Crop Pests
Natural Pesticides Used in Organic Farming
Innovative Pest Control Tips, Methods And Techniques For Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Chemical free farming is not just a trend: It’s the wave of the future. As long as health conscious folks are willing to pay more for organic fruits and vegetables, dedicated growers throughout the world will strive to meet ever-increasing demands.
Warning: Crop Pests Are Developing A Resistance To Chemical Pesticides
Over 500 species of pests have developed a resistance to a pesticide. [1] To combat increasing resistance, commercial farmers worldwide have started to apply more products, combine pesticides, or seek more toxic replacements. Many classes of synthetic pesticides exist throughout the world. The main classes include organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Such pesticides are widely known to cause acute or chronic effects in humans and animals, especially in the reproductive, endocrine, and central nervous systems. [2]
It’s time to stop the madness! Mother nature provides us with safe, nontoxic tools that don’t “expire” or become less relevant through the ages.
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Some of the Best and Worst Organic Pesticides and Pest Management Methods
Organic doesn’t always mean “safe.” The following pesticides are all permitted in organic farming, but not all of them are truly safe for humans, animals and the environment.
1.) Cedar Oil: Thumbs Up
ADVANTAGES: Quick kill, very low toxicity, residual effects up to a month, won’t pollute soil or ground water
- Repels a wide variety of insects with an intense cedar aroma
- Erodes the exoskeleton of insects, contributing to early demise
- Dissolves eggs on contact, but not by proximity. (Eggs must come in direct contact with the formula, not just the vapors.)
- Masks the scent trails that many insects use to communicate, coordinate and flourish
- Discourages new insects from moving into treated territory
2) Neem Oil: Thumbs Up
Advantages: Slow Kill, Growth Inhibition, Low Toxicity, Residual Effects Up To Ten Days
Neem is a botanical pesticide extracted from the neem tree, a native of India. It is not highly toxic to animals, but don’t expect the quick kill that cedar oil provides. Neem has a different set of advantages. Most notably, it works as an insect growth regulator. The treated insect usually can’t molt to its next life stage. Neem can also deter egg laying. Neem has been used for more than 4,000 years for medicinal and pest control purposes in India and Africa. [3]
3.) Pyrethrum/Pyrethrins: Thumbs DOWN
With names like pyrethrum, pyrethrin and peremethrin, it’s easy to be confused.
Pyrethrin is one of two liquid esters derived from Pyrethrum (feverfew). Pyrethrum is a similar insecticide derived from and chrysanthemum flowers. Permethrin is a SYNTHETIC version of pyrethrin. In other words, it is a man-made poison that is a copy of two poisons found in plants. [4]
Whatever the case, THE ONLY WORD TO REMEMBER IS NO. For a very long time, it was thought that these compounds were relatively harmless to animals. A growing body of evidence suggests otherwise. In an investigation conducted by ABC World News, traditional spot drop flea and tick medicines were found to cause more than 44,000 severe reactions in a single year, including seizures and multiple deaths. According to an EPA survey of poison control centers, pyrethroids cause more insecticide poisoning incidents than any other type of pesticides except for organophosphates.
SOME SIDE EFFECTS OF PYRETHROIDS [4]
Inhalation: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose, chest pain, or difficulty breathing.
Skin contact: rash, itching, or blisters.
Long term effects: disrupts the endocrine system by mimicking the female hormone, estrogen, thus causing excessive estrogen levels in females. In human males, its estrogenizing (feminizing) effects include lowered sperm counts. In both, it can lead to the abnormal growth of breast tissue, leading to development of breasts in males and cancerous breast tissue in both male and females.
Neurotoxic effects include: tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults.
Other: A known carcinogen. There is evidence that pyrethroids harm the thyroid gland. Causes chromosomal damage in hamsters and mice; deformities in amphibians; blood abnormalities in birds. [4]
4.) Nicotine Sulfate: Thumbs DOWN
Nicotine sulfate has a DANGER warning. It’s readily absorbed through the skin, which makes it one of the most toxic botanical pesticides to warm-blooded animals. As a tobacco extract, it’s one of the oldest botanical insecticides in use today. It kills insects by interfering with the transmitter substance between nerves and muscles. [3]
5.) Sabadilla: NOT BAD
Sabadilla is a botanical insecticide derived from the seeds of the sabadilla lily. It is considered among the least toxic of botanical insecticides, but its dust can be irritating to the nose and eyes. No residue is left after application of sabadilla because it breaks down rapidly in the sunlight. [3]
6.) Rotenone: THUMBS DOWN
Rotenone is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It doesn’t pose a great risk to humans and animals, but it’s extremely toxic to fish. The EPA approves of using Rotenone in cases where “fish management” is desired; however, everyday farmers who aren’t seeking to control fish populations should be aware that It gets into ground water and seeps into local lakes and rivers. Random “fish management” is not a good thing.
7.) Companion Farming: Thumbs WAY up!
Companion farming is the cultivation of certain kinds of plants in the same area, especially if one species will benefit from another. For example, planting garlic among tomatoes will help control aphids. Consult the following list of insects to see which plants will repel them. [5]
Ants
- Pennyroyal
- Spearmint
- Southernwood
- Tansy
Aphids
- Anise
- Chives
- Coriander
- Garlic
- Nasturtium
- Pennyroyal
- Petunia
- Spearmint
- Southernwood
- Tansy
Cabbage Maggot
- Hemp
- Mint
- Tomato
- Rosemary
- Sage
Cabbage Moth
- Catnip
- Celery
- Hemp
- Hyssop
- Nasturtium
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Southernwood
- Thyme
- Wormwood
Carrot Fly
- Black salsify
- Coriander
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Salsify
- Wormwood
Cinch Bug
- Soybean
Colorado Potato Beetle
- Dead nettle
- Flax
- Green beans
- Horseradish
Cucumber Beetle
- Radish
- Tansy
Japanese Beetle
- Garlic
- Pelargonium geraniums
- Larkspur, Rue
- Tansy
Leafhopper
- Pelargonium geraniums
- Petunia
Mexican Bean Beetle
- Marigold
- Petunia
- Potato
- Rosemary
- Summer Savory
Plum Curculio
Plum curculio
- Garlic
Rose Chafer
- Pelargonium geraniums
- Onion
- Petunia
Squash Bug
- Nasturtium
- Petunia
Striped Pumpkin Beetle
- Nasturtium
Whitefly
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Nicandra (Peruvian Ground Cherry)
Wireworm
- White Mustard
Moths And Larvae
Cutworm
- Tansy
Fruit Tree Moth
- Southernwood
Tomato hornworm
- Borage
- Marigold
- Opal Basil
Parasites
Eelworm
- French & African Marigold
Mites
- Chives
- Garlic
- Onion
Nematode
- Asparagus
- Dahlia
- Calendula, French & African Marigold, Salvis
Slugs & Snails
- Prostrate Rosemary
- Wormwood
Just Say NO to the Most Common Pesticides Used In Commercial Farming!
Organochlorines: DDT, Toxaphene, Dieldrin, Aldrin
Organophosphates: Diazinon, Glyphosate, Malathion
Carbamates: Carbofuran, Aldicarb, Carbaryl
Pyrethroids: Fenpropanthrin, Deltamethrin, Cypermethrin
Bibliography
[1] grapes.msu.edu. How pesticide resistance develops. Excerpt from:
Larry Gut, Annemiek Schilder, Rufus Isaacs and Patricia McManus. Fruit
Crop Ecology and Management, Chapter 2: “Managing the Community of
Pests and Beneficials.”