Use of applied entomology and social science to advance high-value fruit production in rural Colombia

Throughout the developing world, minor tropical fruits sustain local livelihoods and constitute the basis for an emerging agro-industry. In Colombia, several passionfruit crops (Passiflora sp.) are commercially exploited, and principally grown by small-scale, resource-poor farmers. Lance flies (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) are key pests of Passiflora crops and are thought to cause vast yield losses, but little information exists regarding their biology, ecology and management. Additionally, local farmers are commonly bypassed in government-run extension programs. An ongoing research program focuses on both social as ecological aspects of lance fly pest management. First, field surveys in the major Passiflora production regions shed light on lance fly species composition, population dynamics and geographical infestation patterns. A broad complex of lance fly species was associated with either Passiflora crop, affecting flower buds, flowers or fruits, and attaining regional infestation levels up to 40%. Next, a national farmer survey permitted gaining valuable information on folk knowledge and locally-invented management practices. Aside from an almost universal use of calendar-based insecticide sprays, local farmers experimented to high extent with baited traps and low-cost bait types. Few farmers also invented toxic bait sprays and sanitary practices. In a final phase of the project, local innovations were compared with scientifically-defined management tools through participatory research. In various smallholder communities, scientists teamed up with farmers to validate a select set of practices under their specific farming conditions. This approach could help identify and diffuse low-cost, locality-specific pest management tactics amongst small-scale farmers who operate in marginal environments of the tropics.