AHP-Driven Decision Framework for Integrated Management of Parahypopta caestrum in Asparagus officinalis cultivation

This paper examines the sustainability issues related to integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to combat the asparagus moth, Parahypopta caestrum [Hübner], a growing threat to asparagus cultivation in a leading production area located in the province of Foggia, Italy. P. caestrum inflicts severe damage by boring into roots and stems, particularly during the first 2-3 years post-transplanting, leading to yield reduction and long-term economic losses. Its cryptic behaviour, endophytic larval development, and the imperative to phase out chemical insecticides to mitigate the environmental footprint of agricultural practices pose significant management challenges. This study evaluates the environmental and economic sustainability of three IPM strategies: (1) mass trapping, (2) biological control, and (3) soil tillage. A two-step methodology is proposed. First, a sustainability analysis, conducted via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), is adopted to assess science-based indicators; secondly, an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach is employed to capture the preferences of key stakeholders (i.e., farmers, consultants, academics, and public authorities). The findings, derived from the final ranking of the three options, identify biological control (2) as the most preferred strategy (AHP weight of 0.458), followed by mass trapping (1) (weight 0.332) and soil tillage (3) (weight 0.209). Although this study must still be considered exploratory and limited to the specific context in which the experimentation was conducted, the results can contribute to policy debate regarding the social acceptability of large-scale intervention policies.