Article published in Eco Agricultura Româneasca journal nr. 2, March-April 2018
Pests can be a real problem in agriculture because they can cause important losses in yield. This is why since the 50's phytosanitary products such as insecticides, fungicides and pesticides are used in conventional agriculture. Unfortunately, these chemicals don't have an action only on pests, but also on beneficial insects. As a consequence, in Western Europe farmers face now a massive loss in bees populations, directly linked to the use of toxic phytosanitary products. Albert Einstein predicted that if bees disappear from the face of the world, humankind will only have 4 years to live. In order to avoid this or even worse, use robot-bees (it is not some science fiction idea, a patent was created by the american supermarket chain Walmart beginning of March 2018!), a total rethinking of the approach to deal with this problem is essential for the future of agriculture.
Looking at this issue from an agroecological point of view, pests are a simptom of an imbalance within the ecosystem where the production takes place. The proliferation of pests is nothing else but the natural answer to laws of nature and which respects the population dynamics: the pests have enough to eat and there are not enough predators to limit the population, so they keep multiplying as long as there is food available. In organic agriculture there are different strategies to restrict the damages made by pests. The easiest solution and which is very similar to the one used in conventional agriculture is the use of organic insecticides, fungicides or pesticides. These products mimic the conventional strategy, with the difference that they are authorized in certified organic agriculture. These products can be bought or home made from organic sources (such as plants) or inorganic sources (such as copper sulfate).
But these products cannot always be efficient, especially when the invasion is too advanced. In biodynamic agriculture (a non-conformist branch of organic agriculture) it is important that the producer understands and respects the balance of the ecosystem and that he acts in a preventive way. Thus, the farmer has to identify the needs of the plant and to work together with the surrounding environment. He has to stop seeing his production as an object which can be "cleaned" as we wash our hands, but instead he has to understand it as a dynamic living ecosystem. The biodynamic mixtures from plants, such as the nettle fertilizer, can contribute to cover the needs of the plants. With the help of these mixtures made with medicinal plants, the farmer acts like a doctor, in order to strengthen the welfare and immunity of its plants, in such a way that the plants will be stronger and more rezistent not only to insects attacks, but also to fungi or bacteria. On the other hand, strategies consisting in traps for pests are also very useful against harmful insects. Thus, for example the presence of strips with attractive or melliferous flowers around the field is a strategy used to attract pests and also their predators towards those flowers. With this method, not only the field is protected against harmful insects and the yield is safe as long as there are attractive flowers around it, but the presence of predators becomes beneficial for the production.
But these products cannot always be efficient, especially when the invasion is too advanced. In biodynamic agriculture (a non-conformist branch of organic agriculture) it is important that the producer understands and respects the balance of the ecosystem and that he acts in a preventive way. Thus, the farmer has to identify the needs of the plant and to work together with the surrounding environment. He has to stop seeing his production as an object which can be "cleaned" as we wash our hands, but instead he has to understand it as a dynamic living ecosystem. The biodynamic mixtures from plants, such as the nettle fertilizer, can contribute to cover the needs of the plants. With the help of these mixtures made with medicinal plants, the farmer acts like a doctor, in order to strengthen the welfare and immunity of its plants, in such a way that the plants will be stronger and more rezistent not only to insects attacks, but also to fungi or bacteria. On the other hand, strategies consisting in traps for pests are also very useful against harmful insects. Thus, for example the presence of strips with attractive or melliferous flowers around the field is a strategy used to attract pests and also their predators towards those flowers. With this method, not only the field is protected against harmful insects and the yield is safe as long as there are attractive flowers around it, but the presence of predators becomes beneficial for the production.
To conclude, for a truly eficient solution against pests, the farmer must change his perspectives and approaches to face this problem:
- He must become aware of the needs of his plants and must act in a preventive way;
- He must observe the ecosystem where his field is situated (flora, fauna, soil, etc.) and its way of functioning/interacting;
- He must work together with the surrounding environment, not against it;
- He must try his best to reestablish a balance in this ecosystem.
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