Crop pest is the main challenge facing farmers who plant crops such as coffee. The main challenge now is to know how one can manage the pests in his or her farm. A pest insect is one that brings harm to animals, crops or any other property (Dent, 2000). In agriculture, a pest is classified as so if it causes damages to both the crops and the animals. Parasites can cause harm to crops and animals in many ways. For this reason, farmers have come up with different ways in which they can manage the level of the crop pests below the harmful level.
Source: Igem.org, http://2014.igem.org/Team:NCTU_Formosa/project
Various techniques were combined so that to come up with an effective way of controlling the pests and it was called integrated pest management (University of California Integrated Pest Management Program, 1985). It is a system whereby pests are controlled without mainly using chemical pesticides.
There are benefits related to the use of integrated pest management. First, it helps in balancing of the ecosystem. Secondly, chemical pesticides can be ineffective, meaning that the parasites can become resistant to the chemical thus there should be other ways of controlling the pests rather than through the usage of chemicals. Third, IPM saves money; chemical pesticides are expensive and thus usage of IPM will save the cost. Finally, the usage of IPM system is environmental friendly. It ensures that the effects of the environment are kept to the minimum.
These methods include natural control, biological control and physical control among many others. Natural controls are measures that do not depend on the human being. For example, change in climate factors. Biological control is whereby the enemies of the pests are directed to them (World Congress on Agricultural Engineering for a Better World & Sims, 2007). This takes place because many pests do have their natural enemies. The other method is the use of mechanical control. Mechanical control is where by one controls the pest through the use of machines, devices and other physical methods to control them. For example use of traps and nets. Normally, the type of technique to be selected depends on the nature of the environment, pest and economic consideration.
References
Dent, D. (2000). Insect Pest Management. Wallingford: CABI.
Igem.org. (n.d). Losses Caused by Pests in Brazil. Retrieved from http://2014.igem.org/Team:NCTU_Formosa/project
management for cole crops and lettuce. Oakland, CA: University of California Statewide
Integrated Pest Management Project, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
World Congress on Agricultural Engineering for a Better World, & Sims, B. G. (2007).
Addressing the challenges facing agricultural mechanization input supply and farm
product processing: Proceedings of an FAO workshop held at the CIGR World Congress
on Agricultural Engineering. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations.
