A study was conducted in three municipalities in Laguna, namely Sta. Cruz, Liliw, and Nagcarlan representing the low, medium and high elevation, respectively. The selected sites are within the Sta. Cruz watershed. These areas are prone to different hazards brought about by extreme climatic events. It aims to assess the pest incidence and infestation rates on crops and its effect on crop productivity. It also evaluated farmers’ pest management practices as they relate to the issue on food security of farm households.
Adaptations of farmers included change in crop, crop type, and cropping system. High-yields, acceptability to market, resilience to extremes of environment, and tolerance to pests were crop characteristics given utmost consideration by growers. In many instances, pest incidence and infestation rates increased in vegetables and other annual and perennial crops. Coconut scale insect, a recent pest, is now being addressed. Use of pesticides against insect pests and to mitigate the incidence of plant diseases are very common. Sometimes herbicides replaced manual weeding. Rats are being controlled by acute or chronic baiting.
Many farmers lack the knowledge on the nature of the pests and the proper use of pesticides. Nonetheless, farmers’ agricultural changes were, somehow, successful and were being done to attain food security to sustain household survival.
