Pests and diseases ravaging food crops and other vegetation are becoming bolder and prevalent as a result of climate change and now experts are warning of food insecurity and reduced income from the sector which contributes about 20% to the country’s GDP should farmers ignore proper control measures.
According to the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya (AAK Grow), some of the pests of concern include leaf miners, fruit flies, maize stalk borer, Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner) and anthracnose in beans and avocado among others.
“Kenya being in the tropical region has favourable conditions for the growth and the spread of most pest species as the conditions provide warm and humid environment and providing necessary moisture for their growth,” said Benson Ngigi, Stewardship Manager at AAK Grow.
He added that due to increased rainfall and rising temperatures, the spreading to their non-traditional areas is a big threat to economically important crops such as coffee, for instance, whose production has been threatened by an outbreak of thrips, small insects that feed on many commercial crops.
While most of these pests are spread as a result of interactions by the outside world during activities such as trade and travels, the other key factor that has promoted their increasing in volumes in the recent past is weather.
“It is very difficult to eradicate pets once they have established themselves in a new territory since managing them is time-consuming and an expensive exercise,” said Ngingi.
He also noted cases of pest resurgence in areas where insecticide application initially reduced an infestation, but soon afterwards the pest rebounds to higher levels than before treatment.
“Such scenarios occur as a result of various resistance mechanisms that different pets have or develop towards an insecticide something that requires a proper follow up over the time and introduction new approaches and insecticides targeting the resistance bit of the pest,” he said.
In this, AAK Grow has come up with several management steps such as supporting of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM)Technologies dissemination, and conducting surveys on pesticide resistance in high value crops.
Others include advocating for Mode of Action labeling through Pesticide Control Products (PCP) regulations, supporting development and adoption/scaling up of solutions mitigating pesticide resistance and formation of a local fungicide resistance action committee (FRAC).
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
According to the AAK Grow official, the best way to mitigate the problem of pests and diseases is IPM which involves the use of various methods such as cultural, biological, mechanical and the use of recommended chemical pesticides.
“Adopting a mixed approach in the management of these pests and diseases is the most effective option for pest, disease and nutrition challenges in crops,” said Ngingi adding that the aim IPM approach is to grow crops sustainably while protecting the health of the consumers, workers and the environment.
Cultural Control. This involves growing practices such as cleaning of equipment, weed management, no-till or zero tillage, media sterilization, and nutrient and soil management which prevent establishment, survival, and reproduction of pests.
Mechanical or Physical Control. This encompasses exclusion or trapping of pests using physical barriers and mechanisms such as the use of roller traps, hanging traps, pheromone lures and sticky cards. There is also the use of greenhouses, tunnels, indoor growing houses, constructed growing areas and plant-free buffer zones.
Biological Control entails the use of natural pest predators, antagonists and beneficial organisms to manage pest populations.
Chemical Control involves the intelligent use of insecticidal soaps, insect growth regulators, botanicals and recommended pesticides. In this case, chemical pesticides play more of a supportive role, assisting in more effective, long-term management of pest populations.
Upholding safety standards
While stressing that it is impossible for farming, especially commercial one, to be sustainable in the country without the use of synthetic pesticides and insecticides, AAK Grow underscores the importance of maintaining safety standards in a bid to protect farmers, consumers, traders and the environment from the harmful effects that may arise as a result of irresponsible use.
“At every stage of handling these chemicals right from research, production or repackaging to the end user we have developed Product stewardship whose aim is to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks arising from PCPs at all stages of their existence,” said Ngingi.
Product stewardship entails responsible use of pesticides, involvement of spray service providers, communication and advocacy, pesticide resistance management, poison information service, empty pesticide container management, and obsolete agro inputs stock management.
In 2020 alone, over 26 tonnes of obsolete pesticides were disposed thanks to an effective system for prevention of buildup of the products.
“Today members of the public can easily report cases of pesticide poisoning through 2 toll free lines 0800720021/0800730030 placed on all pesticide labels in Kenya” said Ngingi.
