Insecticide use in cabbage pest management in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

This study investigated Cameron Highlands cabbage farmers' knowledge and practice of pest management, particularly the use of pesticides against Plutella xylostella. A survey of 99 cabbage farmers was conducted in five different zones in the Cameron Highlands. This survey and others conducted by previous researchers showed little change in farming systems over the past decade. P. xylostella remains the major pest in cabbage and more than 90% of farmers use pesticides for control. There are 11 types of insecticides used to control this pest and each farmer usually uses 3-4 types of insecticide to control the pest over a season. Both high and low toxicity pesticides are commonly used. There is a significant difference in pesticide spray frequency during wet and dry seasons, with more frequent sprays during the wet season. The study also revealed that more than 50% of farmers observe 10-14 day pre-harvest intervals, while 4% observe a pre-harvest interval of only 1-4 days. Wholesale markets still play an important role in marketing of fresh produce despite the increasing role of supermarkets in the food chain. Current regulations on pesticide residue monitoring were only applied at the farm gate and any penalties are directed at the growers. The origin of fresh produce could only be traced up to the wholesaler. Therefore, it is less effective to impose pesticide monitoring at the retailer level, as the origin of the produce could not be traced, nor could feedback to producers be achieved. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.