Pest Management for Organic Agriculture

Population increases geometrically, whereas agricultural production increases arithmetically. Land, on the other hand, remains constant, except in very rare cases. When we can no longer bring more land under cultivation, we are left with the alternative- to increase food production i.e. yield per hectare. Everyday new innovations, new varieties and systems, technologies are being brought into this world. But we must ask ourselves, are these healthy? Will they sustain us? What if they deplete whatever precious little we have? Organic agriculture is as old as farming itself. Initially farming was done completely with natural resources. But with today’s burgeoning population, synthetic applicants which help increase production rapidly have become a must. However, with increasing focus on the worsening environmental conditions, sustainable farming systems, including organic farming, have caught people’s imagination. Sustainability builds on the practice of adopting an integrated approach that can give high yields and returns while maintaining the soil health and preserving the micro-environment. In any agricultural productivity system, insect pests and diseases are a major constraint and must be dealt with effective measures. Synthetic pesticides have proven useful in the past. However, with pesticide resistance building up in the pests and emergence of new pesticide-tolerant strains that have become a cause of worry, adopting a holistic approach is a must. Organic pest management is an ecologically based strategy that deals with pests with a combination of biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of agronomic practices, and use of resistant varieties. Some commonly used strategies in biological pest control include: Monitoring Monitoring crops is the foundation of pest control. It provides the basic information on pests and crop situation, enabling us to select the right approach to control them. Pheromone traps, light traps, yellow sticky traps may be used for this purpose. Use of resistant varieties This is a simple process of selection of varieties that are resistant to a pest. Varieties may be selected based on pest incidence in that area. The most famous example of this mechanism are the Bt varieties of cotton, brinjal, corn. Cultural pest control Crop production practices that help maintain a healthy soil and environment are the easiest techniques in organic farming. Crop rotation, leaving the land fallow, manipulation of sowing and harvesting dates, manipulation of plant and row spacing, removal of stubbles are some commonly followed practices. Crop specific practices include planting of cover crops, planting of nectar-producing plants, inter cropping etc. Cover crops also serve the beneficial role of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, in case of legumes being used. They also reduce soil erosion and help prevent run-off. Physical and mechanical control These are pest specific. Handpicking is the most common mechanism used. Mulching and bird perches have also proven to be effective. Biological pest control These include conservation and/or introduction of natural enemies of pests such as parasitoids, predators, and entamopathogens. Bio-pesticides such as Trichogramma sp. are very popular and can be sued in a variety of crops. Trichoderma spp., Verticillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Bacillus spp.and Pseudomonas spp are some popularly exploited biological control agents. The emerging trend of organic-conscious consumers has forced producers to look towards ecologically sustainable alternatives and the need to develop sustainable approaches to food production. Biotechnology offers the greatest scope for this. Holistic, long-term and short-term planning is essential as is proper research and commitment. Organic farming is definitely not a tough concept. A lot depends on on-field experiments and utilization of indigenous knowledge. It just requires a lot of time and some effort to go off the beaten track and experiment. http://www.cleantick.com/users/divyajeychandren/blogs/pest-management-for-organic-agriculture