Non Pesticidal Management

The ecological and economical problems of pests and pesticides in agriculture gave rise to several eco-friendly innovative approaches which do not rely on the use of chemical pesticides. These initiatives involved rediscovering traditional practices and contemporary grass root innovations supplemented by strong scientific analysis mainly supported by non-formal institutions like NGOs. Such innovations have begun to play an important role in development sector. This trend has important implications both for policy and practice. One such initiative by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture was Non Pesticidal Management. The “Non Pesticidal Management” which emanates from collaborative work of public institutions, civil society organizations and Farmers in Andhra Pradesh shows how diverse players join hands to work in generating new knowledge and practice, can evolve more sustainable models of development.

Pest is not a problem but a symptom. Disturbance in the ecological balance among different components of crop ecosystem makes certain insects reach pest status. From this perspective evolved the Non Pesticidal Management which is an “ecological approach to pest management using knowledge and skill based
practices to prevent insects from reaching damaging stages and damaging proportions by making best use of local resources, natural processes and community action.”

Non Pesticidal Management is mainly based on:
a. Understanding crop ecosystem and suitably modifying it by adopting suitable cropping systems and crop production practices. b. The type of pests and their behavior differs with crop ecosystems. Similarly the natural enemies’ composition
also varies with the cropping systems.
c. Understanding insect biology and behavior and adopting suitable preventive measures to reduce the pest numbers.
d. Building farmers knowledge and skills in making the best use of local resources and natural processes and community action.
e. Natural ecological balance which ensures that pests do not reach a critical number in the field that endangers the
yield. Nature can restore such a balance if it is not too much meddled with.
Hence no chemical pesticides/pesticide are applied to the crops. For an effective communication to farmers about the concept effectively, and to differentiate from Integrated Pest Management which believes that chemical pesticides can be safely used and are essential as lost resort it is termed as “Non Pesticidal
Management”