Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
growers understand the potential of natural regulation of insect popula-
tions, especially once broad-spectrum organophosphates are removed
from the farming system. Partnership leaders hoped that by eliminating
organophosphates they could take advantage of new biological control
opportunities and reduce the expense of treating secondary pests. In sev-
eral cases, however, when growers stopped using organophosphates the
partnership discovered that their broad spectrum action had controlled
insects that they had not realized were pests, or in some cases, they had
not even realized were in the farming system at all. Several partnerships
tried to calm the fears of growers by insisting that the insect complex in
a farming system would undergo a period of transition for several
seasons after the removal of organophosphates before biological control
agents could build up to effective numbers.
The third step presents the environmental complex for insects and their
natural enemies, and introduces to the grower possibilities for farm man-
agement that could shape the composition and behavior of insects.
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By
managing crop plant health, non-crop vegetation (e.g., cover crops), and
on-farm habitat, growers can attract and maintain beneficial organisms
in the farming system and manage crop plants so that they are less
vulnerable to pest problems. Monitoring cultural practices such as sani-
tation is also a part of this stage. Partnerships ask growers to perceive
and understand the relationship between components of the farming sys-
tem, and to recognize that how they manage their crops and non-crop
areas will shape the composition and behavior of the insect complex. For
example, by creating a healthier soil system, orchard trees can be less
stressed and less vulnerable to pest outbreaks, especially mites.
Partnerships try to help growers and PCAs advance through these
three steps by improving the quality of pest monitoring information,
whether done by growers, PCAs, or scouts employed by the partnership.
They educate growers and PCAs by demonstrating scouting skills at field
days, and by providing monitoring forms that convey more fully the
agroecological conditions within a block. (See figure 5.4.) Partnership
leaders believe that these activities will improve pest-management deci-
sions in the short term, and enhance the understanding of growers and
PCAs of the dynamism of their farming system over the long term. Many
partnership leaders believe a fundamental obstacle in their efforts to
promote environmental stewardship in California agriculture is the dom-
inant tendency to think of farming systems as passive and static.
