Natural Pest Management

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Preventive Measures have indirect effects and are a long term process.

Create a Balanced Agro-Ecosystem

It is diversity which has the most important role in building up ecological balance in agricultural land. The elimination of disturbing factors is also very important.

Methods include:

Diverse cropping
Mixed cropping, including scattered planting of insect repellent berbs and medicinal plants.
Planting perennial trees as a windbreak and to attract insect-eating birds.
Non-use of agricultural chemicals.

Create a balanced soil ecosystem

A balanced soil ecosystem (meaning a balance in the micro-organism living in the soil) is the key element in the health of plants. Almost all plant diseases come from this imbalance, which is mainly created by a lack of organic matter and the use of agricultural chemicals which kill micro-organisms.

Method to maintain this balance include:-

Crop rotation
A regular supply of organic matter
Avoid mixing raw organic matter with soil.

Non-use of agrochemicals

CONTROLS METHODS

Physical Controls

Hand picking : catch the insects by hand and remove them.

Light trap : put a light above a container of water so that the insects are attracted to the light and fall into the water.

Net cover to protect some crops from insect attack.

Biological Controls

Attracting birds, other useful animals (reptiles, rodents and insects) that eat the harmful insects.

Natural Pesticides

There are many natural things that repel or kill insects.

Common natural pesticides includes:-

Ash (as powder)
Tobacco dust or leaf
Neem leaves and seeds
Chilli
Pounded garlic

The plant materials are soaked for at least two night in water and then the resulting "tea" is used as spray.