Bellringer EXPLAIN IN COMPLETE SENTENCES WHAT ARE TRADITIONAL FARMING METHODS

NATURAL ORGANIC and BIOLOGICAL FARMING INTRODUCTION TO: NATURAL FARMING With ORGANIC & BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY (An Attempt to go back to Mother Nature)

BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL  There are many beneficial insects, birds; animals that help suppress the population of insect pest. Providing them home and habitat within your farm will greatly lessen incidents of serious infestation.  Bacteria, yeast and fungus (BYM) Pro-biotic that fight bad bacteria and fungus; and damage the egg as well as adult insect pests can be very helpful at low cost while renewable as they live and grow.

NATURAL HABITAT  We encourage green belting and preserving a natural forest within your farm to host and preserve wild animals, birds, insects and beneficial microorganisms.  Beneficial herbal plants will also grow and become source of pest control materials

HOW BIOCONTROL WORKS  The method of biological control or biocontrol makes use of natural agents such as friendly beneficial insects in controlling pests. The natural agents control the pest through:  *PREDATION – Killing & Eating *PARASITIZATION - Feeding *INFECTION -Disease

The biological agents  Predators such as ladybird beetle, spiders, dragonflies and mites.  Parasites such as Trichogramma, Braconids  Pathogens such as bacteria and fungi which cause diseases to pest.

Advantages of biologicals  Safe to man, animals, fishes and birds.  Safe to the environment with very high level (88-94%) of control  Require less labor than the chemical control.  Requires minimal expenses. Cheap compared to chemicals.

Disadvantages of Biologicals:  Very hard to rear commercially. It will need laboratory facilities secure, sanitized and away from other biological rearing facility.  It will need constant attention and monitoring by expert workers.  Due to complex parasites that will attack the host and feed competitors during rearing and field placement.  Will need correct timing in rearing and field release that farmers should well understand and follow right application procedures.

SOME ENENIES OF INSECT PESTS 1. Trichogramma 2. Braconid 3. Pirate bug 4. Spiders 5. Praying Manthis 6. Birds 7. Frogs etc.

BIO - IPM  IPM is a kind of management using different strategies and techniques such as cultural, biological and chemical in controlling insect pests and diseases in agricultural crops.  Know the season when insect breeds like Corn Borer in Mid May - July start of the rainy season. Aug.- Sept has less pest.

Three (3) kinds of insect control:  Cultural: Land preparation, cultivation, cropping pattern, irrigation and drainage, pruning and thinning, sanitation, etc.  Biologolical : Using predators, parasites and pathogens.  Chemical: The use of chemical or organic biological preparations as insecticides or insect repellant.

Basic biological control procedure: Introduction of potential natural enemies.  Augmentation through periodic release of natural enemies.  Conservation by maintaining an alternate food for the natural enemies while the pest population is low.

Basic biological control procedure:  Biological control agents:  Predators such as ants, ladybird beetle, lace wings, spider, preying mantis, hover flies, birds, frogs, etc.  Pathogens such as Bacteria and fungus like mf, bt, npv, etc.  Parasites like Trichogramma and Braconids.

Different kinds of Pesticides:  Insecticides for insect pests.  Fungicide for fungus or mold.  Bactericide for bacteria.  Nematocide for nematodes.  Herbicide for weeds or herbs.  Rodenticide for rodents or rats.  Acaricide for trips and mites.

MICRO-BIOLOGICAL FARMING  Bacteria, yeast and molds (BYM) are now being introduced in Agriculture to help farmers grow crops with lesser or no dependence on toxic synthetic chemicals.  Some of the products now available in the market for mango culture and other crops are: EM, BMO, HOC, etc.

 MYCOMET  (Metharizium anisopliae)  M.a. is a pure culture of beneficial soil inhabiting fungus that is used for the biological control of more than 300 species of insects and anthropods. It is used in controlling aphids, beetles, leaf miner, fruit borers, earworm, crickets, diamond back moth, worms, hoppers, locust, nematodes, black bug, housefly, spittle bug, white grub weevil, wireworm, thrips, ticks, termites, cockroaches, whiteflies and other insect pests.

 MYCOBO (Beuvaria bassiana)  Discovered by Balsamo Vuillemin, is a pure culture of beneficial fungus that is used as a biological control agent to parasitize insects. This is used in controlling more than 200 species of insects. Among them are ants, aphids, diamond back moth, cockroaches, mealybugs, psyllids, thrips, whitefly, and termites.

SEED and SOIL INOCULATS  Several bacteria, fungus and other beneficial microorganisms have now been developed and marketed for easy farmers use as seed and soil inoculants to increase soil fertility and help in the general vigor and productivity of plants. Example: Bio-N (Nitrogen fixing bacteria), MICOVAM (Mychorriza)

SUMMARY IN BRIEF  We have to learn the laws of nature in the Land the Sea and the Sky.  We should understand the interplay in Nature and the environment of plants, animals with the matter.  We are in a continuing process of learning the intricate mysteries of nature.

CONCLUSION  We can now grow our crops, following the natural law and adopt Natural Organic and Biological Farming Systems that are self sustaining, production cost reduction, and healthful organic food crops that are very much in demand in the domestic and export market today.  We can grow healthful crops. at lower cost.

Homework EXPLAIN YOUR PLAN OF HEALTHY FARMING. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?