tailieunhanh - Báo cáo: Integrated Cashew Improvement Program Using Weaver Ants As A Major Component

Vietnam has been ranked as one of the most important country in the production of things in the world since 2000. To achieve high productivity, most growers rely heavily on pesticides and chemical fertilizers, leading to increased costs, health problems of farmers, pest resistance, environmental pollution and minimizing the natural enemies and pollinators. To make the production of safe, sustainable and profitable, integrated program improvement (ICI) is necessary. | Integrated Cashew Improvement Program Using Weaver Ants As A Major Component Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam Renkang Peng Keith Christian La Pham Lan and Nguyen Thanh Binh Charles Darwin University and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam October 2008 Preface Background of the project Vietnam has been ranked as one of the most important countries in cashew production in the world since 2000. To achieve high yield most growers heavily rely on pesticides and chemical fertilizers resulting in increased costs farmers health problems pest resistance environmental pollution and the reduction of natural enemies and pollinators. In order to make cashew production safe sustainable and profitable an integrated cashew improvement ICI program is needed. In 2005 a project entitled Implementation of the ICI program using weaver ants as a major component for cashew growers in Vietnam was proposed based on the successful ICI programs developed at the Charles Darwin University CDU Australia which uses weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina as a major component together with agricultural farming strategies and environmentally friendly soft chemicals in managing the cashew insect pest complex instead of using toxic insecticides. The project began in 2006 by researcher staff in the CDU and the Institute of Agricultural Sciences IAS of South Vietnam Vietnam. The major objectives of the project were 1 to develop an ICI program curriculum that will work in Vietnamese conditions 2 to conduct Training of Trainers TOT training in ICI program for TOT trainers to conduct farmer field schools in their local region and 3 To establish demonstration orchards for demonstrating the ICI principles for TOT trainers to observe the advantages of the ICI program compared to conventional farming practice and for collecting data to compile the ICI program. As of July 2008 a total of 112 TOT trainers have graduated from the two training centres in Binh Phuoc and