The debate over whether pesticides should be sprayed on a large scale from aircraft to control the red-striped soft scale insect, or RSSI, in Philippine sugarcane fields has intensified in recent months. At first glance, aerial spraying may appear to be a modern and efficient solution to a widespread pest problem. However, a closer examination of the ecological, economic and agronomic conditions shows that the approach is neither logical nor effective. The rainy season naturally causes RSSI populations to decline, while biological control agents are already present and increasing. Chemical intervention also cannot reverse damage in severely infested fields. Redirecting […]...Keep on reading: Why aerial spraying is the wrong answer to sugarcane pest infestations