Comparative analysis of knowledge and management practices of insect pests of maize among IPM adopters and non-adopters in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a decision-based approach that involves optimizing the pest population below the economic threshold by the coordinated use of multiple tactics in an economically and environmentally sound manner. The adoption of IPM in farming practices prevents long-term pest damage by combining biological control, modification of cultural practices, habitual manipulation, and use of resistant varieties. In Nepal, mostly in hilly regions, haphazard chemical pesticide application has inevitable effects on human health, the environment, and the ecosystem. The haphazard chemical pesticide application in Sindhupalchok, Nepal originated mostly due to a knowledge gap in the identification of the stages of the lifecycle of pests, and the distinction between beneficial and harmful insects.  To compare the effectiveness of management practices between IPM adopters and non-adopters this study was framed for six months in Sangachokgadi municipality, Sindhupalchok, Nepal.  The knowledge gap among the maize growers in Sindhupalchok was assessed using both primary and secondary data collection methods. For primary data collection a comprehensive and structured questionnaire, face-to-face interview, phone call interview, and Key Informant Interview was conducted. Similarly, secondary data was collected from various articles and publications from Maize Zone, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), and National Maize Research Program (NMRP). The collected data were then analyzed (descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and indexing) by using computer software packages i.e., Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26, and Microsoft Excel 2010. The analyzed data revealed maize growers adopting IPM practices for crop management are known to have significantly better knowledge of the life cycle of pests, were able to distinguish between beneficial and harmful insects, and had knowledge of appropriate fertilizer doses.  Further, the findings revealed IPM adopters had better knowledge of chemical pesticide handling which could minimize the chemical hazards among the farmers.