Integrated Pest Management: Dissemination and Impact

Integrated Pest Management – Dissemination and Impact, Volume 2 is a sequel to Integrated Pest Management – Innovation-Development Process, Volume 1. The book focuses on the IPM systems in the developed countries of North America, Europe and Australia, and the developing countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa. One of the major impediments in the dissemination and adoption of the IPM innovation is the complexity of the technology and reaching the vast population of farmers especially in the developing countries. The IPM-innovation development process is incomplete without the diffusion and adoption of IPM methods by the end users, and through its consequences. In spite of all the efforts in the developed and developing countries, the adoption of IPM is still low with few exceptions. The book covers the underlying concepts and methodologies of the diffusion of innovation theory and the program evaluation; and reviews the progress and impact of IPM programs implemented in the industrialized, the green revolution and the subsistence agricultural systems of the world. Forty-four experts from entomology, plant pathology, environmental science, agronomy, anthropology, economics and extension education from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America have discussed impact of IPM with an interdisciplinary perspective. Each one of the experts is an authority in his or her field of expertise. The researchers, farmers’ education, supporting policies of the governments and market forces are the elements of the IPM innovation system to achieve wider adoption of IPM strategy in agriculture. The diffusion theory and adoption of the IPM innovation is discussed in the first chapter to provide theoretical foundation to biological scientists for developing farmers’ compatible IPM systems. Protocols for evaluation to measure socioeconomic impact of the IPM programs are provided in Chapters 2 to 4. Identifying the farmers’ needs, attitudes and skills for developing location specific IPM technology is detailed in Chapter 5. Implementation of IPM programs, farmers’ education in the context of developed, and developing countries are documented in Chapters 6 and 7. The focus of Chapter 8 is on the impact of extension in disseminating IPM technology to smallholder farmers. The implementation, impact and the impediments of IPM programsin the green revolution lands of Asia and Latin America, and subsistence agriculture of sub-Saharan Africa is the focus of Chapters 9 to 13. The insight into the IPM programsin Europe and the initiatives of the European Union in  popularising integrated protection in its member states, the IPM programs in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, tracking down the history of IPM in erstwhile USSR are covered in Chapters 14 and 15. Dissemination and impact of IPM technology in the US agriculture is discussed in the subsequent Chapter 16. To explore the advances in IPM with respect to introduction of transgenic in Chinese and Australian agriculture and the controversy surrounding the trangenics and its compatibility with IPM, Chapters 17 to 19 have been included. The world food shortage because of conversion of agriculture crops like corn and soybean for production of bio-fuels in the USA is one of the hotly contested issues. The concluding chapter on IPM, bio-fuels and a new green revolution provides an insight to the changes in the patterns of agriculture in the USA. Renewed efforts are needed to develop the IPM innovation system for the wider adoption of IPM. We are indebted to the contributing authors whose thought provoking insight, cooperation and guidance made it possible to realise the dream of updating IPM literature from an interdisciplinary and global perspective. We owe a great deal to Prof. A. K. Tiku for hisinsight in bringing out these two volumes. The book provides an invaluable resource material to the scientists, professionals, students, program planners, farmers and market forces.