Greenhouse growers’ willingness to adopt integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) strategies in Lebanon

Lebanon has one of the highest native bee species densities in the Europe and Mediterranean region. However, rapid urbanization and intensive agriculture threaten these insect pollinators through habitat loss and harmful insecticides. Integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) addresses these challenges by balancing pest control with pollinator protection, reducing pesticide exposure, and enhancing pollinator habitats to mitigate trade-offs between pest management and pollination services. To assess coastal Mediterranean greenhouse growers’ preferences for IPPM strategies, we conducted a discrete choice experiment targeting pollinator-dependent crops. Growers evaluated IPPM strategies based on four key attributes: reduced insecticide sprays under a threshold-based program, purchasing bumblebees, planting habitat for wild pollinators, and the associated cost per greenhouse per season. Results show that 80% of respondents were serial status quo (SQ) choosers, preferring current practices, with many already employing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies such as scouting (91%) rotating crops (79%) and using pesticides with different modes of action (72%). None of them use managed pollinators and only 13% believe that habitat for wild pollinators can increase their chosen crop’s yields. Among the 20% open to change (non-status-quo), there was a willingness to adopt threshold-based spraying that results in a reduction of the number of sprays by at least 25% and up to 50%. Growers with higher agricultural income dependence in this group were less likely to adopt threshold-based spraying but expressed a willingness to invest in habitat for wild pollinators. While interest in managed bumblebee pollinators was limited, those valuing wild pollination showed openness to financial incentives for adopting this strategy.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural & Applied Econ

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Senhaji, Shaymae

Contributors dc:contributor

• Atallah, Shadi
• Athey, Kacie
• Chalak, Ali
• Michelson, Hope

• Ippm
• Ipm
• Lebanon

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Shaymae Senhaji

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127213

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127213