Vietnam has been ranked as one of the most important country in the production of in the world since 2000. To achieve high productivity, most growers rely on pesticides and chemical fertilizers, leading to increased costs, the health of farmers problems, insect resistance, environmental pollution and reduction of natural enemies and pollinators. To do produce safe, sustainable and profit, an improvement of the integrated program (ICI) is necessa | Integrated Cashew Improvement Program Using Weaver Ants As A Major Component Photo Book for Cashew Growers in Vietnam Renkang Peng Keith Christian La Pham Lan and Nguyen Thanh Binh Charles Darwin University and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam October 2008 Preface Background of the integrated cashew improvement project Vietnam has been ranked as one of the most important countries in cashew production in the world since 2000. To achieve high yield most growers heavily rely on pesticides and chemical fertilizers resulting in increased costs farmers health problems pest resistance environmental pollution and the reduction of natural enemies and pollinators. In order to make cashew production safe sustainable and profitable an integrated cashew improvement ICI program is needed. In 2005 a project entitled Implementation of the ICI program using weaver ants as a major component for cashew growers in Vietnam was proposed based on the successful ICI programs developed at the Charles Darwin University CDU Australia which uses weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina as a major component together with agricultural farming strategies and environmentally friendly soft chemicals in managing the cashew insect pest complex instead of toxic insecticides. The project has been conducted since 2006 by the project staff in the CDU and the Institute of Agricultural Science IAS for South Vietnam Vietnam. The major objectives of the project were 1 to develop a cashew ICI program curriculum that will work in Vietnamese conditions 2 to conduct Training of Trainers TOT training in ICI program for TOT trainers to conduct Farmer field schools in their local region and 3 to establish demonstration orchards for demonstrating the ICI principles for TOT trainers to observe the advantages of the ICI program compared to conventional farming practice and for collecting data to compile the ICI program. As of July 2008 a total of 112 TOT trainers graduated from the two training centres .
