We need insects in our garden, so use a product that only controls the pests.
Insects are necessary in our gardens. They play an important role in the natural ecosystems that keep our gardens healthy and alive. As such, using blanket pesticides with the intention of killing pests, can wreak havoc on all insect populations, and is not only irresponsible, but also counterproductive. Our gardens need biodiversity and balance. Without this balance keeping your garden healthy can be tricky. This is where using a product like EcoBuz Pest Pro comes in useful.
Some pests, that are insects, that do need to be controlled are red spider mite, whitefly, tomato leaf miner and false codling moth, and Pest Pro is registered for all of these.
Red spider mite pests
Red spider mite pests can be a real pain, especially in dry conditions during summer. They breed and spread rapidly, are difficult to detect, and require perseverance and persistence to control them once they have established themselves. Look out for tell-tale signs of infestation: discolouration of the upper leaf surface, lack of new growth, and plants looking dull and lacklustre. These pests need to be controlled as they suck the sap from the leaves, causing plants to lose condition rapidly.
Whitefly pests
Whitefly can be difficult to control because as soon as you start to spray they fly off and settle on another plant. They suck the sap of plants, weakening them and also potentially transmitting disease. Like red spider mites, they are particularly problematic during the hot months, although they prefer humidity.
Tomato leaf miner pests
Tomatoes suffer from many diseases and pests under the sun, one of which is tomato leaf miner. The little pests, which are the larvae of moths, ‘mine’ their way through the leaves of the host plant, creating trails that can be seen on the leaves. In low numbers these larvae cause just cosmetic damage, but if the population explodes then the damage can affect the plant’s health and crop, also making it more vulnerable to other afflictions.
False codling moth pests
It is the larvae or caterpillars of the false codling moth that causes the damage. They hatch after the adult lays the leaves on the surface of the fruit (avocadoes, citrus, macadamias, grapes, etc) and then burrow into the fruit. Not only do these pests eat away at the inside of the fruit, but the holes they create in the surface allow entry to other pests and diseases.
Pest Pro contains spores of the beneficial fungi Beauvaria bassiana – a soil-borne fungi that occurs naturally and commonly in many soils. The strain used in Pest Pro was originally isolated from beneath a rooibos plant in Clanwilliam and is well adapted to the hot, dry conditions of our country. Pest Pro is a 100% South African product, comprehensively researched, developed and commercialised in KZN. Pest Pro is well established in the local agricultural industry and is currently being registered in the EU and USA. Pest Pro (Reg No L 10579, Act 36 of 1947) is a biological pest-control solution that is safe, non-toxic and friendly to beneficial insects including bees, ladybirds, parasitoid wasps, lacewings, earthworms, birds and fish. Pest Pro is also OMRI certified (Organic).
How does Pest Pro work?
Pest Pro applications are recommended as a foliar spray. Best efficacy is obtained with direct contact of the target pests, so ensure good coverage of the affected foliage and flowers or fruit. It is important to note that whitefly and red spider mite are commonly found on the underside of leaves, so ensure you reach these areas. When spores make contact with the pests (or are ingested), they germinate, penetrate, grow and multiply inside the body, ultimately resulting in the death of the pest. This process takes 3 – 5 days, but pest behaviour alters much sooner. Pest Pro is effective on all life stages – insects, eggs and larvae. Three applications are recommended at 7 – 14-day intervals.
Important info when using biological products such as Pest Pro
Because the active ingredient in Pest Pro is a fungus, the use of broad spectrum fungicides should be avoided for at least three days before and after applications. For increased efficacy applications should be made during the late afternoon or early evening as spores are UV sensitive.
Gardening is biology, revolving around the biological processes of growth and life. For millions of years, plants have thrived and grown successfully with no human intervention.
Chemical pest control and plant nutrition have become the norm over the past 80 years, though, with many negative side effects recently emerging. The good news is that new natural innovations, offering a long-term holistic alternative, are now emerging – ‘biologicals’ for biological gardening.
A biological gardening approach centres around nature, embracing the synergistic relationships that occur naturally to ensure survival and sustainability. As gardeners we have been taught to view bacteria as germs, fungi as diseases, and insects and weeds as pests. However, the scientific truth is that many of these critters are beneficial, even essential, to healthy plant growth and development. When there is an excess of one pest species it is often an indication that the natural balance has been disturbed and an indication of vulnerability.
Natural biological control takes place continuously, in its own unique way, within every ecosystem. Using a garden as an example, biological pest control would include everything from birds feeding on grubs to owls catching rats, to ladybirds keeping aphids under control, or parasitic wasps laying their eggs on caterpillars. Even competitor plants such as alien invasives influence the ecosystem of a garden.
Finally, gardeners need to be aware that there are good pathogens – beneficial bacteria, fungi and viruses that feed on microbes and insects. There are also bacteria that are good for the soil, as probiotics are good for your stomach.
Biological products contain the naturally occurring enemies of crop pests and diseases, as well as organisms that facilitate improved root growth and nutrient uptake. These living organisms may be fungi, bacteria or viruses, in environmentally friendly and easy-to-use formulations, excellent for biological gardening.
Although perceived as a relatively new science, this technology dates back to the late 19th century, but has experienced a re-emergence with the decreasing faith in chemical agriculture. The process of identifying, screening, isolating, testing and mass producing microbes can take decades and in order for biological products to be sold commercially, they need to adhere to the same stringent controls as synthetic products in terms of efficacy and application.
Several strains of fungi and bacteria have been identified to be effective in the control and management of pests and diseases. Each has a unique mode-ofaction. For example, the fungal spores of Beauveria bassiana attach and penetrate through the ‘skin’ of whitefly, spider mite and various other insect pests when contact is made. The fungus grows and multiplies inside the insect, ultimately resulting in death. Similarly, beneficial bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens colonises plant surfaces, occupying space at potential infection sites, utilising nutrient sources and making it difficult for pathogens such as powdery mildew to get established.
Biopesticides are not a ‘soft option’, but offer highly effective pest-management solutions. Due to their natural presence and relative host specificity they are safe for the environment, non-toxic to non-target organisms like bees, beneficial insects, pets and, most importantly, children. In addition, most bio-pesticides are residue free and can be applied to edible crops right up to harvest. They also act in a way that is unique when compared to their chemical counterparts. This makes them ideal for use in rotation with synthetic chemistry to prevent and manage pest resistance – a process whereby frequent use of the same chemistry results in a pest organism no longer being susceptible to its effect.
What does all this mean for biological gardening?
The goal of sustainable biological gardening is to grow healthy plants, in a healthy environment with minimal impact on the environment. Biopesticides offer natural, non-chemical alternatives. These may not be as immediate and as impactful as a synthetic pesticide, because they take a little longer to take effect, but they are just as effective as their chemical counterparts and should be the first option in your garden’s pest management program.
A potato farmer from Harrismith is changing the way we look
at soil.
Potatoes – just add butter and you have the perfect side dish, whether they are boiled, mashed or fried. We all eat potatoes, and in most households no meal is complete without this starchy tuberous crop. But, and here’s cause for concern, do you know where your humble potato comes from, and what it contains? Has it been grown in clean soil? After all, we are always told that we are what we eat.
James Leslie, a progressive farmer from Harrismith in the Free
State, knew where his potatoes were coming from and where they were going, and
decided to make what some farmers might call a radical change to his approach
to farming.
James’s company, Sesisonke Farming, was founded in 2005, and
the name is particularly apt. ‘Sonke’ means ‘all of us’ in Zulu, a description
that encompasses who the company is and why they are doing what they are doing.
So what are they doing? Essentially, Sesisonke Farming is trying to grow
cleaner food using cleaner soil, which obviously benefits all of us.
James started questioning their methods of farming after
taking his young son to the fields with him one morning. As children do, he was
playing in the soil and eating it, and James had to stop him because of the
poisons in the soil from the pest control products he was using at the time.
When the soil is poisonous it’s time for change. It was then that James decided
to plant in virgin soil (virgin soil is soil that has never been cultivated
before). As you’d expect, he was apprehensive about his yield, especially
relative to the yield from his conventionally farmed lands.
But after harvesting and finding that the ‘virgin soil’
potato yield was higher than the previously planted fields, James knew the
future was in balanced soil. He started to learn, discovering that soil health
is not just about adding nutrients but feeding living organisms such as
bacteria and fungi living within it. According to this new theory, soil should
be seen as a functional whole, an ecosystem. After returning from a seminar
hosted by Graeme Sait, a world leader in the knowledge of healthy soil and the
direct impact it has on our health and planet, James started implementing the
principles to attain a healthy crop while building soil health.
In the last few years, we as consumers have been made aware
of words like organic, sustainable, wholesome, nonchemical and natural. The
perception is that a farmer has to go to great lengths to attain these labels,
but even if they do, do we as consumers even understand these global demands?
When he delved deeper, James was surprised as to the lack of
knowledge available on how soil functions in a healthy environment. He did,
however, bump into likeminded people during his research, like those at Madumbi
Sustainable Agriculture. They found a common purpose to challenge and change
traditional ways of practising agriculture and revolutionise the farming
industry with the goal being to produce nutritious, uncompromised food for the
nation.
By focusing on conditioning and building the soil over more
than a decade, James now plants in a humus-rich biosystem. This results in
softer, more fertile soil, and softer soil equates to less tilling. Less
tilling means that the microbes don’t get disturbed and destroyed, and microbes
add to the health of crops. Healthy crops are in turn less prone to disease,
and that means less chemical applications are required.
“Over the past two decades, human health care has evolved from reactively reaching for medication and anti-biotics to proactively improving overall health, wellness and fitness. It’s time to do the same in your garden.”
To further build the soil, James plants as many cover crops
as possible, after harvesting his main crop. These crops are then incorporated
into the soil as green manures adding valuable organic matter into the cycle.
Keeping living roots in the soil guarantees that the microbes are fed, and by
bringing animals to eat these green crops he ensures that the fodder is
recycled and the nutrients are put back in the soil by the excrement of the
grazing feeders
On my visit to James, he explained the life of soil so well.
He said, “It’s like looking at the ocean’s surface. All you see is blue and
waves, but once you go to an aquarium and submerge yourself you realise the
enormity of life below the surface. It is the same with soil – under a
microscope you can see the millions of functioning microorganisms that inhabit
that space below the surface. They all have a role to play.”
Every time James plants a crop, every hectare is planted
with compost, to boost the levels of organic matter or humus (partially
decomposed organic matter). The humus retains moisture and keeps soil
temperatures moderate. This is also big-scale worm farming, as James uses
vermitea (worm ‘wee’) as an additional fertiliser. Thanks to these practices,
James has maintained a steady yield even through Harrismith’s drier years,
mostly due to his healthy soil and its humus content.
By understanding what the soil needs to function as an
ecological community and the impact good soil has on food production, James and
the Sesisonke team, with the help of Madumbi, have guaranteed good health, for
the soil and for you.
Our Team is ready to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. Feel free to get in touch!
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If we are not available then email us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. hello@tanyavisser.com
Red spider mite pests
