Integrated Pest Management WEB

During my last few co-teaching session at several PDC´s in India and Spain, i developed the Integrated Pest Management Web. My original inspiration happened during a course in India with Rico Zook. My aim with this approach is to visually show the relationships and interactions of different elements on our farm landscapes. They all work together to create an integrated holistic approach to Pest Management.

This harmonious,holistic and integrated approach has failed in my point of view if you reach the stage of applying any type of spray (even organic sprays often kill beneficial organisms). This type of system takes about 3 years to develop until you reach the stage were your Integrated Pest Management approach will start to really function as a whole system. Be patient and always try to address root causes and not symptoms.

The aim: look at your system holistically – the complexity of its relationships. Afterwards create an integrated management system to handle pest and disease in your farm landscapes.

ELEMENTS OF AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:

FARMER ;

• OBSERVE! Most important,recognize and identify pests or diseases and go to the root of the problem,what is it telling you?

• Document your observations in a diary or with pictures

• interaction with your system

• tool care – clean tools and hands before/ after work or smoking (dont touch plants directly after it)

WATER:

• clean living water

• avoid water stress

SOIL:

• healthy balanced soil

• organic matter content,

• living micro and macro organisms,

• compost,

• Effective Microorganisms or IMO´s

• Mulch

PLANTS:

• diversity,

• cropping patterns,

• Guilds & Companion Planting,

• crop rotation,

• insect repelling species

• catch crop plants

• Heirloom seed

• plant in seasons -Timing

HELPERS ; - PEST Predators

• Wind against fungal disease

• Frogs,

• Spiders,

• Lizards,

• Salamander,

• Geeko,Birds,

• Cats for rats,

• Bats,

• Snakes,

• Chicken,

• Ducks,

• Effective Microorganisms or IMO´s

INFRASTRUCTURE:

• Plant housing – glass house etc,

• Bird and Bat Houses

• Water features

• Nets

• Light over water to attract and kill insects

• Traps

• Feeders

• Fences

• Red & yellow color strips of old clothes or flower confuse pests!

I hope this article will be an inspiration for Permaculture Practitioner to address pest or disease problems in their gardens and farms in an integrated and holistic manner. I am looking forward hearing your opinions and thoughts on this approach is it is a process in constant evolution.

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