To see how these big-picture pest management practices all fit together, it helps to first understand why it’s time to step away from the spray. Turns out, when pesticides are used routinely over long periods of time, they actually give problem pests an advantage over the beneficial insects which prey upon them. That’s because insecticides kill indiscriminately, and it takes longer for some insect populations to bounce back.
“Herbivores typically grow much faster than predator insects,” says Jermaine Hinds, a technical review specialist with Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Outreach. (SARE is a USDA-funded organization which is hosted by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland.)
"Predator insects are larger and they require protein, so, it's harder to find food for them," he says. "Meanwhile, the populations of plant-eating insects can rebound from a toxic spray event much more quickly.
"Doing that over and over again, it's like you're pushing the beneficial insects further back and giving the pest species a humongous head start. The pesticides inadvertently help [insect pests] to develop faster and they often develop mutations to resist pesticides."
But there is at least one thing crop-eating insects can't easily get around. "Insects can't really develop resistance to avoiding all of the predators out there," Hinds says. That's why attracting more of those natural predators is key. By developing a more robust ecosystem on your farm or in the garden, you can draw a wider variety of beneficial insects in greater numbers and put them to work for you.
Out and About
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September - October 2023-Ausgabe von Hobby Farms.
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The RISE of Opportunist WEEDS
Be prepared to see increasing changes in weeds we fight, such as poison hemlock and poison ivy, and in the crops we grow.
LIVESTOCK Health
Prepare yourself for how to spot symptoms of illness in your farm animals so that you can get them help before it's too late.
CUT FLOWER Farming
If you're considering growing flowers for sale, brush up on these five key things to know before diving in.
WINTER Survival
Keep your land, animals and yourself in good shape this winter with this helpful advice.
COVERAGE CONCERNS
Avoid common insurance mistakes for rural and hobby farm businesses.
FARMER'S GUIDE Berries
Set the stage for tasty strawberries, blueberries and brambles with these soil-boosting garden tips.
Preconditioning CALVES
Follow our step-by-step guide to get more money for your calves.
Soil Conservation
Often, outside of having a specific problem that needs to be addressed, soil conservation isn't something every farmer readily thinks about. Yet conserving the soil should be at or near the top of every farmer owner or manager's list of concerns because absent the prevention of soil erosion, we have the opportunity for another dust bowl.
Year-Round Lettuce & Salad Mixes
It's easy to think of salad greens as just a spring- or fall-garden crop, but it's possible to enjoy freshly harvested lettuces, mustards and more from your own garden year-round.
Barn Improvements
Days are never long enough for a farmer. From dawn to well into the night, tasks arise that often require immediate action. Having to search for tools or equipment is an enormous time waster and incredibly frustrating when you can't find what you need, especially when you know you have it.