Natural Enemies Role in Cost Reduction: An Analysis of Rice Cultivation in Kerala, India

Kerala, the state with the highest human development indices, is always concerned about its citizens' health. People's rising knowledge of the adverse effects of chemical inputs on agriculture has resulted in the development of eco-friendly agricultural techniques like organic farming. However, how natural enemies support pest control services in organic farming remains to be discovered at different scales and in diverse landscape contexts. The present study examined the natural enemy population in Kerala's paddy cultivation under conventional and organic systems. The reduction in the cost of cultivation in organic farming was primarily due to reduced labour charges due to the avoidance of pesticides and fertiliser application. Even though the effect of natural predators on organic farming was found to be, the farmers were unaware of the importance of natural enemies. Thus, the study highlighted the significance of organising more awareness programmes, especially the on-farm ones.