1990 Annual Report for LS90-022
Influence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) On Low-input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) in the Southern Region
Summary
An educational project is proposed wherein the Southern Regional IPM Coordinators develop a plan to merge Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) concepts into a practical program which will meet the social, environmental, and economic needs of growers and citizens of the region. Producers will have direct input into this program. Once the plan has taken form, a campaign will be undertaken to make other producers of the region aware of both the philosophy and the methodology of the resulting system.
This project was conceived as a vehicle to begin the process of developing linkages between IPM, which has a rich history in the south, and sustainable agriculture (SA) into a practical program which will meet the social, environmental, and economic needs of growers and citizens of the region. IPM and SA systems share a philosophy of farming. SA systems have a strong cropping systems background. IPM concentrates on managing pests. An integrated program can result in a system which can strengthen both systems.
To accomplish this, a video teleconference and a publication was completed. The video conference showed examples of IPM projects and how they might fit into SA. Callers were allowed to ask questions of a panel. Approximately 100 sites participated with over 2,000 viewers. Of the 200 evaluations returned, all but one were positive (evaluations were received from Costa Rica and Indonesia). Over 100 copies of the video conference were distributed to all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico.
A publication (The Role of IPM in Sustainable Agriculture) was produced and distributed to all extension offices in the south (3,000 copies). This gives recipients a base to begin discussion and activities. Comments from extension agents and specialists indicate that the publication has served as the basis for discussions and meetings concerning IPM and SA. Agents have been especially grateful to have this publication to use as a reference.
Project Results
The overall objective of this project was to increase awareness of the linkages between IPM and sustainable agriculture by initiating discussions of both programs and their commonality of purpose. Initially, a video conference was held and broadcast nationally. Viewers were shown examples of IPM effects and how those projects could fit into SA programs. A panel was available to answer questions by callers. This project initiated much discussion among professionals in the region.
A publication was used as a follow up to the video conference. The Role of IPM in Sustainable Agriculture was printed (3,000) and distributed to all extension offices in the southern states. This provides extension agents with a reference source to help them explain the linkages between IPM, which has a history of strong acceptance in the south, and SA, a concept not yet understood by a majority of growers.
Objectives
(1) To plan an educational program incorporating IPM concepts into LISA programs of the Southern Region.
(2) To assemble and publish region-wide information on the merger of IPM and LISA systems.
(3) To conduct a nationwide satellite video conference on the incorporation of IPM and LISA systems (with the completion of objectives 1 and 2).