How to prevent pests and diseases in organic vegetable production

(Baonghean.vn) - Organic vegetable production does not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Therefore, preventing and stopping pests and diseases from breaking out is more important than letting them develop and then destroying them. The following methods will help growers save on production costs and effectively prevent pests and diseases.

Check the vegetable garden regularly

Regularly check the vegetable garden. The frequency depends on the weather, climate, growing season and growing area.

If pests and their eggs are found, they must be destroyed immediately to avoid disease outbreaks. This requires vegetable growers to have certain knowledge about pests in order to detect them.

Create an environment for beneficial insects (natural enemies) to develop

In nature, there is always a certain balance of insects. There are beneficial insects and harmful insects. This ratio is always equal. Depending on many factors, there may be more harmful insects than natural enemies or vice versa. Each type of pest has its natural enemies. Therefore, we need to create conditions for natural enemies to develop more than the number of harmful insects in the garden. Then growing vegetables will be less difficult.

According to statistics, there are more than 100 families of insects (pests) such as spiders, aphids, bedbugs... These insects can be food for other beneficial insects (natural enemies) such as ladybugs, ants, dragonflies, mantises, bees,...

Therefore, creating conditions for these natural enemies to develop is by planting natural flowers such as clover, alfalfa, and morning glory... around the garden or in an empty space near the vegetable garden to stimulate the growth of beneficial insects to destroy pests.

Cover the rows of vegetables, or make a net house or greenhouse

Use cloth or plastic tape to create a frame or barrier around the garden or along rows of vegetables to protect vegetables from insect attacks. This technique is effective against some beetles and stink bugs that harm cucumbers, leafy vegetables, etc.

This method is often applied to some types of cucumbers, or vegetables that do not require pollination. This technique also has the effect of reducing frost and other pests (mice, bugs, snails, etc.). In addition, greenhouses and membrane houses also have the effect of extending the vegetable growing season, protecting vegetables from adverse environmental conditions and preventing pests and diseases.

Use agricultural film to cover the planting beds to limit weeds, fungi and soil organisms that are harmful to the vegetable garden and to retain water well. This measure can be applied to all types of crops.

Plant traps

Plant some unimportant grasses near the vegetable garden to attract insects to reduce the pressure on vegetables. Then, destroy these bait plants when insects gather in high density and cause a lot of damage by using insect traps such as phenon,... which will be much easier than having to kill insects in the whole vegetable garden.

Adjusting planting season

Vegetable growers need to have certain knowledge about insects, about the harmful characteristics of insects, especially the outbreak and harmful time of each type of insect during the year. For example, insects that thrive in the summer, insects that thrive and cause harm in the winter,...

Once you understand this characteristic, choosing the right time to plant will greatly limit pests and diseases.

Intercrop many types of vegetables, rotate crops when necessary

Intercropping is the technique of growing two or more types of vegetables in one area during the same season. To intercrop, growers need to understand the characteristics of several types of vegetables.

Crop rotation is a technique of growing a different type of vegetable each season on the same land to prevent high insect density outbreaks that harm one type of vegetable. These vegetables need to be from different families; for example, this season you grow cabbage or kohlrabi, then the next season you need to grow a different family such as squash, pumpkin, beans, eggplant...

Clean the fields and keep the plants healthy

Healthy plants do not attract insect attacks. If attacked by insects, they can recover quickly and the products can be consumed in the market. - Clean the fields, remove weeds, and places that harbor pests (insects, rats, snails, etc.) regularly and after harvesting, there is no place for pests, eggs, and pupae to live in crop residues.

Plow the soil immediately after harvest to expose the soil or take advantage of natural enemies (birds) to destroy pupae, eggs, pathogens, mouse nests, insects, and cut off the source of harm for the next crop.

Apply organic and biological pesticides

Some types of pesticides that can be applied to organic vegetable production and are announced by specialized agencies as allowed for use include Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), chrysanthemum insecticide, rotenon insecticide, insecticidal soap, Neem-derived pesticides, vegetable oils, etc.

When using, it is necessary to read the instructions carefully and consult with technical experts before using it for organic vegetables.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)