If a pest problem arises, there must be an effort to use these methods before resorting to chemicals:

• Prevention- No matter what, prevention must be implemented in every organic certified facility.
  • This means doing whatever it takes to keep pests from getting to the crops. Focusing on having healthy soil, rotating crops, and a diverse plant ecosystem will all help.
  • Healthy soil is an important part of growing healthy plants. Mulch is helpful, as is compost and compost tea.
  • Crop rotation helps with nutrient input. After a field of corn has been planted, there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil. Planting a crop like alfalfa, clover, soybeans, wheat, and barley.
  • A field divided into sections of different crops (i.e. row crops) dissuade insect pests, as there is not such a dense population of a single crop.
• Cultural
  • By focusing on crop rotation, the same crop will not be repeated annually which will not allow pests to become used to the location.
  • By avoiding monoculture, there is more diversity in the fields.
  • By allowing native plants on borders, you provide a natural ecosystem for natural predators and pests, which helps to naturally control pest problems.
• Physical/mechanical
  • Physical barriers is a great way to keep some pests like rats and mice out. Seal holes in silos and storage bins.
  • Traps also work for both insects and rodents. An example for rats would be common snap traps.
• Biological
  • Pheromones are used to disrupt mating in pests. By placing pheromone cards, with the female pheromone scent farther away from the crop, the male insects are drawn to the same site. This results in no mating between the males and females because of the confusion in locating a partner. Example: used to control stink bugs in apple orchards.
  • By introducing non-invasive natural predators of pests, you allow for the food chain to handle the pest management. Example: lady bugs will eat aphids, wasps that lay eggs to control certain pest populations
• Chemical
  • Last resort
  • Acceptable categories for pesticides, whether natural or synthetic must be in the III-V range on the OPP scale or Category 4-5 on the GHS scale to be regulated.
  • The organic system plan must include proof of the first 4 steps when the plan is checked annually by a federal representative.
• Sampling:
  • Once registered as organic, each farmer will be provided with a pest sampling plan. Every farmer should start out with the preventative measures, even if there is not a problem right away.
  • After a problem has been diagnosed, steps 2-4 should be employed. Documented attempts at these management methods are required before resorting to chemicals.
  • Included in the sampling kit: Instructions, pest identification booklet, charts dictating what solution the number of pests needs, and a quadrat.

GMOs:

• GMOs are acceptable to use for insect and rodent pest management. Non-acceptable GMOs would include RoundUp Ready or any modification that promotes the use of pesticides. All GMOs use must be intercropped with non-GMO seeds to minimize resistance.

Works Cited:

“Aphid.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid.

CHEMICAL HAZARD CLASSIFICATION AND LABELING : COMPARISON OF OPP REQUIREMENTS AND THE GHS .

EPA, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/ghscriteria-summary.pdf.

“Code of Federal Regulations.” ECFR, www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?

c=ecfr&SID=9874504b6f1025eb0e6b67cadf9d3b40&rgn=div6&view=text&node=7%3A3.1.1.9.32.7&idno=7.

“Integrated Pest Management (IPM).” IPM | City of Santa Fe, New Mexico,

www.santafenm.gov/integrated_pest_management_ipm.

Meredith Muschweck and Natalie Lisle