About this Research Topic
Given the rising threat of climate change, food production is heading towards a crisis and people living in low-income tropical countries are increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity. Tropical crops have a myriad of arthropod pests, pathogens, and weeds causing yield loss and reduction in quality. Farmers face several issues that are location specific and require site-specific feasible solutions. Researchers constantly try to improve management strategies by incorporating affordable and efficient Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies from the time of planting the crop to the harvest. These measures include safer technologies (available or to be developed) as alternatives to the use of synthetic chemical pesticides. The use of safe synthetic chemical pesticides is recommended when no alternatives are available. These recommended measures need to be promoted by compiling them into an IPM package for each crop. Tropical crops to be addressed will include cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and plantation crops.
Pests, diseases, and weeds are not addressed holistically in many of the current publications on IPM for crops. Within these, it is not uncommon to find only insect pests or diseases being addressed. Frequently, publications that help contribute to extension materials often pose IPM for a pest; however, IPM is intended for a crop and not for a pest alone, as management measures for several pests and diseases attacking a crop need to be integrated. The goal of this publication is to remedy the current situation and to exude a holistic IPM package for each of the selected crops. While IPM has been fairly well developed for temperate crops in the developed world, it is still in its infancy in the developing world, where most tropical crops are grown.
The aim of this collection is for the authors to identify pests, diseases, and weeds that affect sequentially from seeding to the harvest of the selected crop, in different seasons and geographical regions in the tropics. Contributors should review the research on technologies recommended and available for addressing each problem and recommend the ones that are effective, economical, accessible, acceptable, adaptable, and safe for environmental and human health. Contributors should integrate all the components of the recommendations assuring that a set of techniques to manage a pest/disease/weed does not disrupt existing management technology(ies) for others. Contributors should integrate all the components into an IPM package for the crop. Original research, reviews, commentary, and extension articles can be submitted.
Pests, diseases, and weeds are not addressed holistically in many of the current publications on IPM for crops. Within these, it is not uncommon to find only insect pests or diseases being addressed. Frequently, publications that help contribute to extension materials often pose IPM for a pest; however, IPM is intended for a crop and not for a pest alone, as management measures for several pests and diseases attacking a crop need to be integrated. The goal of this publication is to remedy the current situation and to exude a holistic IPM package for each of the selected crops. While IPM has been fairly well developed for temperate crops in the developed world, it is still in its infancy in the developing world, where most tropical crops are grown.
The aim of this collection is for the authors to identify pests, diseases, and weeds that affect sequentially from seeding to the harvest of the selected crop, in different seasons and geographical regions in the tropics. Contributors should review the research on technologies recommended and available for addressing each problem and recommend the ones that are effective, economical, accessible, acceptable, adaptable, and safe for environmental and human health. Contributors should integrate all the components of the recommendations assuring that a set of techniques to manage a pest/disease/weed does not disrupt existing management technology(ies) for others. Contributors should integrate all the components into an IPM package for the crop. Original research, reviews, commentary, and extension articles can be submitted.
Keywords: IPM, cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, plantation crops
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