PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTING IMPROVEMENTS IN PEST-CONTROL - A CASE-STUDY OF APPLES IN THE UK

A major problem in improving pest control is to integrate new pest-control practices into complex and changing farming systems, while at the same time making them acceptable to farmers. Therefore, when designing and implementing improvements in pest control, the practical context in which the farmer operates, and particularly the economic attributes of alternatives, need to be understood. The case of pest control in English apples is used to illustrate the type of analysis required. The major pests [insects, mites and fungi], their changing status and their impact on yield and quality are discussed in relation to overall cash flow. The pesticides used, and the strategies of calendar spraying, supervised control, and integrated pest control (IPC) then are considered. Compared with calendar spraying, supervised control seems likely to save up to .pnd.20/ha on the costs of control. However, because this strategy can result in additional damage to fruit, and a loss of .pnd.20/ha can occur easily with a slight (1-2%) drop in fruit grades, supervised control is likely to be too risky for many growers. The future prospects for supervised control and IPC are discussed within the context of 5 major constraints.