Innovative approaches and technologies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to increase sustainable food production

Description:

Norway plans to implement EU´s Directive on sustainable use of pesticides (2009/128/EC) which promotes the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and alternative approaches or techniques (IPM tools) to minimize pesticide use. However, there is a lack of practical IPM tools for farmers with verified effects and usefulness, as well as a relevant policy for a successful implementation of IPM. In SMARTCROP we aim to meet these challenges by: 1) Develop new IPM tools. 2) Test and demonstrate "best practice" IPM and study its effect on pests and natural enemies, yield, profitability and environmental risk of pesticides under northern conditions. 3) Develop new simulation models for pest-natural enemy interactions for a near future implementation of natural enemies into pest warning systems. 4) Refine existing pest warning models and pesticide risk models and apply them in web-based warning or decision support systems (DSS) for northern conditions. 5) Suggest innovative policies for increased adoption of IPM. Two annual (spring barley and winter wheat) and two perennial (apple and strawberry) crops, representing a wide range of growing techniques, financial risk profiles and opportunities for IPM technology will be studied. Fields for research and demonstration will be established. Detailed investigations on interactions between key organisms will take place in laboratories and growth chambers. Several project partners and a reference group represent stakeholders and key end-users, including farmers, agricultural extension service, IPM tool companies, regulatory authorities, wholesalers and retailers. These will actively participate in the project, providing the scientists feedback on the feasibility of approaches and techniques under development. This will facilitate robust IPM innovations and ensure adoption of advanced IPM strategies. Further, participation and evaluation by stakeholders and end-users will help disseminate knowledge to other stakeholders and end-users

Project leader: Ingeborg Klingen

Started: 2015

Ends: 2019

Category: Primærnæringsinstitutter

Sector: Instituttsektor

Budget: 36892000

Institution: NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOØKONOMI

Address: Ås