Project Name: Integrated pest management and supply chain improvement for mangoes in the Philippines and Australia (PHT/2003/071)
Project Location: Philippines and Australia
Duration: 4 years (2004 – 2008)
Funding Agency: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Project Partners:
Objective
In both the Philippines and Australia, sustainable development of the mango industry is hampered by pest and disease losses, variable productivity, perishability of the fruit, supply-chain deficiencies and market access challenges. This project incorporated two strategies for improving industry sustainability in the Philippines and Australia:
1. Developing improved field management and quarantine monitoring and detection of mango pests, and
2. Working with selected mango supply chains to identify and test areas for improvement.
Field infestations by insects cause losses and damage levels ranging from 10 to 40 per cent, or limit market access, particularly for small-scale farmers. Mango farmers use pesticides, baiting and biological/management strategies, but current measures place too much reliance on chemical controls leading to concerns about excessive pesticide use and high chemical residues in the fruit. The emergence of new pest problems (e.g. fruit spotting bug) also requires attention to ensure the IPM strategy provides reliable solutions otherwise it is unlikely to be adopted by producers or application contractors (the latter are the key target ‘user’ group in Mindanao). Systems approaches that integrate field control with postharvest disinfestation will reduce costs and the risk of disinfestation failures. The project aims to develop pesticide reduction strategies to promote more of a biological approach to managing infield pest problems and identify supply chain problems to improve fruit quality and market access.
Outcomes
- Pesticide reduction strategies were developed to reduce pesticide usage;
- Monitoring systems were developed as a result of studying the population dynamics of key pests;
- Economic threshold levels were developed to be used by growers as a decision support tool for pesticide application;
- Supply chain deficiencies were identified and rectified;
- Market access reopened for exporting mangoes into Japan;
- Workshops, training and extension materials were developed for industry adoption in the Philippines and in Australia;
- Reduced insecticide usage and environmental contamination;
- Reduced chemical residues in the fruit;
- Improvement in fruit quality and lowered costs of production.
