The question of energy independence is crucial for many countries in the developed world these days. In addition to solar and wind energy, agriculture plant production are sources renewable energy. Crops can be grown biomass direct combustion, biofuels, bio-ethanol. benefits, lignocellulosic plants have a huge potential wide application industry, construction, paper, automotive, pharmaceutical ...

Purpose of review: The presence of arthropod pests in or on horticultural commodities has caused major disruptions in the storage, processing and shipment of these products. Management of these pests has posed a problem to humans for thousands of years. Current technology has led to the development of numerous means (chemical, mechanical or procedural) to control these pests. For the most part,...

Insect pests are among the most important constraints limiting sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) production in Africa. However, there is inadequate information about farmers' knowledge, perceptions and practices in the management of key insect pests. This has hindered development of effective pest management approaches for smallholder farmers. A standard questionnaire was used to interview individu...

Cucurbit crops host a range of serious sap-sucking insect pests, including silverleaf whitefly (SLW) and aphids, which potentially represent considerable risk to the Australian horticulture industry. These pests are extremely polyphagous with a wide host range. Chemical control is made difficult due to resistance and pollution, and other side-effects are associated with insecticide use. Consequ...

In 2011, practitioners and advocates of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) find themselves addressing agricultural, societal, and political pressures worldwide resulting from human population growth. This growth brings simultaneous burdens of sustaining a steady food supply; these include preventing losses from pests, dealing with increased human global travel, which in turn intensifies opportuni...

(eds M.C.S. Wopereis et al.) 229 In the search for sustainable management options to increase food security, an overall challenge is to increase yields and decrease losses during production and harvest without harming the environment and resource base for future generations of farmers and consumers. As such, integrated pest management (IPM) plays a key role in the context of sustainable agricul...

A formal citrus insect pest survey was conducted in two citrus growing districts of Kenya, Bungoma and Machakos, to determine important insect pests of citrus and evaluate the pest control practices used by small-scale farmers. Observations were made on the insect pests and their damage, methods of pest control practiced, pesticide products used, sources of farming knowledge and how decisions t...