Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Many insect pests can be caught in traps. In commercial
operations, traps are usually used to monitor pest populations
to determine the optimal timing for the application of
pesticides. In a mini-farm, because of the smaller land area
involved, it is often practical to employ enough traps to
completely eradicate a particular pest (or one of the sexes of
that pest) in the garden without resorting to poisons.
Examples of pests easily trapped are codling moths, Japanese
beetles, and apple maggots. Traps can also be employed for
cucumber beetles, white flies, and a number of other pests,
but they tend to be less effective. The time when various
insects emerge varies from area to area. Because the lures
used in traps often have limited lifespan, the timing of their
deployment can be important. This is something you'll learn
from keeping notes, and within a couple of years you'll have
no trouble with the timing of traps.
Immunity Boosters and Growth Enhancers
One immune booster for plants on the market at the moment
is marketed by Eden Bioscience in the form of harpin protein.
Harpin protein, which is produced naturally by the bacterium
that causes fire blight in apples and pears, elicits a broad
immune response from vegetables that makes them more
resistant to a wide array of pests and diseases while enhancing
their growth. Eden Bioscience uses this discovery in a product
called Messenger that is nontoxic and relatively inexpensive
at my local agricultural supply store.
A company called Vitamin Institute sells a product called
Superthrive that is advertised to improve the growth rate of
plants and whose primary ingredient is thiamine. I have done
