Diagnosis of phytosanitary problems in ecologically based agriculture in the Federal District and surrounding area

Abstract

This project identifies the main phytosanitary problems faced by family farmers in the Federal
District. Farmers range in their production practices from conventional to agroecological and
organic, including some who are in the process of agroecological transition. The phytosanitary
diagnosis was conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire based on Rapid Rural Diagnosis
(DRR) techniques in a participatory process involving farmers and technicians. The main
phytosanitary problems were identified for the most relevant and related crops. In addition,
the most frequent solutions used by farmers for each indicated phytosanitary problem were
identified. The same questionnaire was applied to the rural extension technicians and technical
assistance of EMATER-DF. This aimed to evaluate whether the perception of the problems
and the forms of control cited by different actors are convergent, or whether there is a need for
improved communication to facilitate agriculture defense in the region. From the questionnaire
it was possible to identify some local needs such as pest identification training for farmers and standardization of common pest names to promote the dissemination of appropriate and correct
methods of management.