ORGANIC PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL

ORGANIC PESTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE

Sometimes plants need helping hand to stop infestations from bugs and fungi.

Insect pests are major threat to crop production industries in the world, they are capable of causing great economic damage on the farm.

They are carriers of major disease in crop, examples are mealy bugs, white flies. Some defoliate crop leaves making it prone to airborne diseases, example is the grass hopper and leaf beetles. Some feed on the sap juice of the plant thereby reducing the plant vigour, this type of insects are called the piercing and sucking insect examples are aphids, thrips etc.

Pesticides are known chemicals used to eradicate insect pest on farm. They maybe synthetic or organic. The latter is non-chemical because it is made from raw natural materials, which makes it safe for use on crops, the synthetic type comprises of chemical formulations. Which maybe detrimental to human health because they do have residual effect on the crop upon usage, this has raise the campaign against it usage on crop. What I will be teaching you is how to make an organic pesticide for your farm.

Organic pesticides are cheap and safe to use, unlike the synthetic pesticides which require precautions in usage. Another interesting advantage of organic pesticides is that, they have no recommended dosage unlike the synthetic type which one must be cautious and follow the prescribed dosage strictly before applying. Organic pesticides are not toxic and they are easy to prepare.

This cheap and easy-to-make recipe for a natural and organic pesticide and fungicide

You will need:

Organic liquid soap (this should be free from phosphates, ammonia and chlorine)

Organic vegetable oil

Baking soda

Water

One gallon container with sprayer

STEP

Add 2-3 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda and 1-1.5 teaspoons of organic liquid soap to one gallon of water. Ideally use rainwater or tap water that has been sitting uncovered for a few hours. This allows the chlorine or any other chemical contaminant to evaporate away from the water.

Shake well and spray on plants.

FUNCTION OF ADDED INGREDIENT

SOAP: The soap acts as an insect repellent and the

BAKING SODA: Baking soda works as a fungicide.

OIL: The oil helps retain the other active ingredients on the plant surfaces, and acts as an added pesticide by preventing insects from adhering to the plant.

Cover the underside of the leaves as well as the tops.

Please note: Do not spray plants with this mixture, or even with plain water, in full sun. Even water droplets can burn delicate leaves and petals when the sun is hot and at full strength. Choose a time when there is cloud cover or towards dusk.

Any excess liquid should be disposed of do not leave in the container for any length of time. Make up a fresh batch for when you need to reapply.

HOW OFTEN THE PESTICIDE SHOULD BE APPLIED.

It is recommends once every two to four weeks throughout the season or whenever the insect attack the plants. Any more often and you may get a buildup of soapy residue on the soil.

These sorts of recipes extremely useful. The ingredients are safe for pets and children and cheaply and easily available. The simplicity of the recipe is also very appealing.

INGREDIENT 2 ( ORGANIC FUNGICIDES)

Sodium Bicarbonate

Neem Oil

Garlic

Other Bicarbonates

Fungus can be a nasty problem in farms. Many farmers these days turn to homemade and, where possible, organic solutions instead of more expensive store-bought varieties. Simple, easy-to-find ingredients characterize these do-it-yourself fungicides.

BAKING SODA:

Baking soda is a common household ingredient, and is used mainly as a fungus preventative.

STEP IN PREPATION AND APPLICATION

Combine 1½ teaspoons of baking soda with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and a gallon of water. Spray to combat powdery mildew every 5 to 10 days until the solution drips off the plants, and spray more frequently in rainy weather.

You should not use this treatment too long, however, as salt may build up on your plants; keep an eye on them for signs of wilt or burn, and stop accordingly.

NEEM OIL:

This reddish oil is made from seeds of the neem tree.

STEP IN PREPATION AND APPLICATION

Mix 2 tablespoons per gallon of water and spray on plants. Though as a treatment it works slowly, as a preventative it is quite effective. Apply once per month in the dry season and weekly in the raining season, on top of and beneath leaves, for treatment and prevention.

GARLIC:

Another good preventative is garlic, and its effectiveness against fungus on cacti and succulents is matched only by its repellent effect on other pests.

STEP IN PREPATION AND APPLICATION

Blend 10 cloves of garlic with a pint of water in the blender, and then strain the mixture well.

Spray weekly to kill fungus and discourage regrowth.

Reduce the Need for Fungicide for Plants

To reduce the need for using a fungicide for plants, it may help to select healthy, pest resistant plants and practice good sanitation in the farms. Keep plants healthy and their growing area weed -free to cut back on the need for fungicide for plants.

More often than not, fungi are the result of pests in the garden. Sometimes, pest control for plants is as simple as a blast of water from the garden hose, knocking off aphids and other piercing and sucking insects. When pest problems and resulting fungal issues require treatment.

Learning how to make your own fungicide gives you control of the ingredients, many of which are already in your home.

INGREDIENT 3 ( INSECTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE)

The type of pesticide can be used as an insecticide and fungicide.

The raw materials needed to make it are

Local black soap

Vegetable Oil.

Baking Soda

Water.

How to mix the raw materials

Get one liter of water, preferably a clean water, mix four (4) teaspoons of baking soda then mix two (2) tablespoons of the vegetable oil and two (2) tablespoons of the liquid soap. Shake this mixture together vigorously. Then spray on your crops.

It should be applied early in the morning or late in the evening to enhance effectiveness. It can be used on any type of crop especially vegetables like cucumber, watermelon etc.

16 COMPANION AND PEST REPELLANT PLANTS YOU CAN PLANT ON YOUR FARM.

Often times, farmers face huge problem as a result of pest invasion. Pests are dangerous; they are great threats to the success of any farm business. Chemical pesticides have been the usual way to control pests on farms; however, its effect on human's health has waged a huge campaign against its use. Most of these pesticides are poisonous in nature, this is what exactly eradicates pest. But, at times, these pesticides do have residual effects on human as a result of the contamination of the crops during its application.

There are some measures that can be implemented to control pests on farm, without the use of chemicals; some are:

Proper land preparation: If you adopt a conventional tillage system, where the soil is heavily pulverized to expose pests and their habitat to desiccation, you will experience a pest free situation on your farm.

Timely cultivation: This involves studying the reproductive cycle of the prevailing pest, such that, planting is done when the pests are less populated. Also, pests are more active during the dry season, thus, planting during the rainy season is another way to boycott pest.

However, taking preventive measure is better than controlling. As you plant your crop, there are some plants you can as well plant simultaneously; these plants are called companion and pest repellant plants.

Companion and pest repellant plants: They help to reduce pest population and also serve some beneficial purposes like proper utilization of space and enhance crop safety through the provision of habitat for beneficial plants, the companion plants. These plants can be harvested and consumed too. If you are looking for plants that repel flies; or plants that repel aphids; or plants that repel bugs; you can plant any of the following plants alongside your crops and get them protected. Instead of spending more on chemical pesticides, that is detrimental and expensive, you can just invest in edible pest repellant plant.

These plants are:

Radish

If you plant cabbage and cucumber, radish will repel cabbage maggot and cucumber beetles; it will enhance the quality and quantity of your crop. You can as well consume the radish because it is an edible root vegetable.

Garlic

Garlic is a known spice but can as well be grown as a pest repellant plant. Garlic repels root maggot, bean beetle, cabbage looper and even rabbit. Garlic is a very useful plant.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a good companion and pest repellant plant for carrot. It repels carrot flies. Both can be harvested as they are edible vegetables.

Mexican Marigold

This ornamental plant can be used as a pest repellant; it repels insect and rabbits.

Onion

This is another spice plant that can be used as a pest repellant. It repels rabbits and cabbage hooper.

Oregano

This plant is a very effective pest repellant plant, it repels many pests.

Peppermint

This plant is another effective pest repellant; it repels aphids, cabbage looper, flea beetles, squash bugs, and white flies. These pests are major threats to crop production.

This flower repels cabbage looper, carrot fly, slug, snail and the Mexican bean beetle.

Spear mint

This plant is a broad spectrum pest repellant plant; it repels fleas, moths, ants, beetle, rodents, aphids, squash bugs, and cabbage looper.

Amaranth ( Amaranthus spinosus )

This plant is a native of tropical America, this plant repels cutworms.

Thyme

Thyme is another broad spectrum pest repellant plant; it repels major pests in crop production. It repels pests like: cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, corn earworm, white flies, and tomato hornworms.

Tobacco

This is an annual herbaceous plant. This crop repels carrot flies and flea beetles.

Venus flytrap

This is a carnivorous plant from subtropical wetland on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. This plant is very good at controlling insect pest. It preys on all insects within its environment.

Citronella grass or lemon grass

This grass originates from the tropical Asia; it is from the family of Poaceae, it is unpalatable, thus, cannot be eaten. This grass repels insects and even cats.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a flowering shrub, from the family Myrtaceae ; it is widely cultivated in the tropical and temperate world, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, China, and the Indian. This plant repels aphids, cabbage loopers and Colorado potato beetle.

Crown imperial

It is a flowering plant from the lily family; it is a native of diverse countries, ranging from Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan This plant repels vertebrate pests like rabbit, mice, moles, and ground squirrel.

You can plant more than one of these plants on your farm, depending on the prevailing pests. This is a natural way of controlling pests. With this preventive measure, you can produce a quality and organic crop for the populace.

To avoid having fungal disease in the first place:

provide good air circulation around plants by properly spacing them apart.

Water around the base of plants, instead of on the leaves.

Rake and remove fallen leaves of infected plants.

Apply a fresh layer of mulch to garden beds at the beginning of the growing seasons

Garlic has dual uses as a fungicide and non-selective insecticide.

 

Let join hands and encourage sustainable agriculture and food security.