Quite a number of farmers think that the little they do
about pest control is enough. The field of agriculture is very wide even though
there are also some myths some farmers use in eradicating pests and diseases.
There are lots of pests across the world. These pests
compete with the plants for resources besides attacking them and infecting them
with diseases. This is evident for plants that grow in natural stands as well
as crops grown by various farmers. Therefore, if you take a lot of time without
checking your crops for pests, it is undoubtedly true that their productivity
will be compromised.
In both conventional and organic production systems, farmers
usually use pesticides to prevent or control pests and their related effects. However,
this does not prevent farmers from employing other pest control measures. Nonetheless,
these preventive measures normally differ consequent upon the crop as well as
the geography of the area where you intend to grow your crops.
Eradicating the pests
Pests such as insects are known to co-evolve with some
plant species that they can attack. Therefore, by moving the crop to a
different geographical position, you can easily avoid the pests. This should
additionally be planted in rotations.
Look for crops that are genetic resistance
One of the ways in which you can control or eradicate
pests and diseases is basically looking for crops that are genetic resistant. Also,
this does not equally rule out any possibility of trying the soil-borne pest
that are resistant and this may include grafting a desirable fruit kind or
vegetable providing resistance. This is much applicable in cases of perennial crops,
though at some extent some researchers have tried it with cucumbers, eggplants
and tomatoes.
Modification of the climate
As it works, modification of the climate is one aspect
that when embraced by a farmer, higher chances of eradicating pests and
diseases are realized. For example, the growers of wine grapes normally use
trellising format and removal of the underneath leaves so as to help in
changing the microclimate in places where the clusters of the grapes have
started developing. In the long run, fungal infections will be controlled with
lots of ease.
To add on this, the modification measures will provide
relief from some diseases that can otherwise be adopted through rain.
Disruption of the pest’s life cycle
Like already indicated in this piece of art, one of the
most approved ways of controlling pests in your annual crops is by embracing
crop rotation. For example, you can rotate corns with soybeans. This as a
matter of fact will prevent the increase in population of some pests since
every succeeding year such pests do not have a readily available host. Subsequently,
in this kind of arrangement, there is a replacement of mating hormones of the
insects as far as synthetic versions are concerned. Ultimately, as farmers, it
is important to be aware of the fact that pests also suffer from pests. Therefore,
consult on how you can influence the natural enemies adequately to keep the
crop pests under control.