It might seem counterintuitive , but spraying to eliminate garden pests can do more scathe than good . That ’s why many constitutive or chemical - costless farmer opt to use integrated pest - management technique when dealing with their pestilence problem . Daniel Parson , manager of Emory University ’s Oxford Farm in Atlanta , is one such granger . He likes to think of it asecologicalpest management . An constitutive Fannie Merritt Farmer since 1999 , his pest - management strategy has keep his farm ’s bad - hemipterous insect universe at a level he can last with , mostly without the consumption of spray . weigh these five reasons why you should back away from the spray .
1. Spraying Hurts Beneficials
By spraying at the first sign of garden - pest plague , you might knock out the pests , but you ’re also give predator bugs — good bugs — zero hazard at swoop in and make unnecessary the day . The unfortunate thing about organic pesticide is that they ’re still pesticides . They still spoil and finally kill bugs — many of them affecting all bugs , include the ones we ’d like to keep around . Here are a few examples of organic pesticides that can go awry :
2. Biodiversity Is More Effective
A large belt of crop monoculture gives plant plague an open field to devour as they please . A diverse planting and companion planting , on the other hand , break up the works - pest buffet and attract athirst good bugs , keeping your insect universe in a more lifelike balance .
3. Crop Rotation Works
Crop gyration — moving flora families around your acquire area time of year to season — not only reduces insect - pest equipment casualty , it promotes land wellness and decrease risk of plant disease . It ’s an effective pesterer - management putz because insects emerge from their wintertime slumber in the filth to retrieve the toothsome crop they remember from last yr gone . ( “ Hey , guys , did n’t we impart the kale properly here in December ? ” take the harlequin microbe . ) In one craw family ’s plaza is another crop family , not most as inviting to these insects .
4. All Bugs Have a Garden Role
You should learn to distinguish garden hemipteron and empathize how they fit into the surroundings . Parson encourages you to get out a magnifying glass when you have an aphid infestation — you should also see syrphid tent-fly ( aka hoverfly ) larvae just about ready to feed on the aphids . While your focus is often on the plague eat your harvest , beneficial louse are often stand on the sidelines , ready to swoop .
“ The rule of thumb with beneficials is the smaller it is , the respectable it ’s doing for you , ” Parson says . He uses the praying mantis as an example . This is a great bug feeder , but it eats all bugs , include the beneficial glitch .
Additionally , some good bug look like spoiled bug — predatory foetor bugs , for exercise , eat on pest insect , though they look standardized tobrown marmorated stink bug , which eat plants . With good microbe being potentially unmanageable to spot , you have another understanding to rely less on pest spray and more on beneficial - support method .
5. Organics Requires a Holistic Approach
If your farm is licence organic or you ’re considering it , you have to outline your pest - management scheme in your Organic System Plan . This take to admit a comprehensive program for divvy up with damaging insects . Spraying can be a part of it , but you require to show you have other pest - direction tools in position , as well .
“ Beneficials will not take care of a severe trouble , ” Parson says , so spraying can become a last recourse , but with a stove of bionomical pest - management techniques in position , you might not need to .
