|
1
| 2 | 3 | 4
| 5 | 6 | 7
| 8 | 9 | 10
| 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15
| 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20
| 21 | 22
What is Farmscaping?
| 14
By Rex Dufour
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Farmscaping” is a whole-farm, ecological
approach to pest management. It can be defined as the use
of hedgerows, insectary plants, cover crops, and water reservoirs
to attract and support populations of beneficial organisms
such as insects, bats, and birds of prey.
Mini-Livestock
In some respects, beneficial organisms should be
considered—and managed as—mini-livestock. The
larger varieties of livestock are healthier and reproduce
more readily when provided an adequate and nutritious diet.
Likewise, “mini-livestock” require adequate
supplies of nectar, pollen, and herbivorous insects and
mites as food to sustain and increase their populations.
The best source of these foods is flowering plants.
Habitat
Flowering plants are particularly important to adults
of the wasp and fly families, which require nectar and pollen
sources in order to reproduce the immature larval stages
that parasitize or prey on insect pests. However, using
a random selection of flowering plants to increase the biodiversity
of a farm may favor pest populations over beneficial organisms.
It is important to identify those plants, planting situations,
and management practices that best support populations of
beneficial organisms.
Benefits
Farmscaping, like other components of sustainable
agriculture, requires more knowledge and management skill
on the part of the grower than conventional pest management.
The investment in knowledge and management may yield such
benefits as:
- A reduction in pesticide use
- Savings in pesticide costs
- Reduced risk of chemical residues on farm
products
- A safer farm environment and more on-farm
wildlife.
Integrated Approach
However, farmscaping is not a magical cure for pest
problems. It is simply an ecological approach to pest management
that can be an integral component of a biointensive integrated
pest management (IPM) program.
Planting a mix of plants, particularly perennials,
that bloom in succession and that meet the habitat needs
of desired beneficials is another farmscaping option. The
development of beneficial habitats with a mix of plants
that flower throughout the year can help prevent such pests
from migrating en masse from farmscaped plants to crop plants.
The use of farmscaping to increase beneficial
organism habitat must be understood and practiced within
the context of overall farm management goals. For example,
when considering planting a perennial hedgerow the producer
should evaluate the various costs and benefits likely to
be associated with a hedgerow. Growers with farmscaping
experience will likely be the best source for this kind
of information.
Go to attrancat.org
for more information.
back
to top
next article
|
