Working with the horticultural industry to limit invasion risks: the Swiss experience

Building relationships with stakeholders involved in species introductions is increasingly considered as an effective means to mitigate invasion risks. The horticultural industry is of particular importance to the regulation of alien plants. This paper presents the initial experiences with a recently implemented environmental policy called ‘Duty to Inform’ which aims to limit the risk of plant invasions through alien horticultural plants in Switzerland. The Duty to Inform requires horticulturalists to inform their customers about risks of black‐listed plants and watch list plants. In a joint effort with the Swiss horticultural industry and Swiss authorities, the authors examined customers’ acceptance of plant labels as a means to supply information, and horticulturalists’ attitudes towards the Duty to Inform regulation, and their willingness to act pro‐environmentally. Plant labels were found to be an effective means to inform customers about plant invasion risks and appropriate handling of risk species. The results indicate that among Swiss horticulturalists the awareness of the invasive species problem and the willingness to act is high. Horticulturalists had positive attitudes towards the Duty to Inform regulation and other actions to reduce invasion risks. The authors suggest that these positive attitudes might stem from an active participation of horticulturalists in the development of invasive species regulations in Switzerland.     

Public awareness activities on Eichhornia crassipes in the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site,Livingstone, Zambia1

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are a major threat to biodiversity and national economies worldwide. Public awareness and support is critical for the success of any interventions aimed at controlling and managing such invasions. Various communication tools have been identified for the implementation of public awareness programs. Assessment of public perceptions, attitudes and knowledge levels should be an integral part of any public awareness activities. This paper reports the communication actions undertaken in the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site by the Removing Barriers to Invasive Plant Management in Africa (RBIPMA) project during the year 2007. Several awareness meetings with various stakeholders were conducted during the year. A number of posters, leaflets, brochures and newsletters have been produced. Production of radio and television documentaries is currently ongoing. A pre‐knowledge survey was conducted to determine the baseline status as regards knowledge and awareness levels on IAS in the project area. A post‐knowledge survey will be conducted at a subsequent stage to assess the effectiveness of the project interventions on public awareness and knowledge levels. Recommendations for future action are also presented.     

Farmers’ attitudes towards pesticide labels: implications for personal and environmental safety

The label of pesticide containers is a major source of information for the use of pesticides, but research on whether farmers use this information is scarce. A survey of small-scale cotton farmers was conducted in the area of Punjab, Pakistan, to study attitudes related with the use of pesticide labels. The majority of the farmers (97%) stated that they were using pesticide products purchased in their original containers and accompanied by written information for use. However, 73% of the farmers reported that they usually do not read this information. Elderly, less educated, and experienced farmers in chemical pest control, but without previous training, were found to be less likely to read the labels. A large part of the farmers (34%) stated that they primarily rely on information of pesticide retailers for pesticide use, while nearly four out of ten said they usually rely on other sources of information or their own experience with pesticides. A sizeable proportion of the farmers (9%) mentioned that there is no need to receive information on such issues. Effective pesticide risk communication conveyed through label information is important so that potential risks from pesticide handling may be mitigated at the point of use.     

Prospects and progress for Bacillus thuringiensis-based pesticides

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based insecticide products constitute the overwhelming majority of biopesticides but, despite having been commercially available for over 30 years, they have made little impact (<1%) on the crop-protection market as a whole. This has been largely due to poor cost-performance factors relative to synthetic organic pesticides. However, recent biotechnological advances—including genetic modification—combined with a variety of emerging opportunities, have created the prospect of the commercialisation of a new range of highly effective Bt-based biopesticides. Bioencapsulation of single-gene products—delta-endotoxins from selected Bt isolates—in killed Pseudomonad cells (Mycogen Corporation's ‘CellCap’ technology), offers a flexible delivery system with enhanced persistence. This versatile approach selects only the most appropriate biotoxins, which can be used to target a number of pest species. It is anticipated that Bt-based pesticides will continue to fill an increasing number of gaps in the panoply of synthetic crop-protection chemicals. Genetically modified products offer advantages in terms of efficacy, flexibility and safety but public concerns regarding perceived risks need to be addressed.     

Ethical reflections on herbicide-resistant crops

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops has caused a fierce public debate in Europe. Much of the controversy centres on possible risks to the environment. A specific problem here is that risk perception of the scientific experts differs from that of the public. In this paper, risks associated with herbicide-resistant crops are presented from the point of view of experts and lay people. In the public perception, herbicide-resistant (HR) crops are troublesome because of their association with two technologies: genetic engineering of crops and the use of herbicides. These technologies are perceived as risky because they seem to share certain features: in particular, their long-term effects are unknown and they are dreaded. Other value questions also come into play. The public seems to be concerned that risks are not outweighed by usefulness, that using HR crops is the wrong path to sustainable agriculture, that the individual's right to choose GM-free products may be violated, and that these crops are unnatural. In contrast, on the issue of the uncertainty inherent in risk assessment, experts and the public seem to share a good deal of ground.     

There has never been a better time or a greater need for resistance management

Integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable agriculture benefit from selective and environmentally benign crop-protection products. The performance of these products, however, is threatened by resistance. If it is to be prevented from standing in the path of progress, resistance must be managed. As agricultural practices move towards IPM and sustainable crop protection, selection pressure will be concentrated on products which are compatible with these systems. Producers, researchers, government and extension workers cannot solve these complex problems alone. The key to success is collaboration. The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) was set up by the crop-protection industry in 1984 to promote and co-ordinate its contribution to resistance management. Today, it is collaborating with research institutes, government organisations and extension services to combat resistance. IRAC focuses on research and communication projects which reduce selection pressure, organising workshops in ‘resistance hot spots’ and providing input to draft legislation. Selected examples of IRAC's collaborative work are described. ©1997 SCI     

A dual indicator set to help farms achieve more sustainable crop protection

BACKGROUND: Farmers are being called to use plant protection products (PPPs) more consciously and adopt more sustainable crop protection strategies. Indicators will help farmers to monitor their progress towards sustainability and will support their learning process. Talking the indicators through in farmers' discussion groups and the resulting peer encouragement will foster knowledge acquirement and can lead to changes in attitudes, norms, perception and behaviour. RESULTS: Using a participatory approach, a conceptual framework for on‐farm sustainable crop protection practices was created. The same participatory approach was used to design a dual indicator set, which pairs a pesticide impact assessment system (PIAS) with a farm inquiry. The PIAS measures the risk for human health and the environment exerted by chemical crop protection. The inquiry reveals the farmers' response to this risk, both in terms of the actions they take and their knowledge, awareness and attitude. CONCLUSIONS: The dual indicator set allows for implementation in four tiers, each representing increased potential for monitoring and social learning. The indicator set can be adjusted on the basis of new findings, and the participatory approach can be extrapolated to other situations. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Farmers' knowledge and perceptions of the stunting disease of Napier grass in Western Kenya

Production of Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum, the most important livestock fodder in Western Kenya, is severely constrained by Napier stunt (Ns) disease. Understanding farmers' knowledge, perceptions and practices is a prerequisite to establishing an effective disease management approach. Using a random sample of 150 farmers drawn from Bungoma, Busia and Teso districts of Western Kenya, this study sought to: (i) assess farmers' perceptions and knowledge of Ns disease, including its effects on the smallholder dairy industry; (ii) record farmers' current practices in managing Ns disease; and (iii) identify Ns disease management challenges and intervention opportunities in order to develop an efficient integrated disease management approach. The majority (86·7%) of the farmers were aware of Ns disease and observed that it was spreading rapidly in the region, which was perfectly predicted by farmers' access to agricultural information (marginal effect = 0·164), indicating a need for extension platforms for knowledge sharing among the industry stakeholders. The disease had affected Napier grass yields so most farmers could not feed their livestock on the amounts they produced, and they were buying Napier grass. Those who relied on income from selling Napier grass received less due to loss in productivity. Milk production had reduced by over 35%. The cause of the disease was unknown to the farmers, with no effective disease management strategy available to them. An integrated disease management approach needs to be developed to fit within the mixed farming systems, supported by simple decision aids.     

Software for pest-management science: computer models and databases from the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service

We present an overview of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) computer models and databases related to pest-management science, emphasizing current developments in environmental risk assessment and management simulation models. The ARS has a unique national interdisciplinary team of researchers in surface and sub-surface hydrology, soil and plant science, systems analysis and pesticide science, who have networked to develop empirical and mechanistic computer models describing the behavior of pests, pest responses to controls and the environmental impact of pest-control methods. Historically, much of this work has been in support of production agriculture and in support of the conservation programs of our 'action agency' sister, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service). Because we are a public agency, our software/database products are generally offered without cost, unless they are developed in cooperation with a private-sector cooperator. Because ARS is a basic and applied research organization, with development of new science as our highest priority, these products tend to be offered on an 'as-is' basis with limited user support except for cooperating R&D relationship with other scientists. However, rapid changes in the technology for information analysis and communication continually challenge our way of doing business.     

Enhancing the effectiveness of biological control programs of invasive species through a more comprehensive pest management approach

Invasive species are one of the greatest economic and ecological threats to agriculture and natural areas in the US and the world. Among the available management tools, biological control provides one of the most economical and long‐term effective strategies for managing widespread and damaging invasive species populations of nearly all taxa. However, integrating biological control programs in a more complete integrated pest management approach that utilizes increased information and communication, post‐release monitoring, adaptive management practices, long‐term stewardship strategies, and new and innovative ecological and genetic technologies can greatly improve the effectiveness of biological control. In addition, expanding partnerships among relevant national, regional, and local agencies, as well as academic scientists and land managers, offers far greater opportunities for long‐term success in the suppression of established invasive species. In this paper we direct our recommendations to federal agencies that oversee, fund, conduct research, and develop classical biological control programs for invasive species. By incorporating these recommendations into adaptive management strategies, private and public land managers will have far greater opportunities for long‐term success in suppression of established invasive species. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Managing apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) using Adem™

Current control of scab and mildew of apple in the UK requires the routine application of fungicides at 7 - 14-day intervals to achieve the blemish-free fruit required by the market. Such practices are generally effective, but with increased public concern about pesticides and rising costs to the grower, they are now less acceptable. The use of disease-warning systems offers scope for optimizing fungicide use by better timing of sprays. Adem^? is a PC-based system that warns of the risk of scab, mildew, Nectria fruit rot and canker and fireblight. In a 'key stage' strategy, warnings by Adem^? for scab and mildew integrated with practical pest and disease control resulted in similar or better control than a routine programme, with the additional benefit of reduced fungicide inputs and costs even in seasons exceptionally favourable for these diseases. Maximum savings in fungicide use were made by applying sprays curatively in response to scab warnings. However, this approach resulted in increased disease incidence to the crop and scab infection of fruit even in seasons unfavourable for scab attack.     

Determinants of farmers’ decisions on pesticide use in oriental tobacco: a survey of common practices

Information about pesticide use and perceptions of their risks among farmers is important for identifying problems associated with pest-control decisions and developing appropriate management practices in given crops. In tobacco, a plant sensitive to many pests and diseases, such information is lacking. The patterns of pesticide use in oriental tobacco, as well as the most important factors for farmers’ decisions relating to chemical pest control were studied among randomly selected farmers in northern Greece on the basis of self-reported information acquired through a pre-tested questionnaire. High reliance of farmers on pesticides and field use of all well-known classes of chemical pesticides were reported. While all the active ingredients reported were registered for pest control in tobacco, they differed considerably in terms of toxicity. A normal cropping season received at least 14–16 pesticide applications for soil disinfection, pest control, and weed control. Most farmers stated that they usually spray chemicals on a calendar basis or on the first appearance of a pest. Efficacy on target pests and market price of the pesticide products to be used were the most important criteria for selection of pesticides, i.e. products that are considered to be highly effective and/or that are cheap are more likely to be selected. Better-educated and more experienced farmers were found to pay more attention to environmental safety and pesticide toxicity. Most farmers felt that pesticide use can reduce crop damage by more than 75%, assuring high yields. Main determinants of pesticide use were primarily the fear of severe yield and economic losses and the doubts about the effectiveness and the correct implementation of alternative pest-control methods. Pesticide use could be reduced by exposing farmers to improved pest-control practices such as site-specific integrated pest management.     

Moving integrated weed management from low level to a truly integrated and highly specific weed management system using advanced technologies

Integrated weed management (IWM) is one of the most commonly referred to approaches for sustainable and effective weed control in agriculture, yet it is not widely practiced, likely because current IWM systems fail to meet performance expectations of growers. The effectiveness and value of IWM systems should increase with increasing application specificity and true integration made possible with contemporary advances in technology, information systems and decision support. IWM systems can be classified based on their degree of application specificity and level of integration of tactics. In the application specificity pathway, a tactic is applied at a range of scales, from subfield to plant specific. In the integration pathway, multiple weed control tactics are combined in a synergistic manner. We hypothesise that the full value of IWM can and will be realised only when current and emerging technological innovations, information systems and decision tools are synergistically combined for use in real time. The True IWM system we envision requires automation and robotic technologies, coupled with information and decision support systems that are available or emerging but not yet enabled, in a proven integrated platform. Examples of low‐level, traditional and precision IWM systems are discussed, and research needs for a True IWM system are presented. We conclude that the immediate call should be for a long‐term investment in R&D and education (both theoretical and empirical) to develop and implement True IWM systems, an effort best accomplished in a public–private partnership where all essential entities are fully engaged and adequately resourced, including growers from all countries who will utilise IWM.     

Changing rice farmers' pest management practices through participation in a small-scale experiment

Asian rice farmers commonly spray insecticides in the early stages of the crop to control leaf-feeding insects. The most common leaf feeder during this period is the leaf folder. Research shows that these sprays are usually unnecessary as the damaged crops mostly recover. It appears that farmers spray to control leaf folder because of misperceptions. We explored the use of farmer participation to change these misperceptions by inviting farmers to test a simple rule-of-thumb or 'heuristic': 'Do not spray against leaf folders for the first 30 days after transplanting (or 40 days after sowing)'. About 77% of the 101 participating farmers reported that yields of rice in their test plots were not significantly different from yields in their control plots. Before participating in the evaluation exercise, about 70% of the farmers applied their first insecticide sprays during the first 30 days after transplanting. In the first year after participation, 20% applied insecticides in the first 30 days and this was further reduced to 11% in the second year. The mean number of insecticide sprays was reduced from 3.2 to 2.0. Farmers' attitudes towards leaf-feeding insects has also changed. Before participation, farmers believed these insects cause yield loss (87%), severe damage (77%) and had to be sprayed early in the season (62%). After participation, these were reduced to 9%, 28% and 10%, respectively. Through information from research distilled into a 'high science-low tech' decision rule, farmers can readily derive a test hypothesis from it, evaluate itusing a simple experiment, learn its results and change perceptions and practices.     

Perceptions of disease risk: from social construction of subjective judgments to rational decision making

Many factors influence how people form risk perceptions. Farmers' perceptions of risk and levels of risk aversion impact on decision-making about such things as technology adoption and disease management practices. Irrespective of the underlying factors that affect risk perceptions, those perceptions can be summarized by variables capturing impact and uncertainty components of risk. We discuss a new framework that has the subjective probability of disease and the cost of decision errors as its central features, which might allow a better integration of social science and epidemiology, to the benefit of plant disease management. By focusing on the probability and cost (or impact) dimensions of risk, the framework integrates research from the social sciences, economics, decision theory, and epidemiology. In particular, we review some useful properties of expected regret and skill value, two measures of expected cost that are particularly useful in the evaluation of decision tools. We highlight decision-theoretic constraints on the usefulness of decision tools that may partly explain cases of failure of adoption. We extend this analysis by considering information-theoretic criteria that link model complexity and relative performance and which might explain why users reject forecasters that impose even moderate increases in the complexity of decision making despite improvements in performance or accept very simple decision tools that have relatively poor performance.     

Factors driving public tolerance levels and information‐seeking behaviour concerning insects in the household environment

BACKGROUND

The public's negative attitudes towards household insects drive tolerance for these insects and their control. Tolerance levels are important in integrated pest management (IPM), as are pest knowledge and information. The risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model describes the relationships between personal factors and information‐seeking behaviour. We combined IPM and RISP to determine important relationships between factors driving insect tolerance levels and information‐seeking behaviour through an online survey and tested whether this model is valid and generally applicable.

RESULTS

Relationships between variables from both IPM and RISP models were tested for seven insect species. Tolerance levels were measured with two factors: willingness to pay for pest control and whether insects are tolerated. Willingness to pay for control was positively affected by age, experience, risk perception, insect characteristics, and negative emotions and affected behavioural intention, by influencing information sufficiency and information‐seeking behaviour. Tolerability was influenced by perception of insect characteristics and determines whether control measures are taken.

CONCLUSION

It was possible to combine the RISP and IPM models. Relevant driving factors were a person's age, experience, risk perception, negative affective responses, tolerance levels, relevant channel beliefs about online forums, information sufficiency and information‐seeking behaviour. There was, however, variation in important factors between different insects. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Delivery

Enthusiasm greeted the development of synthetic organic insecticides in the mid‐twentieth century, only to see this give way to dismay and eventually scepticism and outright opposition by some. Regardless of how anyone feels about this issue, insecticides and other pesticides have become indispensable, which creates something of a dilemma. Possibly as a result of the shift in public attitude towards insecticides, genetic engineering of microbes was first met with scepticism and caution among scientists. Later, the development of genetically modified crop plants was met with an attitude that hardened into both acceptance and hard‐core resistance. Transgenic insects, which came along at the dawn of the twenty‐first century, encountered an entrenched opposition. Those of us responsible for studying the protection of crops have been affected more or less by these protagonist and antagonistic positions, and the experiences have often left one thoughtfully mystified as decisions are made by non‐participants. Most of the issues boil down to concerns over delivery mechanisms. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service: advances in the molecular genetic analysis of insects and their application to pest management

USDA-ARS scientists have made important contributions to the molecular genetic analysis of agriculturally important insects, and have been in the forefront of using this information for the development of new pest management strategies. Advances have been made in the identification and analysis of genetic systems involved in insect development, reproduction and behavior which enable the identification of new targets for control, as well as the development of highly specific insecticidal products. Other studies have been on the leading edge of developing gene transfer technology to better elucidate these biological processes though functional genomics and to develop new transgenic strains for biological control. Important contributions have also been made to the development and use of molecular markers and methodologies to identify and track insect populations. The use of molecular genetic technology and strategies will become increasingly important to pest management as genomic sequencing information becomes available from important pest insects, their targets and other associated organisms.     

The voluntary Code of conduct on invasive alien plants in Belgium: results and lessons learned from the AlterIAS LIFE+ project

Voluntary approaches have been recently used in the horticultural sector to deal with the introduction and spread of invasive alien plants. In Belgium, the first Code of conduct has been developed within the frame of the AlterIAS project, a LIFE+ “Information & Communication” project aiming at raising the awareness of horticulture professionals and gardeners on the invasive plants issue. The Belgian Code was prepared in consultation with representatives from the ornamental sector, public authorities and the scientific community. The Code was promoted throughout the country with a specific communication campaign entitled “Plant different”. Thanks to communication efforts, a positive dynamic of involvement was observed over time. Surveys were performed to assess the changes of attitudes and the perception of the Code by the target audience of the project. Positive results were achieved for horticulture professionals. However, the Code will require more time to be widely adopted by the ornamental sector in Belgium.     

Factors in the Success and Failure of Microbial Control in Turfgrass

Turfgrass is an important component of urban landscapes and turf associated products and services are valued at about $45 billion in the US alone. Turf insecticide market is about $500 million per year of which microbial insecticides constitute less than 0.1%. Major factors in the poor market penetration of microbial insecticides include low damage thresholds, narrow spectrum of activity, a definite pest monitoring requirement, shortage of quality products, and competition with the newly registered less-toxic chemical insecticides. Enhancement of market share of microbial insecticides in turf will depend upon successful development of more appropriate application strategies, an increase in the availability of quality products, and the development of a systems approach in which microbial insecticides are used together with chemical insecticides in a more compatible manner. The long-term benefits derived from the use of microbial insecticides must be documented to enhance acceptance of microbial control.