Comparison of Integrated Pest Management approaches and conventional (non-IPM) practices in late-winter-season cauliflower in Northern India

Abstract

On-farm research was conducted in Northern India during the late-winter seasons of 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 to develop and validate an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach for cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis L. subvar. Cauliflora DC). Cauliflower has traditionally received considerable use of pesticides to manage insect pests, such as the mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), and diseases such as damping-off and Alternaria leaf spot. This study compared the conventional farmers' practice, which is pesticide-based and is a non-IPM approach, with an IPM approach, which used cultural, chemical and biological methods to manage the insect and two diseases of cauliflower. Yields for both seasons were consistently greater in the IPM treatment, averaging 24 t/ha (10% greater yields) in the IPM treatment than in the non-IPM treatment. Economic analysis showed higher net economic returns (1410 USD/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (3.6:1) than from the non-IPM treatment (1152 USD/ha net return; 2.9:1 benefit: cost ratio). Compared to the non-IPM treatment, growers using IPM reduced the amount (a.i./ha) of pesticide by 63.8% and the number of pesticide applications by more than 50%. In addition, the IPM treatment replaced hazardous pesticides with safer bio-pesticides and reduced-risk pesticides. This study demonstrated that IPM can be cost-effective for managing pests and diseases of cauliflower in late winter.