Developing IPM for shallots in East Java

Client: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Project delivery period: 2015-2016

In this project Paul Horne and Jessica Page worked with Indonesian shallot farmers to demonstrate how an IPM approach can give better control of the key pest Spodoptera exigua (beet armyworm) than the current control measures based on insecticides. An extremely high number of pesticides were being applied to crops (several being tank-mixed and sprayed every 2 – 3 days) but with little success due to insecticide resistance.  The IPM approach was highly successful and reduced insecticide use by about 90% in the first demonstration and with an increased or equal yield.

This project was conducted in several locations in East Java, near Probolinggo and Pare and was funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via the aid project PRISMA.