Fintrac CDA Improving Integrated Farm Management Through the Use of Biological Controls

San Pedro Sula, Honduras (October 15, 2003) - Since 2000, Fintrac agronomists working on the Honduras/CDA project have been teaching farmers to use new and innovative technologies that enable them to increase yields while reducing pesticide use. Fintrac's Integrated Crop Management (ICM) program, which includes crop rotation, pest scouting, pest traps and barriers, and the use of biological controls has enabled hundreds of producers to increase incomes while using more environmentally friendly methods.

Biological controls have been used for a wide range of crops planted by Fintrac client farmers including cucumbers, hot peppers (tabasco, jalapeno) sweet peppers, tomatoes, melons, watermelons, squash, onions and sweet potatoes. To reduce pesticide use, Fintrac agronomists often recommend the substitution of wide spectrum chemicals to more selective and beneficial products that can control a particular pest or disease problem and that are considered non-detrimental to the environment. Pest and disease identification courses and on-farm training in sampling procedures has led to reductions in chemical usage of up to 50 percent for some farmers. Fintrac client farmers use pest and disease control products only after identifying a particular problem in the field; this is not only beneficial to the environment but also to growers in terms of cost savings and by decreasing risk to field workers.

In 2001, CDA agronomists and technicians began working in conjunction with the Biological Control Laboratory of El Zamorano in the semi-commercial development and promotion of selected biological controls. This partnership resulted in biological products including and Telenomus wasps to control caterpillar proliferation, the development of Verticillium and Beauveria fungi for insect control, and production of Trichoderma harzanium to control root-borne fungal disease. In December 2001, CDA started to demonstrate the effects of these recently developed biological controls in 16 lead partner farms in 14 regions throughout Honduras. The success of the controls on these farms has resulted increased demand for the innovated controls and El Zamorano is now producing some for commercial sale. Improved yields and decreased costs have also made farmers throughout the nation aware that profitable and safe alternatives exist to blanket pesticide use.

Trichoderma, a beneficial root fungus that controls detrimental root fungi, has eliminated the need for soil fungicide applications. The implementation of natural fungicides such as Trichoderma have casued average disease costs of farms using this biological control to decrease from $150/hectare to $50/hectare while yields increase by 15 to 20 percent. Trichoderma has been used by CDA client farmers on over 2,600 hectares of crop production in the last year. Telenomus wasps used to control caterpillars were successful in the southern regions of the country and are still being used by many farmers. The Verticillium and Beauveria fungi, while still in the development and demonstration phase, have been used successfully on over 220 hectares in the past year.