Organic farming, the growing of crops without synthetic chemicals, is one of the best agricultural practices as it ensures the production of chemical-free food products while conserving the environment.
The key principles of organic farming include boosting soil health naturally, minimizing pollution, and ensuring farm animals’ health.
Some of the popular organic farming methods include Compost and natural fertilizers, Crop rotation, natural pest control, green manures, and cover crops.
Organic Pest Control
Organic pest control is the use of natural methods and substances to manage and eliminate pests, rather than relying on synthetic chemicals.
The practice reduces the exposure to harmful chemicals, ensuring that the produce is safer for consumption.
Additionally, farmers and agricultural workers are less exposed to toxic substances, leading to better occupational health
Home-made organic pesticides should always be sprayed on crops during the cool part of the day (mornings or late afternoons) to avoid burning of the crops.
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Below are some of the organic pesticides to use on your farm and how to use them:
- Garlic – Crush and mix with hot water- cool for 2hrs, then spray to control aphids.
- Tithonia (Mexican sunflower) – Crush 2kg of leaves, soak in 4 litres of warm water for 2-3hours or in cold water for 2 days. Spray to control caterpillars.
- Thorn apple (Datura stramonium) – Take 1kg of leaves, fruits and branch stems, – Crush and boil in 4 litres of water for 20 minutes and let it cool. Spray to control scale insects, aphids and leaf miner (Tuta absoluta).
- Pawpaw leaves – Take 1 kg of green and fresh leaves, – crush and boil in 4litres of water for 20 minutes. Spray to control scale insects, aphids.
- Wood ash – Get maize combs, burn them and dry the ash. This should be applied around the plants especially the transplanted vegetable seedlings, to control cut worms in fields where cut worms are a problem.
- Hot pepper – Crush 500 grams of riped hot pepper fruits, mix with 5 litres of water, boil for 20 minutes. Sieve and add another 5 litres of water mixed with 50ml of any mild dish wash (non-detergent) soap – Spray to control ants (termites), aphids, flies, caterpillars.
- Lantana camara – Get branches and leaves, burn to get the ash- broadcast in the field or affected area to control ants and worms.
