Integrated pest control adopted by soybean and corn farmers in Londrina, Paraná state, Brazil

Abstract

The metropolitan area of Londrina has the presence of strong agribusiness and agroservices and it is an important center for agricultural production, especially soybean and corn. We evaluated the technical aspects and characteristics of farming and crop handling by the producers of soybean and corn, through a semi-structured questionnaire. Two hundred and forty responses were recorded: 120 from soybean farmers and 120 from corn farmers, which represented 10% of the farmers in the city of Londrina. Farmers reported that bedbugs and caterpillars are the main pests. Farmers use organo-synthetic insecticides as the primary means to control pests, but also employ crop-growing measures such as tillage, crop rotation, and the use of transgenic seeds in the management of insect pests affecting soybean and corn.