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Weaver Ant: a natural ecological practice to protect cashew nut plantations
Did you know weaver ants are helpful for pest control? Weaver ants are considered farmers’ friends as they protect crops like cashews from pests. Introducing weaver ants is just one of many techniques used in Agroecological Crop Protection (ACP), which combines the principles of agroecology, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Organic Agriculture, and regenerative agriculture. This natural solution reduces crop damages, improves yields and nut quality, ends the need to spray chemical pesticides, reduces production costs and increase’s farmers profit margins. Moreover, it maintains the health of farmers and the environment while also improve the resilience of farming systems. Watch this video to learn about weaver ant management techniques and the successful experiences of organic cashew farmers in Preah Vihear province.
Weaver ant, a natural ecological practice to protect cashew nut plantations
Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina, Hymenoptera) have been used for more than 2,000 years for the suppression of insect pests in Asian mango and citrus orchards, thus constituting the oldest known example of biological control in agriculture. Yet, in the Mekong Delta, pockets of smallholder farmers are still conserving weaver ant populations and relying upon these beneficial insects to keep pests at bay, especially in cashew plantations. Weaver ants are found naturally in organic plantations but their benefits are often unknown, as far as the possibility of increasing their population as a way to manage insect pests.
Reducing Risks and Diversifying Income with Banana – Coffee – Legumes Multi-cropping
In Xiengkhouang, declining maize yields due to soil depletion combined with rising production costs are pushing smallholder farmers to shift to new crops. Many farmers are turning to banana cultivation. However, banana monoculture is not sustainable and therefore, a more resilient alternative is integrated farming, especially systems that combine bananas, fruit trees, and coffee.
Augmentorium for the management of fruit flies in mango plantations
The augmentorium is a netted structure (tent or cage) used to confine fruits that have been infested by fruit flies. It prevents adult fruit flies from escaping while allowing beneficial parasitoids, which destroy the fruit flies, to get in and out. It is both a waste management tool and a biological control. This technical leaflet presents step by step how to use an augmentarium for managing fruit flies in the mango plantations
