Organic farmers in the United States have been pushing for years to have the “green” practices of no pesticides or fertiliser use in organic farming. This is one issue which is a huge source of concern to consumers, especially those who live in large cities, where the concentration of these chemicals can be really staggering. It is clear that there are a lot of people out there who want nothing to do with the use of pesticides and no fertilisers in their food. However, there are people out there who want to continue using these things – but they are afraid of the impact this will have on their health and the environment. When you stop to think about it, is there really any advantage to using these kinds of products?
If you think about the issue of synthetic substances being sprayed onto crops and into the soil where the plants grow, you’ll find that this is a rather new development. We have been spraying crops with various kinds of poisons from a long time, but the practice has been increasing over the last decade. There are even several companies out there whose business it is to produce these pesticides, with the intention of selling them to farmers who are interested in organic growing. With the increased availability of these substances, it has been discovered that farmers who plant their crops with the help of this natural substance are not experiencing any negative impact.
These companies make money by selling a variety of different pesticides. For example, one type of product that they sell is called Bifen. Bifen is generally used as an insecticide, and it kills the insects that can threaten a crop’s growth – which includes aphids, scarves, crickets, and certain forms of spider. These insects tend to cause crop diseases, and because farmers market these products to control these pests, they tend to push up the price of the crop that they are trying to protect. So while some people may be paying more for these products, most of the farmers in the US are unaffected by the increased cost of pest control substances.
Another substance that these companies sell is Bacillus Thuringiensis. It is commonly known as soil bacterium, and it is naturally present in soil. However, some scientists have developed Bacillus Thuringiensis as a soil-freshening product, making it a great alternative for organic farmers. In addition to its ability to fatten the soil, this natural substance also prevents the formation of nitrosamines – substances that can cause cancer. Organic farmers depend on this substance to protect their plants against harmful insects, and to keep them healthy.
Some other products that are sold to farmers include Echinacea Strainers. Both of these substances are stimulants, which attract pests away from a field. The Strainer can also cure infected plants so that they don’t die. So, unlike conventional pesticides, these do not harm the natural organisms that are already in place in the soil.
What’s more, there are products available that will make organic farming even more cost-effective. These products, called agriculture bioprofenols, or APRFs, contain natural and biodegradable ingredients that do not contain pesticides. Instead, the natural ingredients act as an appetite suppressant for pests. Farmers can spray these sprays directly on fields, and they work just as well as other pesticides. Bioprofenol products are only permitted in organically grown foods, so they cannot be bought on the retail market. They are, however, available online.
Organic farmers need to take special measures when combating pests, because they are more difficult to control than weeds. Pests like aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, lace bugs, and cicada beetles feed on the roots. They destroy the roots, affecting the whole plant, before the plant can grow a healthy root system. By using organic methods, farmers can protect their crops from such pests.
Because some pests are more difficult to control than others, sometimes it is necessary to resort to pesticides. Many farmers who use pesticides do so because they want to protect their crops from a specific type of insect. For example, they may wish to kill aphid infestations. However, they often also want to control an insect that is believed to have caused a plant to fail, such as the leaf blight that affects many plants. A good example of this is a plant called red spider. Although it is a pest itself, it has been found to cause conditions that affect the health of other plants.