Pick and Write [Agricultural Word]👉#20
Agriculture is truly a work of art: the journey from a small seed to a bountiful harvest is an enriching and inspiring process. Every farmer however has to deal with one invisible but constant struggle; in the interesting topics offered for this week I chose to talk about Pest Management, as in my opinion this aspect plays the role of the critical guard which protects our food and hard work.
Pest management refers to the system of identifying, controlling and monitoring all pests which potentially attack crops such as insects, weeds, plant diseases or rodents and jeopardize our food yield. Although nature seems resilient it also knows how to damage our crops very easily. So as I stated previously in a farm, letting everything to nature may cause enormous damages. On the other hand, current day pest management does not rely anymore on huge applications of chemical pesticides as it did before. Instead, its aim is now to integrate these applications as part of a balanced strategy: the concept of Integrated Pest Management or IPM.
IPM focuses on cooperation and sustainability; for this, it is advised to use physical barriers such as protection nets, introducing natural enemies such as ladybugs or ladybugs into a crop of aphis, or making use of companion planting in order to prevent nasty pests attacking the crops. A classic example is to grow some marigold next to some vegetables; in this way we will succeed in eliminating harmful nematodes. In case the application of chemical treatments will be necessary it should be made in minimal proportions and with high selectivity. This application should only affect the pests in order to minimize damaging of beneficial insects, soil and the end customer.
Efficient pest management plays a very important role in food safety at global level, and in local level it contributes in economic sustainability of small farmers. Reducing pests below certain levels that may cause damages results to an increase in food yield, better product quality and stable market prices. However, if green pest management techniques are employed it is possible to preserve our natural environment and at the same time protect beneficial insects and pollinators as well as guarantee long-term fertility of the soil.
In conclusion, pest management is one of the most important processes of modern agriculture as it is a concept which connects traditional experience with modern awareness towards environmental problems. Using environmentally friendly strategies in order to manage pests enables farmers to have healthier crops and to secure our food supply while protecting the natural balance.
Thanks for reading my post I'm inviting @okere-blessing, @bela90 and @rad-austine to participate.