Agricultural Practice in Poland Before and After Mandatory IPM Implementation by the European Union

Abstract

Integrated pest management (IPM), a worldwide agricultural strategy, contains methods to control or manage agricultural pests and diseases in a more efficient way, and consequently, to obtain better quality raw materials for food production. The engagement and practice of farmers play a key role in the success of this strategy. Since January 1, 2014, Poland and other European Union countries have been obligated to apply the principles of IPM. This paper shows the results of surveys conducted in 280 randomly selected farms the year before and the year following mandatory IPM implementation. The aim of this study was to gather information about farmers’ knowledge of IPM and the most commonly used plant protection methods. Our results show that law regulations do not significantly change agricultural practice. Among the non-chemical methods farmers most often comply with are: implementing the agrochemical calendar, sowing healthy material, destroying volunteer plants, rotating crop, applying balanced fertilizer, plowing stubble and preventing excess nitrogen. Integrated plant protection is not possible without proper knowledge of diseases. This factor needs improvement in Poland. The average Polish farmer lacks the knowledge about basic cereal diseases such as powdery mildew or brown rust, though larger farm operators tend to be more knowledgeable. The results of this survey demonstrate the necessity to provide informative farmer training campaigns to promote on-farm application of IPM and to improve the knowledge of disease issues.

Identifying the drivers and constraints to adoption of IPM among arable farmers in the UK and Ireland

“…The reason for the relationship between farm area and level of IPM adoption cannot be ascertained from the survey. However, similar relationships have previously been identified in Polish arable farms 30 . It can be hypothesized that farmed area may be acting as a proxy for a number of other factors that can influence the capacity to undertake IPM.…”

Sustainable Management of the Red Palm Weevil: The Nexus between Farmers’ Adoption of Integrated Pest Management and Their Knowledge of Symptoms

“…Furthermore, due to increased concerns about the environmental and human health side effects of pesticides, there is growing demand to implement integrated pest management (IPM) [20]. Currently, IPM is the primary paradigm in plant protection, approved by all stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to maintain pesticides and other interventions at levels that are ecologically and economically justified [21][22][23]. The current RPW IPM strategy is comprised of periodic field surveys for detecting infestations, applying phyto-sanitation and agro-techniques (i.e., palm and field sanitation, elimination of hidden breeding sites, including abandoned date plantations, and palm injury prevention), preventive and curative chemical treatments, eradicating severely infested palms, implementing quarantine measures, and education and training [1,6,16].…”

Effect of Adjuvants and pH Adjuster on the Efficacy of Sulcotrione Herbicide

“…At present, increasing attention is being paid to food safety and the responsible use of chemicals that end up in the natural environment [1,2]. Plant protection products are considered as an integral part of modern agriculture.…”