The potato industry is at a crossroads where traditional insect control is no longer sustainable. That is why a panel of experts examined integrated pest management (IPM) as the key to sustainable potato production at the recent Potatoes SA Innovation Symposium at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Conference Centre in Pretoria.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
“Integrated pest management is not just a method, it’s a philosophy,” said Prof Mark Wright of the University of Hawaii in the panel discussion.
According to him, integrated pest management is the key to sustainable production. He explained that the goal is to manage pest levels in a way that prevents economic damage – not necessarily to eradicate every single pest.
“IPM is based on four pillars: prevention, monitoring, thresholds and integrated control measures. It includes cultural practices, biological control, chemical control and physical control, all of which are based on scientific decision-making.”
According to André Labuschagne of Syngenta, such a fresh approach is required because chemical pest control is coming under increasing pressure. “The effectiveness of some active ingredients is decreasing and many of these products are being removed from the market to comply with legislation,” he said.
Mossie Jongbloed, a potato farmer from Limpopo, recounted how sprays that used to worked well in the past became completely ineffective against certain pests within a few years. “I saw one active ingredient after another stop working,” he said. “You spray and nothing happens.”
Also read: Crop production: How to use pesticides safely
New Tools
Although biological products are often touted by environmentalists as the solution, in practice their performance is not equally effective under all circumstances. Labuschagne believes the industry is busy developing better biological options, although it will take time. “The products are there, but the trust and quality are still to come,” he said.
Prof Hannalene du Plessis of the North-West University, too, cautioned that many farmers make the mistake of thinking that one insecticide will control all the life stages of a plant pest. “Farmers need to know which pest is in their fields when, at what stage of development it is, and then apply appropriate measures.”
All panellists agreed that one of the most powerful weapons farmers have against plant pests, namely collaboration, is often overlooked. Collaboration and sharing of data among neighbours as well as between farmers and input suppliers are essential.
The panel also acknowledged that fear plays a big role in how and why farmers apply pesticide. “Without data, you feel out of control, and then you reach for the nearest deadly chemical,” said Botha. But this approach is not only expensive, it also puts the future of the industry at risk.
“We need to learn to apply gentle agents first and use chemicals only as a last resort,” said Du Plessis.
Mutual Trust
“A pest knows no fences,” said Wright. “If one farmer sprays incorrectly and a plant pest builds up resistance on his farm, the problem quickly spreads to the entire environment.”
According to Wright, success has been achieved in Hawaii with area-based pest management programmes where data is shared anonymously and decisions are made at the landscape level. “The keys are mutual trust and a third-party facilitator, such as a university, that doesn’t have a commercial agenda.”
The IPM journey in the potato industry is still in its infancy but now is the time to start. “We can’t wait until pest management becomes impossible,” Wright emphasised. “Start now with better monitoring, data collection and collaboration – that’s how we’re going to successfully implement IPM.”
