There are various approaches for pest management that do not require chemical controls like pesticides for removing infestation from crops. You should focus on preventing the initial infestation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses an approach known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that avoid the using of chemicals for controlling agricultural pests and uses natural methods for dealing with pests that are environmental friendly and do not harm humans, other animals. The usage of IPM in agricultural practices leads to decrease in the number of pests without sacrificing crop quality or causing any harm to the environment.
You should use various cultural controls in your planting methods. It involves checking of the plant for any infestation or removal of pests before introducing new plants into your garden. You should use plant crops that have lesser pest problems and also plant crops near other plants that can prevent any damage done by pests. You should plant crops during a season when potential pest populations exist in low numbers. You should consider changing the environment of your garden or field in order to avoid the pests. It involves pest barriers such as plant covers, reflective mulches and sticky tape.
You should also rotate your crops as planting the same type of crop in the same place increases the probability of pest infestation. Ideally, you should wait for few years before planting the same crop in the same place. You should determine the type of pest with which we are involved and what level of infestation control required by it. There are many useful pests that are not harmful to agricultural products and actually benefit the crop by destroying other destructive pests. You need to watch the crop growth closely and introduce the natural enemy of the harmful pest into the environment for eliminating the problem.
Related posts: