progress in improving water management at the farm 

 level; support stronger programs by the Food and 

 Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO) in this 

 field; and encourage international collaboration among 

 organizations working on research and technology 

 transfer in this field. In this area, as in many 

 others, judicious use of relatively small assistance 

 funds for communication functions or common services 

 could catalyze much larger programs financed out of the 

 budgets of participating organizations to advance their 

 own program interests. 



3. Plant and Animal Protection 



Fewer than 100 species of plants and animals 

 provide more than 95 percent of the world's food 

 supply. But their productivity, quality, and 

 performance are threatened by more than 25,000 species 

 of bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, insects, 

 rodents, birds, and weeds. 



Intensive research in the United states and other 

 countries has identified many of these pests and has 

 led to the development of several types of control 

 technologies, including: breeding of pest-resistant 

 crop cultivars and livestock strains; biological 

 control through parasites or disease organisms that 

 prey on specific pests; safer, more efficient chemical 

 pesticides and application methods; production and 

 harvesting techniques that minimize pest damage; animal 

 inoculations, vaccines, and pesticide dips; and 

 prevention, through better sanitation and more 

 nutritious animal feeds. Integrated pest management 

 combines the most advantageous of these practices for a 

 specific situation. 



Possibly no other area of technical assistance has 

 been as favorably received by farmers and herdsmen in 

 developing countries as has protecting crops and 

 livestock from harmful pests. However, excessive use 

 of long-lived or inappropriate pesticides has sometimes 

 resulted in injury to farm workers, evolution of 

 insecticide-resistant pests, reduced yields, and 

 contamination of nearby food crops and animals. 

 Further, in some areas the ecological balance has been 

 upset, so that previously minor insects have become 

 primary pests. 



New pest control practices and new chemicals, 

 equipment, and application procedures are continually 

 evolving from agricultural research centers and 

 industrial laboratories. These research results need 

 to be adapted to varying local conditions and used more 

 effectively in practice. Thus we recommend that the 

 United states offer to collaborate with interested 



