PESTS AND DISEASE CONTROL IN ECOLOGICAL FARMING
by Damalie Nakaziba (Uganda)
Ecological farming is the practice of raising crops and animals without using inorganic chemicals (fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides). It is an upcoming practice and is used as a catch word in farming.
Advantages:
- The practice results in production of quality farm produce which is free from chemical and very safe for human consumption.
- It is cheap and manageable by subsistence farmers.
- Chemical residues, which would pollute the environment also become a story of the past.
- Other partners in the environment are protected, e.g soil organisms which are useful in soil formation are saved from destruction.
- Farmers who are normally exposed to dangerous chemicals during application are saved from health hazards.
- Organic mixtures are found to be effective in post harvest handling eg ash, anthill soils, tobacco leaves, etc. these reduce health hazards to the users.
Problems with pesticides
- Pesticides can hurt unborn children.
- Pesticides and bees do not mix.
Despite the above advantages and other positive attributes of ecological farming, pest and disease control is a challenge. However, in production of some perennial crops the fear is limited because pests and diseases can be controlled culturally as the organic fertilizers provide the required nutrients. Bananas and coffee as examples can be grown comfortably when pests and diseases are controlled culturally except when there is an outbreak.
Pests and diseases in Horticultural crops (fruits and vegetables) have been found to be very hard to control and this is the biggest challenge in ecological farming. Some examples of pest that are hardest to control are the cabbage caterpillars and leaf borers. These pests have caused a lot of economic loss.
The organic concoctions that are normally used are not all that effective.
Similar problems apply in other fruits and vegetables which are organically produced.
A variety of materials (plant or animal) products are being used by farmers.
Examples are as below:
- Neem tree - banana weevils + nematodes control
- Red pepper + water - cassava mosaic and some insects, pests,(caterpillars) e.g. on vegetable
- Tobacco intercrop in bananas can also control pests (general0
- Moringa tree - Banana weevils, worms in pigs
- Urine + wood ash - to control banana weevils
Other local herbs
These are usually mixed with water but the concentrations not specifically determined. Also they may not be crop or pest specific hence tried on a number of pests as the individual farmers problem may be.
Example of a locally prepared drug
- 1 jerrican of urine (animal0
- 1 tempeco (1/2 litre ) of wood ash
- 1 Kg of Kawunyira
- 1 Tempeco of red pepper
- 1/2 piece of bar soap or 1 tumpeco of papaya leaves/seeds
Preparation:
- Ferment the urine for 2 weeks
- add the rest of the ingredients to the urine and ferment for 3 days.
Application:
Apply 5 litres of the mixture on each banana stool to control banana weevils and nematodes
for vegetables apply 1 litre per plant
NB: First dilute the mixture with an equal amount of water before applying on vegetables.
The local drugs have an advantage of supplying some nutrients to the crop, but require more research for modification
Proper cultural management aspects are also encouraged to minimise the pests and disease problem e.g. timely planting, proper spacing, weeding, pruning, timely harvesting, proper drying and redrying, proper storage, some intercrops etc.
Way forward
- In the strategic intervention of production for export, and PMA, the Government is encouraging producers to produce for export market. Worldwide, organically produced produce is on high market and in some countries, some crops will not meet the required standards if the chemical content exceeds a given level. The population should be sensitized about this mode of production for increased market opportunities.
- The information sharing regarding control of pests and diseases should be encouraged. Information disseminators (e.g. extension and other service providers) should be made aware of the market advantages of the organic mode of production
- Research on application rates should be carried out.
- More plants and organic mixtures effective in pest and disease control should be looked for. Researchers should unearth indigenous knowledge regarding pest/disease control.
