How do organic farmers control insect pests and disease?
Healthy soil, field sanitation, and crop rotation help prevent pest problems. Providing habitat for beneficial insects that attack destructive insects is another tool. Traps for male moths during mating season have proven highly effective to prevent worms in orchard fruits. When problems get out of hand, there are botanical, mineral, and a few limited synthetic materials that can be used to combat pests. These materials tend to break down quickly and leave little, if any, residue.
