Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
can consume half their body weight each day in insects, and lactating fe-
males can eat more than their body weight in insects daily. Little brown bats
are often found near streams, ponds, and lakes because part of their diet
comes from aquatic insects. Forty-four other species of bats are native to
North America and are extremely important to agriculture, partially by pol-
linating certain crops but also by consuming night-flying insects.
Find out which bats are found in your area and consider constructing
shelters for them around the orchard but away from storage buildings and
other areas where people work. This separation will reduce human/bat in-
teractions and keep the bats' strong-smelling feces away from areas where
people congregate. Note that bat populations in North America are presently
threatened by a serious disease called white nose syndrome (WNS) that was
first observed here in about 2006.
Insecticides
Even with the best cultural practices, most commercial organic fruit growers
need insecticides to produce marketable crops. While relatively few organic
insecticides are registered, several new materials have become available in
recent years. The following materials are allowed in certified organic orch-
ards under the U.S. National Organic Plan and are generally allowed under
other certification programs. If you are a certified organic grower, be sure
that the products you use are approved by your certification organization.
Use even these organic insecticides with great care and follow label dir-
ections carefully to minimize damage to beneficial organisms. Organic certi-
fication programs usually require that you use all available cultural practices
to control pests before applying a pesticide, and that you document this in
your orchard records.
Horticultural Oils
Horticultural oils have been used to protect crops for more than 150 years,
and many different types are available. They may be produced from petro-
leum, fish, or plants. Heavier oils are applied to dormant trees and bushes
