Maybe I can at least persuade folks to read the work of Dr. Philip Callahan,
in Florida, who proved without any doubt that it is the electromagnetic spectrum
wavelengths that insects recognize. As he points out, inssect antennae are
really antennae.
It is easier if I just quote from my own Organic Method Primer UPDATE, in the
huge chapter on insects, pg 266:
"..are really antennae, like simiconductors. "Because they are coated with
wax, they are also paramagnetic structures.
"Such structures are able to receive wavelengths of the infrared spectrum,
so when an insect picks up this information, its brain tells it the frequencies
mean something to eat or drink or a mate or whatever.
"Since everything gives off infrared radiation, and in its own particular
range of emotted vibrations, the composition made of all the vibrational
frequency of all parts of any entity add up to one, composite frequency thatn an
insect receives. It can translat that information, so it knows what to do about
it.
"The total combination message, 'combined frequency' varies with the state
of the plant. That frequency is different, depending on whether or not the plant
is healthy. For example, if the planta is missing a mineral, it 'vibrates at a
different composite frequency', one that tells the insect: "This is food for
me". If the plant is so healthy that its brix reading is very high, the
composite frequency it emits will not correspond to the frequency that spells
'food' to the insect."
Well that word from Callahan says it all.
And of course, academia sneered. But then 20 yrs later found out he was right
but pretended that it is not exactly the same as what he said, but IT WAS.
Anyway, in the rest of that section in the UPDATE, there are other researchers
quoted who found out the same thing in many different, interesting ways.
SO, dear interneter, just get busy to strengthen your soil, with most likely
plenty of organic matter. Finished compost is of course splendid, with leaf mold
being even better, if you can find it to buy or even in a pile behind a tree.
Absolutely, if the soil is adequate, there will not be insect pests.
===================
Argall Family wrote:
> Kevin wrote
> >I haave aphids on chard, which hAs been growing all winter in a permanent
> bed
> in my greenhouse. This greenhouse also contains lots of flats of little
> baby plants. Should I be concerned that the aphids will cause problems
> by spreading to these? What should I do to avoid a problem? Thanks
>
> My experiences with aphids is that they vary with the degree of stress,
> particularly nutritional, on plants, thus more with soil imbalance and more
> in pots than in open, natural, balanced conditions.
>
> In a greeenhouse 'permanent bed' you may have some substantial imbalance,
> perhaps a potassium deficiency if you have been heavily cropping and heavily
> watering. A small amount of pot ash, or mulching with straw, hay, maybe
> chopped lucerne hay, may provide eventual help. Are you topping up with good
> compost? Is there a rotation? Does the soil attract earthworm?
>
> Are there any predators in the greenhouse? Are ladybirds, etc happy there.
> Baby plants running on seed energy may do well until they start to shoot up
> using the resources of a tired soil.
>
> my thoughts; contradiction, improvement welcome
>
> Dennis
>
> To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
> "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command
> "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest".
> To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
> "subscribe sanet-mg-digest".
>
> All messages to sanet-mg are archived at:
> http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail
To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".
All messages to sanet-mg are archived at:
http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail