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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
[[Image:mulching.jpg|A double dug bed is planted and then mulched. This aids healthy plant growth, and reduces risk from pests|thumb|left]]


Control of pests and diseases is vital in farming to improve yields and the quality of the final output. This page shows methods of reducing pests and diseases.
Control of pests and diseases is vital in farming to improve yields and the quality of the final output. This page shows methods of reducing pests and diseases.

Revision as of 01:07, 25 February 2007

Introduction

A double dug bed is planted and then mulched. This aids healthy plant growth, and reduces risk from pests

Control of pests and diseases is vital in farming to improve yields and the quality of the final output. This page shows methods of reducing pests and diseases.

This section has particular focus on how farmers can control pests and diseases using organic methods and locally available resources. These methods are particularly useful in the developing world context, where resources can be scarce

Healthy growth & prevention

Method Notes Examples/Links
Clean planting materials Disease and pests in the soil can be spread more quickly through the use of unclean tools. Farmers should ensure that they clean their tools when moving between areas of the farm
Fertilisers Fertilisers can promote the growth of plants, making them less likely to be attacked by pests particularly when they are young.

However fertilisers can be expensive, and their chemical makeup can reduce the quality of soil and the build up of chemicals.

Organic fertilisers (Other manures) and composting can be an effective alternative to chemical fertilisers
Pesticides/ Insecticides Pesticides are sprayed to kill or repel particular pests

Spraying pesticides is expensive for a poor farmer, and can often be often ineffective.

Repeated spraying can reduce the quality and build up of chemicals in the soil

Crop rotation Crop rotation is a vital in controlling the build up of pest and diseases. Soil remains higher quality and pests of a particular vegetable or plant will not be allowed more than one year to breed and thrive
  • See W
Weeding Pests can be attracted to a vegetable patch which is rich in weeds.

Weeding results in young plants not having to fight so much for soil nutrients, water and space. They grow more quickly, and hence are less likely to be attacked by pests when they are young and weaker.

Ploughing
Mulching Mulching can be used in a number of ways to reduce pests. By mulching a soil it stays more healthy and does not dry, allowing healthy growth of plants

Plants which overhang close to the ground can be easily attacked by ground dwelling animals such as caterpillars, or decompose through contract with the soil

  • Mulching with tomatoes, reduces the risk of blight and moulds (which come through contact with damp ground)
Fallowing Fallowing gives an area of poor soil, or a diseased area of soil time to recover by leaving it empty. It is often used as part of a crop rotation. This can result in reduction of a pest and/or improvements of the soil

However fallowing can also cause problems, particularly where a field is left exposed to the elements. The sun and rain in combination can dry the soil and wash away the nurients. An alternative to fallow is to plant nitrogenous rich legumes in a soil as part of W

Intercropping Intercropping is where two or more varieties of plant are grown close to each other. This allows a greater density of plants, which can each take up different nutrients from a well kept soil.

Sometimes intercropping occurs when different varieties are planted in alternating rows. But true intercropping can also, be a lot more chotic with fields resembling weed beds, due to the growth of multiple varieties of crop.

Intercropping a pungent crop or a brightly coloured one can repel pests, sometimes intercroppping certain plants can be used as "bait" attracting a pest away from the vegetable that is being grown

See Intercropping

Closed seasons Closed seasons mean that crops are left to grow for a specific season and are not left in the field outside that time. In non closed seasons, particularly when crops are left all years, pests will have more time to breed and gaincontrol of the plants
Clean seeds/plants Cleaning seeds can reduce the pests that are present.Cheap seeds and plants that smallholders and farmers buy or use can be of poor quality. By cleaning before planting risk of disease can be reduced
Paring cuttig of disease parts, dirt or unused roots of a plant before transferring them can remove pests and diseases
  • When planting bananas, the plant is soaked and pared before plating. See Banana

Controlling of pests & diseases

Method Notes Examples/Links
Biological control/Predators For crops that are being attacked by a particular pests, using a preditor can reduce the population of the pest
  • Farmers in Uganda who are taught organic farming are often advised to regularly herd their hens through their vegetable patch. The hens will eats preditors such as small worms and insects, reducing risk to plants
Green leaves which are toxic Some green leaves can be toxic to smaller insects who prey on crops. By placing these at the edge of the crops, or within, the pests can be destroyed
Traps Traps can be laid to reduce numbers of pests.
Destroy pest lifecycles With knowledge of the lifecycle and habits of the pest, a farmer can reduce a pests population by interupting the lifecyle, for example destroying eggs, removing nests. Cane borers in raspberry plantings are controlled by simply pruning off the top 8 inches or so, or slightly below where the Cane Borer is living, and burning these prunings. Borers are easily spotted, because they make the top of the cane wilt.
Scarecrows Birds and insects that feed on plants can be scared away by scarecrows. These can be human like figures, shiny objects or bright colours that scare animals away from a vegetable area.
Wood ash Has been known to be sucessfully used in Uganda around the edge of vegetable areas to reduce pests. It is presumed that this materials is avoided by insects and small rodents
Live fence/Trap crops Around the edge of vegetable patches or fields, a live fence can be used:
  • To prevent animals and/or insects getting near to a crop by providing a barrier to larger pests
  • Repel pests away from cropping area or field
  • Attract pests away from cropping area or field

Typical live fences are made from plants that are:

  • Quick growing
  • Thorny, multipurpose
  • Produce dense foliage
  • Flowers to draw attention of pest or repel them
  • See Perimeter Crop Protection - Using Trap Crops in New England, US
  • Coppince (aka W) - Quick growing plant that can be used for live fences
  • W
  • W cotton variety - When planted around the edges of cotton fields it can deter pests who would pefer to feed on the hibiscus
  • W - When planted around maize it attracts the birds away from eating the maize
Organic pesticides Organic pesticides are made by using locally available plants to produce a pesticide that will repel pests
Burning

Other methods

Method Notes Examples/Links
Removing/Killing diseased animals/Quarantine Within farmed animals. The first precaution should be to seperate ill, or diseased animals from others, so as to reduce the risk of diseases spreading
Vaccination Vaccinnation can greatly reduces the risk of disease that animals are susceptible to.

In developing countries for small holders and farmers it can be probitively expensive

Pest resistant crops By selecting or buying certain varities of seed which have been engineered to be more robust to pests, extreme weath, or qulity of soil (either by making hybrids or GM)

These seeds can be out of the budget range of a smallholder or rural developing farmer.

Cross mating Cross mating of plant varieties, can allow a farmer to produce more resistant crops to pests and diseases
Improved storage and management Pest such as rodents or dampness can ruin crops which are being kept on storage


See also

Pest control is closely related to healthy growth. Using composting methods and in particular, strong organic fertilisers such as plant tea with young plants can improve strength and resistance to pests

External links

http://attra.ncat.org/pest.html - Pest Managemnet Website from National Sustainable Agriculture information Service (ATTRA) http://www.sare.org/publications/insect.htm - Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies - PDF book http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~nroe/ekind/ekindpm1.htm - Integrated Pest Management for gardeners - Slides with images of common problems

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