How crops are protected from insects without using chemicals and natural alternatives to the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides?
The use of regenerative organic systems can give agricultural production in quantitiy and quality without dependence on synthetic fertilizers or the use of pesticides.
This has been demonstrated scientificanly at the Rodale Institute in the more than 40 year long term field trial known as the Farming Systems Trial.
When comparing 2 biologically based system which are organic to the standard agrichemical input system which is based on Pennsylvania State University recommendation yield of the organic systems were not diffenent overally after a 3 year transtion to organic systme practices.
Because the organic systems increased soil quality in terms of organic matter the organic systems were significantly higher in drought years. The droughts in Pennsylvania are foudn about 1 in every 4 years.
The biologically based organic systems are based on use of legumes cover cropping rotations and use of organic amendment.
Cover crops are very effective in managing weeds and pests as well as strategic weeding by cultivation.
A cover crop roller has been shown for effectiveness in the formation of weed suppressive and conservative mulching.
The use of vegetable oils and soaps can be employed to address many key insect pests.
Crop rotation is an efficient way of preventing pests from getting used to the types of plants that are being cultivated. Intercropping involves simultaneous cultivation of two or more crops on the same field. Organic farming is a practice of the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals without the use of any synthetic farm inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides, but by the use of traditional inputs such as green manure, compost manure, crop rotation, and other cultural practices to eliminate pest and manage diseases. In agricultural crops, crop rotation, selection of crop plant varieties, timing of planting and harvesting, irrigation management, crop rotation, and use of trap crops help reduce populations of weeds, microorganisms, insects, mites, and other pests. Plants need many different elements for their growth. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are available from air and water. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and sodium are also needed for plant growth. Pepper spray like garlic spray is a great natural repellent. Pepper spray can be either prepared using fresh chillies or pepper powder. To prepare the spray using powder, mix two tablespoons of pepper powder with 100 ml of water and one tablespoon of a liquid soap. Stir well and spray on the infected areas. Grass clippings, black and white newspapers, leftover vegetable scraps from the kitchen, wood chips, and some certain kinds of manure work great in a compost pile. Safe kinds of manure to use are those that came from vegetarian animals, such as horses, cows, rabbits, hamsters, mice and gerbils. Plant-derived substances such as corn gluten, black pepper, and garlic compounds can be used as biopesticides to control insects. Compared to conventional chemical pesticides, biopesticides tend to pose fewer safety risks, can be effective in small quantities, and degrade quickly. There are three basic practices to reduce synthetic fertilizer use to consider: perennial pasture and crops, cover crops in rotation for annual crops, and good grazing management for livestock producers. These practices build soil carbon, which is the key to fostering soil health and plant fertility. Substitute non-resistant plants with pest-resistant ones. Reduce the need for pesticides by using substitutes such as biological control of insects or natural predators which are harmless to the crop. In cases of limited pest infestation, traps or manual removal could substitute for pesticides.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Phytochemistry
- Extracts