Effectiveness of Pesticide Spraying Campaigns in Controlling Green Scale Insects: A Field-Based Quantitative Study in Wadi Atba

Abstract

The paper will evaluate the effectiveness of pesticide spraying campaigns in controlling the green scale insects (Coccidae) in the real field conditions in Wadi Atba which is a semi-arid agricultural region. Quantitative approach based on structured questionnaires, which were administered to 140 farmers along with observational inputs were used. The findings reveal that the pesticide spraying campaigns have a huge impact of reducing the population of the green scale insects, in particular, when the application coincides with the crawler stage of the pest lifecycle, which is the most vulnerable stage. The statistical analysis demonstrated the great positive correlations between timing and perceived effectiveness which demonstrated the significance of phenological targeting in pest management strategies. However, there were also critical ecological trade-offs with the use of pesticides being associated with an apparent decline in the population of natural predators and parasite like predators. It reduces, contributing to pest re-emergence and undermining long-term biological control processes. The awareness of farmers as far as the use of pesticides is concerned both as regards to the benefits and the ecological impacts of using pesticides was found to be high but the farmers remained dependent on the use of chemicals in the control of pests as it was so effective in the short run. The study is unique by offering field-based empirical data of the relationship between pesticide efficacy, timing of application, and ecological consequences in one analytical construct. It emphasizes the need to promote integrated pest management (IPM) that balances the impacts of the chemicals in terms of their efficiency and environmental sustainability.