natural-products-in-plant-pest-management

200 D.B. Olufolaji9.7 The Attitudes of the Poor Resource Farmers in theDeveloping Countries to the Use of Botanical PesticidesThe poor resource farmers in the developing countries have been relieved bythe use of botanicals as it affords them the advantages of low pest controlcost, easy pest control strategies, minimum pollution in their agro-ecosystemand, ultimately, higher yield and profit. They are now in search of any availableinformation regarding new innovations on botanicals to control thepests on their farm lands. They are also ready to pay for the services becausebotanicals cost less than the conventional synthetic pesticides with all thesafe attributes to food production in the developing world. The farmers arealready trying to combine the research findings of scientists with their agelongpractice to arrive at formidable control measures on their farm lands.Interestingly, the farmers are now adopting the principle of IPM in order tomaximize yields on their farms. Moreover, the botanists who engage in floricultureand horticulture are included in the use of botanicals to preservemost of their important species of plants from the scourge of pests and diseases.The farmers have already formed cooperatives and through themapproach government extension agencies for more enlightenment on the useof botanicals for their benefit.9.8 The Future of the Use of BotanicalsThe future of botanicals as alternatives to synthetic pesticides is bright, in thatmore people are using them due to the availability of the raw materials, accessibilityof the raw materials and easy use of the botanicals, with minimumdemand for specialized application and equipment that is characteristic of syntheticpesticides. Most of the research on pest and disease control in both developedand developing countries are now centred on the use of botanicals asalternatives to synthetic pesticides. The World Health Organization has alsoencouraged the use of botanicals because there is a prevalence of diseases traceableto chemicals used for the control of plant diseases because the consumedplant materials possess high degree of residues that cause carcinogenic diseasesand other health issues. It is also an issue with environmentalists concernedabout the threat of global warming because most of the pollution accredited tocause global warming is traced to the pollutants produced and discharged inthe developing countries (Olufolaji, 2006). The present economic recession haseven made the purchase of synthetic pesticides more expensive and thus difficultfor the poor and even the enlightened farmers in the developing countries,hence the adoption of an alternative, which is the use of botanical pesticides.9.9 ConclusionThe botanicals have solved enormous problems of farmers in the developingworld who are faced with an array of pests and diseases that reduce theiryields and make farming a harder process.