Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Preface
Introduction
Cover Crop System Deters Pests (Pennsylvania)
How Ecologically Based Pest Management Works
What Does a Biodiverse Farm Look Like
Biological Control Vocabulary
Figure 1. The Pillars of Ecological Pest Management
Enhancing Aboveground Diversity: A Checklist For Farmers
Year-Round Blooming Cycle Attracts Beneficials
Farm Feature: Diversity in Every Field and Pen (Iowa)
Principles of Ecologically Based Pest Management
Managing Aboveground Habitat
Strategies to Enhance Beneficials
Innovative Tart Cherry Orchard Systems
Farm Feature: No-Till Cover Crops Yield Soil and Pest Benefits
Farm Feature: A Toast to Ecological Grape Production
Sidebar: Reduce Mowing Frequency to Attract Beneficials
Beetle Banks Boost Beneficials
Surrounding Crops With Perimeter Fools Pests
Table 1. Flowering Plants That Attract Natural Enemies
Farm Feature: Resistant Fruit Varieties Reduce Risk
Identification Key to Major Beneficials and Pests
Managing Soils to Minimize Crop Pests
Healthy Soils Produce Healthy Crops
Qualities of a Healthy Soil
Managing Pests With Healthy Soils
Farm Feature: Triple Threat to Pests: Cover Crops, No-Till, Rotation
Impacts of Fertilizers on Insect Pests
Table 2. Pest Populations Increase With Excess Nitrogen Fertility
Implications For Fertilizer Practices
Beneficial Agents on the Farm
Predators
Table 3: Common Predators
Principal Insect Predators
Cover Crops Lure Beneficial Insects, Improve Bottom Line in Cotton
Parasitoids
Table 4: Common Parasitoids
Principal Parasitoids
Table 5: Major Groups of Dipteran (Fly) Parasitoids
Cropping Systems Shape Parasitoid Diversity
Principal Insect Pathogens
Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)
Putting It All Together
Designing a Habitat Management Strategy
Fine-Tuning Farm Management to Enhance Specific Beneficials
Enhancing Biota and Improving Soil Health
Strategies for Enhancing Plant Diversity
Rolling Out Your Strategy
Figure 2: Preventive and Reactive Strategies That Enhance Ecological Pest Management
Key Elements of Ecological Pest Management
Farm Feature: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation: Alfalfa, Clover Crops Break Pest Cycles
Universal Principles, Farm-Specific Strategies
Guidelines For Designing Healthy And Pest-Resilient Farming Systems
Ten Indicators of Soil Quality
Ten Indicators of Crop Health
Resources
