Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
can easily be moved aside during harvest. Remove the netting immediately
after the harvest is done.
Perches and nest boxes.
Install raptor and owl perches in and around the
orchard. To reduce predation on beneficial birds, keep the raptor and owl
perches away from nesting boxes and other nesting areas. Install owl nesting
boxes around the perimeter of the orchard near the owl perches. Face the
boxes away from the nesting areas of beneficial birds, as we will discuss later
in this chapter.
Insects, Mites, and Nematodes
Many insects, mites, and nematodes feed on fruit crops, and several cause
severe and widespread problems in North America. Plum curculio, apple
maggot, and codling moth are the three most serious pests.
In natural ecosystems, we usually see balances of plant pests and predat-
ors that feed on those pests. Many serious pest outbreaks can be traced to
the introduction of exotic insects, mites, or nematodes that have no predat-
ors or diseases in the new areas to control their numbers. There are excep-
tions, of course. Plum curculio, long a limiting factor in organic fruit produc-
tion, is native to North America. Growing crops in large monocultures can
also upset the balance in favor of the pests.
Conventional fruit growers rely heavily on a wide variety of insecticides,
miticides, and nematicides to manage pests in their crops. Although organic
growers have gained a few powerful pest control products in recent years,
using cultural practices to develop an orchard ecosystem with a balance of
pests and predators is still the best pest control strategy. Unlike with dis-
eases, we have few fruit varieties that are resistant to pests.
play important roles in managing insects, mites, and nematodes, mostly by
providing habitat for beneficial organisms. Because pest and disease pres-
sures vary from one growing region to another, you will need to tailor those
practices to your specific location.
