Changing to Minimal Reliance on Pesticides

The most commonly accepted method of controlling pests in Australian crops and throughout the world is the use of pesticides (eg.Pimental 1997, Pimental et al. 1997, Page and Horne 2007). There is a reliance on pesticides and the majority of farmers look to chemical companies to continue to provide the familiar means with which they can deal with the complete range of pests that are of concern. In 1997 Pimental et al estimated that US farmers used 400 million kg of pesticides annually and worldwide 25 million tonnes of pesticides were applied. An example of the dependence on pesticides can be seen by the close association between the primary producer organizations and pesticide companies and resellers. For example, in Australia, there is an acknowledged strong association between the vegetable industry, as represented by AusVeg (see http://ausveg.com.au) where chemical industry sponsorship of the organization is seen as desirable by both groups. This is alongside an acknowledged effort to implement IPM in vegetables crops in Australia by both AusVeg and several chemical companies. Similarly the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in Australia would like to be seen as promoting IPM but the reality is that pesticide applications are the main controls used. However, there are many examples worldwide of a desire to reduce reliance on pesticides and one particular example of this is by the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. It is an approach that is widely seen as desirable and is promoted by many agencies worldwide, including the United Nations, the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (Maredia 2003, Olsen et al. 2003) and also government agencies in Australia (Williams and Il’ichev 2003). Despite this support the change to using this approach is often slow, even though there are examples of success and proven methods of implementing IPM strategies. So, can we successfully reduce our reliance on pesticides if farmers and their advisors do not adopt the strategies that scientists have developed? Also, have scientists developed strategies that are too narrow in design, by dealing with only a narrow pest spectrum? In this paper we look at what is required to implement change, specifically regarding pest management practices so that there is less reliance on applications of pesticides. The reasons for wanting to reduce reliance on pesticides include insecticide resistance, destruction of natural enemies and other non-target species, residues in produce, environmental concerns and effects on human health (Perkins and Patterson 1997).