The customary use of chemical pesticides in Nigeria has sparked worries about pest resistance, environmental harm, and hazards to human health. In light of this, integrated pest management, or IPM, is becoming a viable, efficient, and eco-friendly method of controlling pests in Nigerian agriculture.

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

Integrated pest management is a comprehensive approach that minimises damage to the environment, people, and beneficial creatures by combining several pest control techniques to keep pest populations under control. IPM incorporates cultural, biological, mechanical, and chemical strategies based on meticulous monitoring and knowledge of insect ecology, in contrast to conventional pest management, which frequently relies only on chemical pesticides.

Integrated Pest Management Principles

• Pests should be regularly observed and identified to ascertain whether and when control is required.
• Lowering the establishment and reproduction of pests by preventive cultural techniques.

• Using biological control methods like parasites, microbial pesticides, or natural predators.
• Selecting less hazardous and selective alternatives, and using chemical pesticides sparingly and only as a last resort.
• Teaching and including farmers in planning for pest management and decision-making

Chemical insecticide abuse and overuse in Nigeria have contaminated the environment, destroyed beneficial insects, and created health risks. According to studies, millions of tonnes of chemical pesticides are used yearly, frequently without proper safety precautions, polluting water and food supplies.  IPM programmes use comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment to manage pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. 

Additionally, IPM has proven to be very beneficial in raising agricultural yields and lowering production costs. For instance, rice farmers in northern Nigeria who used IPM tactics to combat the rice stem borer pest reported increased yields and less need for chemicals, positively affecting the environment and the economy.

Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Nigerian Farmers

1. Cultural Control

The farming environment is altered by cultural practices to make it less pest-friendly. Typical procedures consist of:

• Crop rotation: Switching up crops interrupts the life cycles of pests and lessens their accumulation.
• Intercropping: Planting various crops together might draw beneficial insects and confound pests.
• Appropriate Field Sanitation and Irrigation: Reducing agricultural wastes and preventing waterlogging minimises pest breeding grounds.
• Pruning and Removing Infected Plant Leaves is particularly helpful in preventing the spread of pests in perennial crops like cocoa.

2. Biological Control

Natural enemies of pests are used in biological control to manage their populations. This comprises:

• Predatory Insects: introducing or protecting pest-eating predators like spiders and ants.
• Microbial Insecticides: Using microorganisms that infect pests with diseases but are safe for people and other animals, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes, is known as microbial insecticides. As environmentally friendly substitutes for chemicals, these bio-insecticides are becoming more and more popular.
• Resistant Varieties:  Planting crops resistant to pests lessens the likelihood of infestations.
  

3. Mechanical and Physical Control

These methods involve direct removal or exclusion of pests:

• Handpicking: Effective for larger pests or localised infestations.
• Light Traps and Barriers: Used to attract or block pests, reducing their impact without chemicals
  

4. Chemical Control (As a Last Resort)

When pest populations exceed economic thresholds and other methods are insufficient, selective and approved pesticides can be used carefully. IPM emphasises:

• Using chemicals that are less toxic to non-target organisms.
• Applying pesticides at the right time and dose maximises effectiveness and minimises resistance.
• Avoiding banned or highly hazardous substances, in line with Nigerian regulations and international standards

How IPM has Helped Improve the Farming Space in Nigeria

• Rice Farming: Farmers combating the rice stem borer combined resistant varieties, natural predators, mechanical controls like handpicking, and reduced chemical use. This integrated approach led to increased yields and cost savings.
• Cocoa Farmers: Cocoa farmers managed the cocoa mirid bug through pruning, biological controls with predatory ants, and neem-based insecticides. Training programmes were key to adoption, resulting in healthier crops and less pesticide reliance.
• Vegetable Production: Intercropping vegetables such as okra and tomatoes with the application of aqueous extracts from Azadirachta indica (neem) and Piper guineense seeds under good sanitation has effectively controlled pests like aphids and fruit flies

Constraints on IPM in Nigeria

Despite its benefits, IPM adoption in Nigeria faces constraints such as inadequate finance, limited technical knowledge, insufficient information dissemination, and high input costs. To overcome these barriers:

• Agricultural development programmes should intensify extension campaigns targeting small-scale farmers.
• Financial institutions must provide accessible loans and credit facilities to support IPM inputs.
• Research institutions and government agencies must collaborate to develop location-specific IPM packages and training.
• Policies should promote safe pesticide use and support biological control innovations.

An innovative strategy for Nigerian agriculture, integrated pest management, strikes a balance between human health protection, environmental care, and efficient pest control. IPM allows farmers to preserve their crops sustainably, boost yields, and cut expenses by combining cultural, biological, mechanical, and chemical techniques. 

IPM can ensure Nigeria’s food future, as seen by the increasing success stories, and has the potential to become the mainstay of pest management, nationally, with more knowledge, training, and supportive legislation, promoting a more solid and productive agricultural industry.