www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm resources-general-information publications Publications Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems (2nd ed.). 1998. Gliessman, S. R. CRC Press. www.agroecology.org/Books.html. Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture (2nd ed.). 1995. Altieri, M. Perseus Books Group: Boulder, CO. Agroecology: Transitioning organic agriculture beyond input substitution. 2003. Altieri, M. and Nicholls, C. I. In Agroecology and the Search for a Truly Sustainable […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm putting-it-all-together farm-feature-rotation-rotation-rotation-alfalfa-cover-crops-break-pest-cycles Farm Feature: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation: Alfalfa, Cover Crops Break Pest Cycles Rotation, Rotation, Rotation: Alfalfa, Clover Crops Break Pest Cycles In Big Sandy, Mont., Bob Quinn hasn’t borrowed operating capital from the bank for 10 years. Without hefty bills for agrichemicals at planting — and with an effective year-round marketing program — his cash flow is more stable than it was in the mid-1980s, before he […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm putting-it-all-together enhancing-biota-and-improving-soil-health Enhancing Biota and Improving Soil Health Enhancing Biota and Improving Soil Health Managing soil for improved health demands a long-term commitment to using combinations of soil-enhancing practices. The strategies listed below can aid you in inhibiting pests, stimulating natural enemies and—by alleviating plant stress—fortifying crops’ abilities to resist or compete with pests. Add plentiful amounts of organic materials from cover crops […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm putting-it-all-together Putting it All Together Putting It All Together Introduction Agroecology — the science that underlies sustainable farming — integrates the conservation of biodiversity with the production of food. It promotes diversity which in turn sustains a farm’s soil fertility, productivity and crop protection. Innovative approaches that make agriculture both more sustainable and more productive are flourishing around the world. […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm beneficial-agents-on-the-farm cover-crops-lure-beneficial-insects-improve-bottom-line-in-cotton Cover Crops Lure Beneficial Insects, Improve Bottom Line in Cotton Cover Crops Lure Beneficial Insects, Improve Bottom Line in Cotton SARE-funded researchers in Georgia seeking new ways to raise healthy cotton — traditionally one of the most pest-plagued, thus one of the most chemically treated commodities — focused on attracting insects that prey on damaging pests. A group of scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm beneficial-agents-on-the-farm principal-insect-predators Principal Insect Predators Principal Insect Predators Spiders. Spiders are among the most neglected and least understood of predators. They rely on a complex diet of prey and can have a strong stabilizing influence on them. Because spiders are generalists and tend to kill more prey than they actually consume, they limit their preys’ initial bursts of growth. Many […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm managing-soils-to-minimize-crop-pests implications-for-fertilizer-practices Implications for Fertilizer Practices Implications for Fertilizer Practices Conventional synthetic fertilizers can dramatically affect the balance of nutritional elements in plants. When farmers use them excessively, these fertilizers likely create nutritional imbalances with their large pulses of available nitrogen, which in turn compromise crops’ resistance to insect pests. In contrast, most organic farming practices lead to increased organic matter […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm managing-soils-to-minimize-crop-pests impacts-of-fertilizers-on-insect-pests Impacts of Fertilizers on Insect Pests Impacts of Fertilizers on Insect Pests By modifying the nutrient composition of crops, fertilizer practices can influence plant defenses. A review of 50 years of research identified 135 studies showing more plant damage and/or greater numbers of leaf-chewing insects or mites in nitrogen-fertilized crops, while fewer than 50 studies reported less pest damage. Researchers have […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm identification-key-to-major-beneficials-and-pests parasitoids Parasitoids Identification Key to Major Beneficials and Pests Parasitoids Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae Pteromalid ecto-parasitoid(Catolaccus grandis)Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA ARS Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae Ichneumonid wasp(Glypta spp.)Photo by Edward Holsten Hymenoptera: Scelionidae Scelionid wasp Photo by Richard Leung Hymenoptera: Eulophidae Eulophid waspPhoto by Richard Leung Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae Chalcid waspPhoto by Richard Leung Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae Encyrtid waspPhoto by Richard Leung Hymenoptera: Braconidae […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm identification-key-to-major-beneficials-and-pests predators Predator Identification Predators Key to Major Beneficials and Pests