How We Manage Pests on the Farm

Weekly Monitoring is Key

It’s important to note that Integrated Pest Management is just that: the management, not the eradication, of pests. On our farms, we have outlined several rules and regulations that our Pharmers follow to prevent and control pests. We start with weekly monitoring of individual plant species. To detect early infestations, a crop scouting program is critical. We use yellow sticky trap cards and perform visual inspections with a hand lens to detect pest activity like insect frass, aphid honeydew, small insect eggs, etc. We make sure to check the undersides of leaves, stem-leaf internodes, and roots for the presence of pests or other issues.

Taking Notes

Record keeping is another important task on the farm. Keeping detailed notes helps us identify trends and directs our pest management efforts. For starters, we track all measures of control used in our greenhouse with a pest and disease log. We also track the minimum and maximum temperatures for each day, log any counts from the sticky cards (which are changed weekly), log counts of pests found on plants (noting their stage of growth, too), randomly select plants for root health checks, and jot down any specific crop observations (like abnormal plant height or leaf color).

A Squeaky Clean Greenhouse

When it comes to dealing with pests, prevention is key – and these are just a handful of our protocols! Keeping a culture of sanitation goes a long way, and it all begins in and around the greenhouse, where vulnerable baby seedlings get their start.

This involves a lot of cleaning, including using a high-pressure water spray (with hot water if available) to clean soil and vegetative debris from previous crops off the containers and greenhouse benches. We also sanitize all internal components of the greenhouse using an approved organic sanitizer and ideally leave the greenhouse empty for a week before starting the next crop. Outside of the greenhouse, we also remove any weeds that can harbor pests and dispose of them away from the greenhouse. And, when the greenhouse is empty in the summer, we keep it closed to increase the temperature and make it a less appealing hideout for insects.

Mechanical & Physical Controls

Mechanical and physical controls provide our next line of defense after monitoring and cleanliness. Items like sticky ribbons and screens are simple, eco-friendly, and prevent pest populations from thriving. Sticky ribbons are long sticky strips that are hung throughout the greenhouse to catch flying pests like whiteflies, leafminers, aphids, fungus gnats, and thrips. Screens such as bird netting, clear plastic, or remay deter birds and gophers from eating seedlings. They particularly love Echinacea and Artichoke seedlings! And finally, good old-fashioned hand removal of pests is great too.

Bring on the Predators

When it comes to battling pests, don’t underestimate harnessing the power of Mother Nature! Biological controls consist of introducing predatory insects that prey upon the crop pests affecting our herbs. In order for this to work, you need to positively identify the pest and their relevant life cycle stage. Timing is super important – a release of predatory pests can take days to weeks, so it could be ineffective depending on the circumstance. In our greenhouse, we love releasing ladybugs to control aphids.

Use Organic Biopesticides

According to the National Organic Program, organic biocontrol products are only to be used as a last resort after cultural, physical, mechanical, and biological methods have been used and proven ineffective. In that case, the National Organic Program has a list of approved options. It’s important to note that before a farm can use them, there must be detailed records of trying the above methods first, along with documenting use of any organically approved products on our farm.