IPM for WCR in Eastern-Central Europe

WCR risks & opportunities

from risks...Crop intensificationChemical pest managementPest resistanceNew chemicals - GMOs

... to opportunitiesSoil productivity?Ecosystem functions?Water/environment pollution?Health?New risks?Perception - control strategies?

WCR in USA a technological approach

1920s: first appearance in Nebraska, coming from Mexico1940s: first reported as pest problem 1950s: soil treatments (benzene hexachloride, aldrin, chlordane,

heptachlor) on 1.7 million acres in 1954 (ETL 1 adult/plant)

1960s: developed resistance to aldrine and heptachlor, increased rate of spread (resistant strains are superior competitors), and becoming dominant specie for competitive displacement

1970s: aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor banned + resistance, shift to carbofuran: WCR control cost increased

1980s: increased ETL due to high cost of soil treatment Higher degradation rate of carbofuran by soil

microorganisms, made soil treatment less effective1990s: looking for alternative treatments: aerial treatment with

baited 10% dosage insecticides + crop rotation. In 1993: corn-soybean

2000s: WCR costs 1 billion US$/year (treatment + crop loss) 4 million ha corn treated (aerial spray)WCR adapted to feed on soybean; GMOs?

updated from: “Methods fro the study of pest Diabrotica” J.L. Krysan and T.A. Miller, 1986

USGS: OP Pesticide Occurrence Report

Soil food web

WCR in Europe: an ecological and people

oriented approach

1992: WCR first reported in maize fields near Belgrade airport, Yugoslavia

1997: 100,000 km2 infested in Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary and Romania Regional network established

1997-99: FAO-TCP project, monitoring and rotation trials 2000: continued monitoring, limited resources; rotation used

as a control method (EU research project)2001: monitoring, field trials, involvement of farmers.

Economic damage in Yugoslavia reaches USD 90 million

2002: monitoring, field trials, farmers participatory research by regional network (FAO). Development of

Regional Project 2003-05: regional programme implemented

Serbia, Village Padina: corn season 2002

15 farmers collaborators

Farmers meeting in corn fields in Hungary, August 2002

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FED. REP. YUGOSLAVIA

HUNGARY

CROATIA

BULGARIA

SLOVAK

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

ROMANIA

Participatory Research-Training WCR spread and biology Biodiversity function Socio-economic-policy

Indicative workplan Regional Programme 2003-2005

REGION IN TRANSITIONagricultural sector in a phase of restructuring

Towards market oriented system: NEW ACTORS Potential market pressures

(Land) ownership: number of farmers and FARMS INCREASED

Limited access to resources:DECREASE of pesticides and fertilizers to 30-50% in the last decade (HU)

New issues: quality products, CONSUMERS SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Opportunities and risks

Need to build an European WCR management strategy on

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

- Understand and maintain biological base for agricultural sustainability- Develop management strategies with involvement of local communties- Potential for value added products- Valuable biotic diversity, to be preserved- Valuable cultural diversity and farming traditions

while avoiding

REGIONAL RISKS

- increasing chemical use as soon as affordable- isolated local answers to regional problems- WCR management based on short term objective - loss of export commodities- environmental and socio-economic risks