Impact of integrating pest and pollinator management training on knowledge, perceptions, and livelihoods of avocado farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Abstract Synthetic pesticides reduce pest populations but also beneficial organisms like pollinators, thereby threatening the productivity of pollination-dependent crops such as avocados. Through the novel concept of integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM), the negative effects of pest control on pollinators are mitigated, leading to synergistic benefits for crop yield and quality. In this study, we investigated the impact of IPPM training on farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and management of avocado pests, changes in the size of avocado orchards, avocado losses due to insect pests, expenditure on pesticides, and income. We compared farmers using IPPM against those using each component in isolation (integrated pest management (IPM) or pollination services (PS) through beehive supplementation (PS)) and a control group that used conventional practices without PS. We utilized 2 rounds of panel data obtained from avocado growers from Murang’a County, Kenya, and employed difference-in-difference (DiD) and multinomial logistic regression models. The results indicate that individuals utilizing IPM demonstrated notable enhancements in their perceptions of avocado pests, pollinators, and IPPM packages in comparison to the control group. Conversely, those utilizing IPPM employed more effective pest management strategies than users of IPM only. In contrast to using IPM and PS in isolation, farmers who utilized IPPM registered a significantly higher (9.6%) increase in the proportion of household annual income from avocado farming compared to the control group. Our findings further show that farmers who received training were more likely to adopt IPM, PS, and IPPM practices. We recommend wide promotion of IPPM to enhance avocado production and livelihoods of smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa.