Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies

Sustainable Agriculture Network Handbook Series #7

by Miguel A. Altieri

While every farming system is unique, the principles of ecological pest management apply universally. Manage Insects on Your Farm highlights ecological strategies that improve your farm's natural defenses and encourage beneficial insects to attack your worst pests. Learn about the principles of ecologically based pest management and the strategies of farmers around the world to address insect problems. Minimize insect damage with wise soil management and identify beneficial insects to put these "good bugs" to work for you. Examples of successful pest management strategies sprinkled throughout the book will stimulate your imagination to address insect problems and develop a more complex, more diverse ecosystem on your farm.

Genres: Agriculture, Gardening

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overview and framework of using sustainable, non pesticide control of insects in crops and vegetables and fruits. it's a multi target approach: strong soil health, diverse and long rotations, diverse habitats over and above crops, monitor a lot and release beneficials if needed, spray (preferably organic) if needed. has many real Farm vignettes. and good references, has some rather poor photos, except some good bug picks

it all sounds great, but sometimes in reality you've got lots of spiders in the bathroom, wasps drinking from your wine glass outside and tons of worms eating your broccoli. hah

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was not as specific as i would have liked, and leaned more toward row crops and orchards. a few good tidbits and charts in there, but to use the advice given, you'll still need multiple other reference books.