Here, I am using biobased from the broad perspective rather
than a limited definition that would include biocontrols only.
A few practices that are less sustainable:
*Clean cultivation of soils on sloping orchard lands for control of
perennial and annual weeds......this can lead to loss of organic
matter, poor earthworm count, loss of soil foodweb to induce
natural biological control of diseases, etc. Some options include
living mulch cover crops combined with partial tillage, undercut
tillage to leave a surface mulch; many susties have no problemo
whatsoever with the use of herbicides in the management of crop
residues to maintain plant material cover instead of exposed soil.
*Flame control of potato beetles....a dandy alternative technology
that provides an alternative to synthetic pesticides on one hand,
yet relies of fossil fuels and combustion of carbon fuels on the
other.
*Organic apple production...spray the trees 20 times during the
growing season with rotenone-ryania-pyrethrum for organic
acceptable insect control...in comparison to a low-spray program
with 2 applications of the synthetic Imidan.
*Tobacoo juice, chewed on by elderly residents in nursing homes
in the South and gathered in spittoons, used as a biobased spray to
control green bugs on corn crops in the Midwest. Some people argue
it is un-sustainable to ship the tobacco juice from another bioregion.
Steve Diver
> Are all biobased pest management practices compatible with sustainable
> agriculture? If not, which are most likely to be incompatible?
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Marc Safley
> marc.safley@usda.gov
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