These management strategies
consist of methods for prevention of attacks by insects, mites and vertebrates
like birds, from reaching damaging levels in organically grown crops.
1. Crop
rotation: Prevents build up of harmful insects and diseases by providing
different plant hosts. It also helps a variety of natural predators to survive
which helps in pests’ control.
2. Nutrient
management: Good nutrient management enables plants to grow vigorously and
resist pest attack
3. sanitation:
Good sanitation removes pests habitats such as crop debris
4. Beneficial
organisms: Provision of habitats for beneficial organisms. This can be done by
reducing the use of pesticides that kills the beneficial insects.
5. selection
of resistant varieties which have inbuilt prevention or tolerance of attack
6. Crop
protection using physical barriers such as row covers
7. Crop
diversification through companion planting or establishment of poly-cultures
.An example is planting main crop with garlic or onions as they are repellants
due to their strong smell.
8. Biological
pests’ control: This involves the use of beneficial organisms to reduce plant pests’
population in organic farming. Examples of beneficial insects includes lady
birds, praying mantis, lace wings, pirate bugs, parasitic wasps and predatory
mites which are effective for controlling other mites.
9. Use
of naturally occurring pesticides. NB: Synthetic substances are prohibited in
organic farming. Pesticides with different mode of action should be rotated to
minimize development of pesticides resistance. Naturally derived pesticides
allowed for use on organic farming includes:-
·
Bacillus thuringiensis( a bacterial toxin)
·
Pyrethrum(chrysanthemum extract)
·
Spinosad (a bacterial metabolite)
·
Neem ( a tree extract)
·
Rotenone ( a legume root extract)
Synthetic
pesticides allowed for use in organic farming includes insect pests control soaps,
horticultural oils for insect management depending where the plant is are
exported. European Union , America and Asia
have different standards. Read
http://www.organicfarmermagazine.org/biopesticides-safe-for-eu-imports/
