Rational Pesticide Use in IPM of Pesticide-Reliant Vegetable Crops in the Caribbean
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Leafy vegetable production in the Caribbean is highly pesticide-reliant often using a calendar spray cycle to manage pests. This leads to unwarranted pesticide use and all the attendant problems of this practice. IPM proponents often promote the virtual elimination of pesticide use, which can lead to ineffective pest management. Despite the potential risks, pesticides continue to be valuable to agriculture; therefore, a reasoned approach to their inclusion in IPM is critical. Rationalization should include application thresholds, an efficient sampling plan, effective biorational pesticides and optimal spray application technology. Research on vegetable amaranth in Jamaica showed the potential of rational pesticide use to reduce pesticide input by 46-85%. Biorationals, ecdysone agonist (tebufenozide) and microbial metabolites (spinosyns, and emamectin benzoate), significantly reduced crop damage more effectively than commonly used pyrethroid (lambda-cyhalothrin). The approach also facilitates resistance management of new pesticides. Through regional collaboration under IPM CRSP, the approach is being tested more widely.