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Pest management issues in the Caribbean. Moses Kairo, CAB International Caribbean & Latin America Regional Centre, Trinidad and Tobago. Why insect pests?. Although this paper covers insect pests, the issues discussed are applicable to other pests Three interrelated topics discussed:
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Pest management issues in the Caribbean Moses Kairo, CAB International Caribbean & Latin America Regional Centre, Trinidad and Tobago
Why insect pests? • Although this paper covers insect pests, the issues discussed are applicable to other pests • Three interrelated topics discussed: • development of ecological crop production • Invasive species management • Agro-biodiversity
Climate change and insects • Sustainable management of insect pests: currently a major challenge for agriculture • Climate changes that exacerbate insect pest problems make this challenge even more difficult
Ecological Crop/Pest Management • Intensive production of short-term crops with high input of chemical pesticides: • not sustainable • harmful to humans and the environment • Safe, healthy food for local needs • More stringent export requirements • Develop Ecological Crop Management (ECM)
ECM Needs • Development of biologically based pest management e.g. biological pesticides • Development of rational pesticide use and application technologies • Use of cultural and other practices that enhance crop health • Use of participatory approaches
Research Extension Farmer Participatory Approaches
Invasive spp. management • Increased spate of invasive species globally and in the Caribbean e.g. HMB, PMB, Thrips palmi, citrus blackfly, citrus leafminer, fire ants, giant African snail • Climate change can exacerbate this problem by increasing the geographic and ecological range of some species
Invasive spp: Needs • Survey and documentation of invasive species and their potential risks • Assistance to countries to develop national strategies and action plans • Issues of safety of biological control in small island systems
Agrobiodiversity • Loss of natural environments and associated biodiversity in the Caribbean • Environmental degradation leads to loss of biological resources and soil fertility as well as changes in climate • Loss of smaller organisms essential in agro-ecosystems are often overlooked
Agrobiodiversity - Needs • Characterize and utilize biodiversity • Understand: • functional relationship between crop intensification, changing environments and biodiversity in farmers’ fields • impact of agronomic and climate changes on the biodiversity and conservation of small organisms