The best practice for pest management on farms, is building the ecological webs.
In a conventional farm, substances are sprayed over the whole field. Depending on the pesticide, it either will kill all the of the bugs, or select few. But it's difficult to target specific organisms without disrupting others. If one organism is targeted -- and let's say it kills the larvae, suddenly the predator that typically feeds on that organism will need to find another food source, their numbers will drastically dwindle. And unlike the 'prey' or the 'pest' species who has evolved to produce many offspring and very quickly as a response to be being attacked by predators, the predator population has evolved to be slow reproducing with few offspring to make sure through it's numbers it doesn't deplete it's food supply. This makes it very difficult for predator numbers to bounce back, as 'prey' or 'pest' populations can and do -- and often times with greater resistance to the pesticide if the pesticide was sprayed in 'sublethal' doses. The predator doesn't really have that quick of a turn over rate to build tolerance as the 'pest' species does. Thereby, pesticides further erode top insect 'predators' from the landscape, while further strengthening pest populations. This severely impairs the resiliency of that agroecosystem (the farm's ecosystem). Because now that farm is very dependent on chemicals to 'control' outbreaks.
Synthetic fertilizers also create a very 'unnatural' environment for plants. Since the nutrient is so readily available and typically spread very evenly on the fields, plant roots will stay very close to the surface. They don't need to 'scavenge' for nutrients in the soil. This creates an environment of plants which become very dependent on regular waterings as well as nutrition. This is because plants who live under more 'natural' conditions, where nutrients come through compost and other organic debris, it creates a reserve of nutrients. Not only does organic debris maintain water more readily, but the micro-organisms in this matter also break down the nutrients in webs and patterns, making it necessary for plants to stretch their roots further out. Essentially the more 'outstretched' plant or trees roots are, the more resilient they will be to change in weather patterns or in infrequent 'nutrient' inputs-- because the roots have access to a greater proportion of soil.
Organic practices come closer to replicating natural systems in many cases than do conventional farms.
The less we target to exterminate 'pests' the less we accidentally end up targeting beneficial organisms which feed into the larger ecological system in the farm. The more diverse the farm is, the more resilient it can be to extreme weather situations. The better it will be in breaking down organic debris into nutrients for plants. Different micro-organisms specialize in the breakdown of different types of organic matter.
Also many conventional farmers spray fungicides -- which don't typically get a lot of media attention, but this can dramatically affect soil health.
They do this, in order to prevent fungal diseases on the plants, but when these fungicides seep down into the soil, they prevent beneficial fungal relationships between plant roots and fungi. These mycelium networks attach to tree and plant roots and act as somewhat of an extension of roots to the plants, they will help the plants by finding nutrients and water for the plant, and the plant will benefit the fungi by providing energy from photosynthesis to the fungi.
Everything works together in such beautiful harmony.
The more we can learn nature's processes, the easier it will be to team with her, to create beautiful bountiful systems.
In a conventional farm, substances are sprayed over the whole field. Depending on the pesticide, it either will kill all the of the bugs, or select few. But it's difficult to target specific organisms without disrupting others. If one organism is targeted -- and let's say it kills the larvae, suddenly the predator that typically feeds on that organism will need to find another food source, their numbers will drastically dwindle. And unlike the 'prey' or the 'pest' species who has evolved to produce many offspring and very quickly as a response to be being attacked by predators, the predator population has evolved to be slow reproducing with few offspring to make sure through it's numbers it doesn't deplete it's food supply. This makes it very difficult for predator numbers to bounce back, as 'prey' or 'pest' populations can and do -- and often times with greater resistance to the pesticide if the pesticide was sprayed in 'sublethal' doses. The predator doesn't really have that quick of a turn over rate to build tolerance as the 'pest' species does. Thereby, pesticides further erode top insect 'predators' from the landscape, while further strengthening pest populations. This severely impairs the resiliency of that agroecosystem (the farm's ecosystem). Because now that farm is very dependent on chemicals to 'control' outbreaks.
Synthetic fertilizers also create a very 'unnatural' environment for plants. Since the nutrient is so readily available and typically spread very evenly on the fields, plant roots will stay very close to the surface. They don't need to 'scavenge' for nutrients in the soil. This creates an environment of plants which become very dependent on regular waterings as well as nutrition. This is because plants who live under more 'natural' conditions, where nutrients come through compost and other organic debris, it creates a reserve of nutrients. Not only does organic debris maintain water more readily, but the micro-organisms in this matter also break down the nutrients in webs and patterns, making it necessary for plants to stretch their roots further out. Essentially the more 'outstretched' plant or trees roots are, the more resilient they will be to change in weather patterns or in infrequent 'nutrient' inputs-- because the roots have access to a greater proportion of soil.
Organic practices come closer to replicating natural systems in many cases than do conventional farms.
The less we target to exterminate 'pests' the less we accidentally end up targeting beneficial organisms which feed into the larger ecological system in the farm. The more diverse the farm is, the more resilient it can be to extreme weather situations. The better it will be in breaking down organic debris into nutrients for plants. Different micro-organisms specialize in the breakdown of different types of organic matter.
Also many conventional farmers spray fungicides -- which don't typically get a lot of media attention, but this can dramatically affect soil health.
They do this, in order to prevent fungal diseases on the plants, but when these fungicides seep down into the soil, they prevent beneficial fungal relationships between plant roots and fungi. These mycelium networks attach to tree and plant roots and act as somewhat of an extension of roots to the plants, they will help the plants by finding nutrients and water for the plant, and the plant will benefit the fungi by providing energy from photosynthesis to the fungi.
Everything works together in such beautiful harmony.
The more we can learn nature's processes, the easier it will be to team with her, to create beautiful bountiful systems.
