FARMSCAPINGfor ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION

Rufina WardAlabama A&M University

FarmscapeIt is a whole-farm, ecological approach to

pest management through increase in biodiversity with the establishment of

hedgerows, insectary plants, cover crops and water reservoir to attract and increase beneficial organisms such as parasitic and predatory insects, spiders, bats and birds .

FARMSCAPE – A Schematic Overview

RESOURCE PATCHES

Refugia, Food and Water Source

BENEFICIAL ORGANISMS

CROP PESTS

FARMSCAPE PRACTICES

FARM PRODUCTIVITY and SUSTAINABILITY

R. Ward

General Farmscaping Strategies to Enhance Biological Control

1) Removal and/or reduction of pest habitat

2) Augmentation of beneficial habitat

3) Trap crops

Farmscape Plans are:

1) Easy to implement

2) Effective

3) Easy to modify and adopt

Benefits from Farmscape Practices

1) Reduce pesticide use

2) Save money

3) Reduce chemical residues in farm products

4) Render farm environment safe and healthy for humans and wildlife

5) Add value to the overall health and beauty of the farm

Key Considerations in Farmscape Planning

1) Ecology of pest and beneficial species

2) Synchrony

3) Choosing strategies

4) Establishment of insectary plants

Key Considerations in Farmscape Planning

5) Weather – temperature, rainfall

6) Annual vs. perennial plants

7) Soil health

FARMSCAPING PRACTICES

1) Companion Plant - Mixing different species of plants within rows or beds 

2) Strip Planting / Strip Cropping – Growing two or more crops in different strips across the field wide enough for independent cultivation

3) Interplanting – planting a mix or combination of plant species at interval in an area

Companion Planting

Example of companion planting (from left to right; lettuce, cabbage and sunflower). (G.Zehnder)

Trap Cropping

Alfalfa planted as a trap crop in strawberries to control tarnished plant bug. Photo credit: Sean Swezey (University of California) and the Organic Farming Research Foundation.

FARMSCAPING PRACTICES (Cont’d.)

4) Intercropping – a variation of interplanting where at least two different crops are planted either in the same row or in alternate of paired rows in the same area.

5) Poly-cropping (Mixed cropping) - planting two or more species combined at random

6) Multiple Cropping - production of at least two crops on the same land within a year

FARMSCAPING PRACTICES (Cont’d.)

7) Trap Cropping – crop planted to lure insect pests away from cash crops

8) Cover Crop – cultivation of a second type of crop mainly to improve the production system for a primary crop

9) Green Manure – a growing crop incorporated into the soil to improve soil quality and fertility

FARMSCAPING PRACTICES (Cont’d.)

10) Hedgerow, Windbreak,Shelterbelt - linear plant barriers (e.g., trees, shrubs, non-woody plants and grasses) planted along field edges or other areas not used for crop production.

11) Permanent Border – strip of permanent vegetation bordering the field

Factors to Consider in Establishing Insectary Plants

1) Availability of seed and plant sources  

2) Time and cost of land preparation, planting and maintenance of annual and perennial plantings

3) Equipment and supply needs

Characteristics of Ideal Insectary Plants (cont’d.)

4) Provide high quality and quantity of food supply

5) Food location must be detectable and predictable to beneficial insects

6) A combination or mix of insectary plants provide food source to different beneficial organisms over time

Examples of Good Insectary Plants

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) Polygonaceae Sweet clover (Melilotus

officinalis) Fabaceae

White clover (Trifolium repens)

Fabaceae

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) Fabaceae

Mustard plants (Brassica spp.) Brassicaceae

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa)

Fabaceae

Queen Anne’s lace Daucus carrota Apiaceae

Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)

Asteraceae

Skullcap (Scutellaria sp.)

Lamiaceae

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia grandiflora)

Asteraceae

ESSENTIAL STEPS TO FARMSCAPING

1) Keep good farm records

2) Obtain information on pests and beneficials

3) Make a list of tools that will create favorable environment to beneficials but hostile to pest species.

4) From above list, select tools that best fit into farm’s cropping system, rotation, equipment, available labor, etc.

STEPS TO FARMSCAPING (Cont’d.)

5) Fine tune the system by experimenting and re-experimenting. Try something new or modify what has already been tried to improve farming system.

6) Start simple and small, then develop the farmscaping as experience and observations dictate.

REFERENCESAltieri, M.A., and M. Leibman. 1994. Insect, weed, and plant disease management in multiple cropping systems. In Francis, C.A. (ed.). Multiple Cropping Systems. Macmillan Company, New York. 383 p.

Amador, M.F. 1980. Behavior of three species (corn, beans, squash) in polyculture in Chontalpa, Tabasco, Mexico. CSAT, Cardenas, Tabasco, Mexico.

Anon. 1990. Strip intercropping offers low-input way to boost yields. Sensible Agriculture. May. p. 7–8.

Anon. 1987. Intercropping bolsters silage yields. Hay and Forage Grower. August. p. 29.

Bowen, John F., and Bernard A. Kratky. 1986. Successfulmultiple cropping requires superior management skills. Agribusiness Worldwide. November/December. p. 22–30.

Bugg, R.L. and C. Waddington. 1994. Managing cover crops to manage arthropod pests of orchards. Agricultural Ecosystems & Environment. Vol. 50. p. 11–28.

REFERENCESEhler, L. E. 2002. Farmscape ecology of stink bugs in nothern California. Fremontia 30(3-4): 59-61.

Francis, R., and D.R. Decoteau. 1993. Developing an effective southernpea and sweet corn intercrop system. Hort Technology. Vol. 3, No. 2. p. 178–184.

Grossman, Joel, and William Quarles. 1993. Strip intercropping for biological control. IPM Practitioner. April. p. 1–11.

Long, R.F., A. Corbett, C. Lamb, C. Reberg-Horton, J. Chandler, M. Stimmann. 1998. Beneficial insects move from flowering plants to nearby crops. California Agriculture, September-October. p. 23–26.

Martin, Ralph, Don Smith, and Harvey Voldeng. 1987. Intercropping corn and soybeans. Sustainable Farming. REAP Canada. McGill University, Macdonald Campus. www.eap.mcgill.ca

Pickett, C.H. and R.L. Bugg (eds). 1998. Enhancing Biological Control: Habitat Management to Promote Natural Enemies of Agricultural Pests. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

REFERENCES• Richardson, P. 1997. Polyculture makes the most of

biodiversity. HRM of Texas Newsletter. Summer. p. 5, 7.

Stapel, J.O. and A.M. Cortesero. 1997. Importance of nectar sources for adult parasitoids in biological control programs. Midwest Biological Control News. May. p. 1, 7.

Sullivan, P. 2003. Intercropping principles and production practices. ATTRA publication #IP135. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/intercrop.html

Tonneson, Lon, and Jim Houtsma. 1991. Adding new wrinkles to alternate strips. The Farmer. September 7. p. 8–9.

Willy, R.W., et al. 1983. Intercropping studies with annual crops. In: Better Crops for Food, CIBA Foundation Symposium 97. Pitman, London, UK.

http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/CSI_2.htmhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/glossary.html

REFERENCESAnon. 1990. Strip intercropping offers low-input way to boost yields. Sensible Agriculture. May. p. 7–8.

Altieri, M.A., and M. Leibman. 1994. Insect, weed, and plant disease management in multiple cropping systems. In Francis, C.A. (ed.). Multiple Cropping Systems. Macmillan Company, New York. 383 p.

Ecological Agriculture Projects. Mixing Crop Species. McGill University, Macdonald Campus. www.eap.mcgill.ca/CSI_2.htm

Richardson, Pat. 1997. Polyculture makes the most of biodiversity. HRM of Texas Newsletter. Summer. p. 5, 7.

Acknowledgements

This presentation address general organic production practices. It is to be to use in planning and conducting organic horticulture trainings. The presentation is part of project funded by a Southern SARE PDP titled “Building Organic Agriculture Extension Training Capacity in the Southeast”Project Collaborators•Elena Garcia, University of Arkansas CESHeather Friedrich, University of ArkansasObadiah Njue, University of Arkansas at Pine BluffJeanine Davis, North Carolina State UniversityGeoff Zehnder, Clemson UniversityCharles Mitchell, Auburn UniversityRufina Ward, Alabama A&M UniversityKen Ward, Alabama A&M UniversityKaren Wynne, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network