In the face of dual challenges of sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation, the knowledge gaps of farmers about biodiversity, pests, and their natural enemies can become a crucial barrier to adopting sustainable land management practices. The study aimed to assess farmers' knowledge and understanding of crop pest and natural enemy diversity and their impacts, and whether the adoption of Climate-Smart or Conservation Agriculture (CSA here onwards) was associated with this knowledge. We conducted questionnaire-based interviews and showed biodiversity images, including crop pests and beneficial insects, to understand farmers' knowledge of biodiversity on their farms. A comparison was drawn between farmers practising CSA and non-CSA farmers to understand the role of CSA in enhancing biodiversity knowledge. Farmers facing greater yield losses were aware of pests, but they were less knowledgeable about their natural enemies, and they used fewer conservation management practices. CSA farmers, however, showed more biodiversity knowledge, especially of natural enemies, and they employed a wider range of CS management practices. Farmers’ age, experience, education, and training were positively correlated with biodiversity knowledge, leading to better natural enemy conservation and pest management practices. The findings underscore the need for biodiversity-focused capacity building in sustainable agricultural programs, targeting less knowledgeable farming groups. It emphasises the crucial role of farmers' knowledge in developing sustainable and biodiversity-friendly food production systems.

中文翻译：

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农民的生物多样性知识改善了农业生态系统中的天敌保护


面对可持续粮食生产和生物多样性保护的双重挑战，农民对生物多样性、害虫及其天敌的知识差距可能成为采用可持续土地管理做法的关键障碍。该研究旨在评估农民对作物害虫和天敌多样性及其影响的知识和理解，以及采用气候智能型或保护性农业（CSA）是否与这些知识相关。我们进行了问卷调查，并展示了生物多样性图像，包括农作物害虫和有益昆虫，以了解农民对农场生物多样性的了解。对实行 CSA 的农民和非 CSA 农民进行了比较，以了解 CSA 在增强生物多样性知识方面的作用。面临更大产量损失的农民了解害虫，但他们对其天敌了解较少，并且使用的保护管理措施较少。然而，CSA 农民表现出了更多的生物多样性知识，尤其是天敌知识，并且他们采用了更广泛的 CS 管理实践。农民的年龄、经验、教育和培训与生物多样性知识呈正相关，从而导致更好的天敌保护和害虫管理实践。研究结果强调，可持续农业计划中需要针对知识较少的农业群体进行以生物多样性为重点的能力建设。它强调农民知识在发展可持续和生物多样性友好型粮食生产系统方面的关键作用。