Organic pest management can include the use of pheromone traps, the release of beneficial insects, the use of trap crops, and other organically approved techniques (see Rules related to pest control, next page). Farmers use crop rotation, mechanical tillage and manual weeding to prevent weeds, insects and other pathogenic organisms from taking root. Plant protection products (PPP) allowed in organic agriculture should only be used when cultural and biological controls fail to suppress pest populations below levels of economic damage. In an agricultural crop, this may involve the use of cultivation methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties and planting pest-free rootstocks.
There is no national certification for producers who use integrated pest management, as developed by the United States Department of Agriculture for organic foods. For organic crop producers with large fields, pest and weed control must be carefully planned through crop rotations and other agricultural techniques. Insect pests and natural enemies could be identified by means of keys and field guides or by consulting official identification bodies. Arthropod biodiversity, measured by species richness, was, on average, one-third higher on organic farms than on conventional farms.
Rather than trying to repair unhealthy soil, organic farmers seek to create healthy soil by nourishing the nutrients that are already there and maintaining the soil structure and its water retention capacity. Because certified organic producers cannot use genetically modified seeds, they have to rely on age-old agricultural practices. Good nutrition and management are the main ways farmers control pests and diseases, and these attributes of food are transmitted to livestock. For example, Greentree Naturals organizes educational workshops and field research on its farms in Idaho, while Beauchemin Preservation Farms, a small farm in southern Maine, offers sessions on Q%26A to farmers by appointment.
Therefore, they must take advantage of natural processes and ecosystem management to control harmful organisms. Currently, they have about 500 acres of organic production, with an additional 250 acres of corn grain transitioning to organic products. Calendar of the main pests and diseases of organically grown date palm trees and their management in the Gulf region. However, compost can be disinfected from these larvae and other insect pests using physical or chemical methods allowed in the organic agriculture system.
Pesticides derived from natural sources (such as biological pesticides) can be used to produce organically grown food. The United States Congress passed the Organic Food Products Act in 1990, while the European Union (EU) established the first regulations on organic agriculture in 1991 and, that same year, the Codex Alimentarius Commission officially recognized organic agriculture.
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