia plutellae and Diadromus collaris establishedin several countries, and provided significant control of diamondback moth (Plutellaxylostella) on brassicas in South- and Southeast Asia. An IPM strategybased on sex pheromone for managing the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodesorbonalis) has reduced pesticide abuse and enhanced the activities ofnatural enemies including Trathala flavoorbitalis in Indo-Gangeticplains of South Asia. Thus, this paper reviews some of the most effectivevegetable IPM strategies developed and/or promoted by AVRDC – The WorldVegetable Center to manage insect pests on brassicas, eggplant, vegetablelegumes and tomato in tropical Asia, and presents a discussion of anappropriate public – private partnership model in dissemination and adoption ofvegetable IPM strategies.