When Crop Pests Attack, Chemical Pesticides Are Not the Only Answer

By Abdirahman Abdillahi Ibrahim

Agriculture is one of the foundations of livelihoods and food security across Somaliland. Yet farmers face a persistent and often underestimated threat: insects, plant diseases, invasive weeds, rodents and other organisms that can damage crops before they reach the market.

The challenge is not confined to one crop or one farming area. Sorghum, maize and pearl millet can be affected by insect pests and plant diseases, while vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, melons and cabbage face a wide range of biological threats. Fruit crops, legumes and fodder plants also have their own pest and disease pressures.

For farmers already dealing with uncertain rainfall, water shortages and difficult production conditions, losing a significant portion of a harvest to pests can have serious consequences for household incomes and food supplies.

A changing agricultural environment

Climate variability can influence when and where agricultural pests and diseases occur. Changes in temperature, rainfall and humidity can affect insect populations, plant pathogens and the development and spread of diseases.

This can make crop protection more difficult. Pests and diseases may appear at different times or under conditions that farmers are not accustomed to.

Yet one of the challenges facing crop protection is the limited availability of reliable, systematic information about the distribution, severity and economic impact of many agricultural pests and plant diseases.

Without good field information, farmers, extension workers and policymakers may be forced to respond to outbreaks after substantial damage has already occurred.

The pesticide dilemma

When farmers see insects destroying their crops or disease spreading across a field, pesticides can appear to be the quickest solution. Chemical pesticides can indeed be valuable agricultural tools when the correct product is selected and used according to its label and professional guidance.

The problem arises when pesticides are used without adequate knowledge or advice.

Farmers may not always know the active ingredient in a product, the appropriate application rate, the protective equipment required or how long they should wait between spraying and harvesting.

The consequences can extend beyond the farm.

Repeated use of the same pesticide can contribute to resistance, making some pests more difficult to control. Broad-spectrum pesticides can also kill beneficial insects and other organisms that help regulate pest populations.

Pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests are particularly important to agricultural ecosystems. Reducing their populations can weaken natural biological control and, in some circumstances, increase dependence on chemical treatments.

What happens to food after spraying?

Food safety is another important consideration.

Fresh vegetables are often harvested and sold quickly. If a pesticide is applied too close to harvest, residues may remain on produce.

This is why pesticides have specified pre-harvest intervals—the minimum period that should pass between application and harvest for a particular pesticide and crop.

Following the product label and observing the appropriate waiting period are therefore not merely technical recommendations. They are important safeguards for consumers.

But compliance cannot simply be assumed. Farmers need clear information, properly labelled products and accessible technical advice.

Agro-dealers have an important role

In many farming communities, agricultural input sellers are an important source of information. This makes the quality of advice available at points of sale particularly important.

Farmers should be able to obtain properly labelled and legally approved products, together with accurate information about dosage, application methods, protective measures and harvesting intervals.

There is also a need for greater awareness of counterfeit, mislabelled or improperly stored agricultural chemicals.

Improving pesticide management is therefore not simply a matter of telling farmers to “use less pesticide.” It requires a safer, better-informed agricultural supply chain in which farmers, agro-dealers, extension workers and authorities understand their respective responsibilities.

A better approach: Integrated Pest Management

The alternative to excessive pesticide use is not to leave farmers defenceless against pests.

A more sustainable approach is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)—a strategy that combines different methods to prevent and control crop damage.

Depending on the crop, pest and local conditions, IPM can include resistant varieties, crop rotation, field sanitation, appropriate planting dates, mechanical control, conservation of natural enemies, biological control and carefully targeted pesticide applications when necessary.

The principle is straightforward: pesticides should not automatically be the first response when another effective and practical option is available.

But IPM must be adapted to local farming conditions. A recommendation developed for another country, crop or climate cannot automatically be assumed to work in Somaliland.

That requires reliable local evidence about which pests and diseases occur, where they occur, when they appear, how severe the damage is and which control measures are effective.

The missing piece is evidence

A stronger crop-protection system begins with surveillance.

Regular field observations can help identify emerging pests and diseases before they become widespread. Laboratory diagnosis can help distinguish diseases that may appear similar in the field. Yield-loss assessments can reveal which pests and diseases cause the greatest economic damage.

Information about pesticide use is equally important.

Understanding what products farmers are using, how they are applying them and whether recommended safety practices are being followed can help identify where training, extension and regulatory measures are most urgently needed.

Mapping pest and disease occurrence can also help identify areas where outbreaks are concentrated and investigate whether environmental conditions are associated with their spread.

Such information would give farmers and agricultural authorities something more valuable than guesswork: evidence on which to base crop-protection decisions.

Protecting crops without creating new problems

Somaliland cannot afford to lose crops to preventable pests and diseases. But it also cannot solve agricultural problems simply by increasing chemical use.

The long-term answer lies in combining scientific knowledge, farmer experience, responsible pesticide use and practical non-chemical control measures.

Farmers need better access to reliable agricultural information. Consumers need confidence that food reaching markets has been produced and handled safely. Agricultural advisers need evidence on which to base their recommendations. Authorities need credible information to strengthen plant-health systems and pesticide governance.

The goal should not be pesticide-free agriculture at any cost. Nor should it be unrestricted chemical use.

The goal should be an agricultural system in which pesticides are used when justified, correctly applied and safely managed, while biological, cultural, mechanical and preventive measures do as much of the work as possible.

For a region facing climate uncertainty and persistent food-security challenges, protecting every harvest matters. But how crops are protected matters too.

The future of agricultural productivity depends not only on producing more food, but also on building a crop-protection system that protects farmers, consumers, beneficial organisms and the environment.