A large percentage of farmers do not respond to mail surveys. To gain insight into why farmers do not respond and how to improve response rates, a three-step research design was developed. First, an initial survey, based on in-person interviews with 15 farmers, was sent to 100 farmers. Second, farmers who did not respond to this mail survey were contacted by phone to investigate the reasons for...

This paper analyses the cut flower market as an example of an invasion pathway along which species of non-indigenous plant pests can travel to reach new areas. The paper examines the probability of pest detection by assessing information on pest detection and detection effort associated with the import of cut flowers. We test the link between the probability of plant pest arrivals, as a precurs...

The current approach to modelling pest impacts on forest net primary production (NPP) is to apply a constant modifier. This does not capture the large spatial and temporal variability in pest abundance and activity that can occur, meaning that overestimates or underestimates of pest impacts on forest NPP are likely. Taking a more mechanistic approach that incorporates an understanding of how ph...

The aim of the research was analysis of rice producers’ perceptions of participatory communication in the use of integrated pest management (IPM). Research population was consisted of rice producers in the west of Mazandaran province (N=16126), whose 187 ones were selected using Cochran’s formula. Data were gathered by systematic random sampling method. The instrument for data collection was a ...

An important modern goal of plant science research is to develop tools for agriculturalists effective at curbing yield losses to insect herbivores, but resistance evolution continuously threatens the efficacy of pest management strategies. The high-dose/refuge strategy has been employed with some success to curb pest adaptation, and has been shown to be most effective when fitness costs (fitnes...

the wood boring beetle, chrysobothris affinis is the most destructive pest of albezia lebeck in landscape of ahwaz. population fluctuations of the pest were investigated on albezia lebbeck in ahwaz landscape during 2010 - 2011. sampling was monthly performed. in each sampling date, ten trees were randomly chosen and damage symptoms of the pest were monitored. when damage symptoms observed in st...

India’s agricultural sector faces a series of problems when it comes to increasing crop productivity. Despite the efforts of researchers to discover productive agricultural practices, crop yield has not been the most pleasing, and one global reason stated for this poor crop yield is the insect pests. Predicting in advance the occurrence of peak activities of a given pest could enable the develo...

Due to the high demand for pest control in Sri Lankas’ rice paddy cultivation practices, the number of new pesticides has been recently introduced. However, the new pesticides, which are flowing into the agriculture sector of Sri Lanka, appeared to be used by farmers without obtaining proper application guidance from the suppliers or from extension services. As a result, the exposure to harmful...