www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests introduction Managing Pests: Introduction Successfully managing pests is one of the biggest challenges for farmers and ranchers who want to run their operations sustainably. In order to reduce their use of off-farm chemical inputs, they need management options that are reliable and profitable. More and more, farmers across the United States are realizing that ecological pest management strategies can […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests beyond-pest-management Beyond Pest Management The strategies outlined in this publication focus on pest management, but their benefits do not stop there. Taken together, ecologically based practices can result in more efficient use of farm resources, lower input costs, a safer work environment and greater overall productivity. Cover crops are a prime example of a strategy with multifaceted benefits. Depending […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests taking-stock-the-basics-of-crop-scouting Taking Stock: The Basics of Crop Scouting The first step in any pest management plan is to properly identify and assess the pest and beneficial species that are inhabiting your farm. Assessing pest levels is especially important when considering the use of pesticides because it informs both the type of pesticide needed for your specific pest and whether they are at levels […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests weed-control-with-sheep Sidebar: Weed Control with Sheep Integrating livestock into cropping systems can bring many benefits to the farm. Increasingly, farmers are coming to view grazing sheep as an effective way to manage weeds and cover crops instead of chemicals, tillage or mowing. For example, sheep can replace the use of herbicides or mowing to manage floor vegetation in vineyards and orchards. […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests the-natural-defenses-of-healthy-crops Sidebar: The Natural Defenses of Healthy Crops What makes a healthy crop? Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy crop. Good tilth, drainage, water-holding capacity, high organic matter and fertility all provide a crop with the resources it needs to grow vigorously and respond to stresses from insects, diseases, weeds and harsh weather. Soil management practices such as crop rotation, cover […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests additional-resources-2 Managing Pests: Additional Resources The following tools, videos and other resources are relevant to ecological pest management:
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests part-two-applying-ecological-principles-to-the-farm Part Two: Applying Ecological Principles to the Farm The goal of ecological management is to reduce pest abundance to tolerable levels through the use of multiple pest control tactics that integrate with crop and soil management. This is opposed to using silver-bullet solutions to control pests. Think of pest management strategies as individual tools in a tool box, which together create a positive […]
www.sare.org publications a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests part-one-an-ecological-approach-to-pest-management Part One: An Ecological Approach to Pest Management Starting in the 1950s, most growers began to rely on agrochemical-based strategies to manage pests. Low-cost pesticides were seen as convenient “silver bullet” solutions, but that view is changing. Repeated use of pesticides has brought about resistance in many pest species. In addition, broad-spectrum insecticides not only kill crop pests but also important non-target predators […]
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture chapter-five-implementing-a-systems-research-project-troubleshooting-and-putting-it-all-together publishing-interdisciplinary-systems-work Publishing Interdisciplinary Systems Work As the application of systems approaches to agriculture has become more widespread, it has become easier to find journals that will publish the outcomes of this research. Many journals routinely publish agricultural systems work. Furthermore, publications that favor experiments isolating cause-and-effect relationships have expanded their coverage to include different types of systems-based research. Begin planning […]
www.sare.org publications systems-research-for-agriculture chapter-five-implementing-a-systems-research-project-troubleshooting-and-putting-it-all-together expanding-the-project-team Expanding the Project Team Small teams commonly receive funding to expand projects established through successful collaboration. Project expansion can occur in a variety of ways. The most integrated scenario aims to include new collaborators as full team members; ideally, make this type of expansion coincide with a new grant-writing cycle. Allow plenty of time for adding members, and be […]