Insects as Allies
This issue of LEISA India primarily looks at the role of insects in sustainable agriculture.
Insects, as pollinators, decomposers and as natural enemies of crop pests provide a whole lot of ecological services to mankind. Insects are among the most common and diverse organisms in the environment. The contribution of insects as pollinators to the production of crops used directly for human food has been estimated at 153 billion Euros globally. But, we are gradually losing this insect diversity largely owing to the way we farm.
Many studies show that insect pests tend to be less abundant and do less damage in fields which follow the agro-ecological principles. In this issue, we have presented some cases which show how individuals and institutions are taking initiatives to promote methods which are least damaging to the insects, while resulting in sustainable production.
March 2012 - Volume 14 - no. 1
Table of contents:
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4 - 4Albert Einstein once said that “if the bees disappeared, man would have only four years of life left” – a warning for an impending food problem if we neglected the natural pollinators. In fact it is not just about bees, but a whole lot of other living beings in the farm ecosystem that keep farming going.
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5 - 8written by Uma PartapPromotion and growth of the pollination enterprise can help improve livelihoods for several mountain farming families by generating employment and income as well as boosting the production and quality of crop. Managed pollination of apples as practiced in Himachal Pradesh, India is an excellent example of enhancing income and food security of not only apple farmers but also beekeepers. However, there is a need for scientific research, capacity building of farmers and putting appropriate rules in place to strengthen the system of managed pollination of apples in the state.
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9 - 11Pollination is a concern for cardamom farmers as it is difficult to maintain pollinator populations in plantations between years. The innovative solution that is gaining popularity for ensuring quality pollination services to cardamom in South West India, is the use of managed forestry to create “sequential blooms” in mixed coffee and cardamom plantations.
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12 - 16written by Mathew John , Robert LeoInitiatives and innovations promoted by Keystone Foundation have helped promote bee keeping amongst farmers and tribal communities around the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The impacts are visible in terms of better yields in coffee, mango and vegetable crops.
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17 - 19written by J. KrishnanInsect behavior is largely decided by farming practices. Both plants and insects are mutually dependent. While plants provide food to insects, insects provide the necessary ecological services to the plant. Farmers therefore need to manage cropping as a part of a larger ecosystem management. This requires deeper understanding of the relationships of various living forms in an ecosystem.
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20 - 21written by Sam AdamsOne of the ways in which farmers can protect their soils is through the use of mulch. When the soil is covered with a thick layer of organic matter, it is protected from extreme rainfall, winds or drought. Mulch also serves as a home for insects, helping attract many species which significantly improve soil texture and soil fertility.
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22 - 22written by S.M. ShanthaveeraiahBee pollination is a primary low cost in sustainable agriculture. Bee keeping enterprise while helping to generate income for farmers will also serve as a provider of pollination services to crops.
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23 - 24written by Satish PandeOwls are natural predators of rodents, of which seven species are agriculturally important pests. Conserving owls will not only result in better rodent control preventing huge crop losses, but will also prevent indiscriminate chemical use, thus preserving the ecological diversity. Educational programs will go a long way in achieving this.
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25 - 25written by Tejasvi NaikFarmers Diary > Though I am not a farmer by birth, my journey as a farmer, rather as a sericulturist began in the year 1996. We had bought a 2 acre farm, not to do farming, but to start a weaving mill for manufacturing sarees, an ancestral business which was then reeling under a liability of 25 lakhs.
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26 - 28written by John HollandInsects are a very much maligned group of organisms, considered capable of causing immense damage to crops. This is largely due to the way in which we farm, creating attractive monocultures of lush crops and failing to exploit the natural regulatory mechanisms that exist. Crop damage is caused by relatively few species, whereas many more species are beneficial - predating or parasitising crop pests, pollinating crops, breaking down organic matter and helping nutrient recycling, and acting as a food source for other wildlife, especially birds. With so many potential benefits, how can we enhance their presence?
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29 - 29written by L. Narayana ReddyNature is kind enough to create human beings after all its other creation so that we can enjoy and live happily and easily. But owing to our memory and thinking capacities, we became selfish and lazy and wanted to have everything for ourselves. Due to our excessive greed, we have become so foolish to deny ourselves the benefits from many creatures like snakes, birds, lizards and mostly by insects.
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34 - 36written by Sujana Krishnamoorthy , Vijaya PastalaLow cost beekeeping has the potential to increase and even double the yields of local crops with no extra efforts. Recognising this fact, Under The Mango Tree (UTMT) promoted indigenous bee keeping among the small farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with good results.
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