PESTICIDE FREE

One pre-condition we insist upon when distributing the shredders is that the farmers must produce truly organic crops i.e. they must use not use chemical fertiliser nor pesticide. Pesticides destroy various agricultural pests, including weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), bacteria (microbicides), and fungi (fungicides). Farming relies heavily upon pesticides, in part because the practice of monocropping increases vulnerability to pests.

Pesticides can cause health problems in farm workers and in consumers who eat foods with pesticide residues. Various pesticides have been linked to certain types of cancer, to neurological problems, and to other health problems.

Pesticides also cause water pollution and soil contamination. The use of pesticides can also make pest control more difficult; as in the case of insect control, insecticide use can have the unintended consequence of eliminating insect predators that prey upon pest insects, and can also increase pesticide-resistance in pest insects.

In addition, pesticides have been shown to cause declines in pollinators and other beneficial insects that are critical to the health of agricultural systems.

Sustainable crop production greatly reduces pesticide use; in fact, many sustainable farmers do not use commercial pesticides at all. A number of alternatives to commercial pesticides can be used to protect crops from damage by pests such as weeds and insects:

Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a pest-management system that integrates several pest-management approaches. Principles of IMP include monitoring and identifying pests before they become a threat; intercropping and crop rotation to reduce buildup of pests; preventing pests before they reach damaging levels; use of plants that are natural insect repellants; and managing pests using a tiered system of control, including manual removal (e.g., weeding or trapping). Pesticides are generally used sparingly and only when other methods fail.
Intercropping is a method of planting crops in close proximity in order to reduce weeds, to encourage plant diversity in order to avoid insect and pest infestation, and for other agricultural reasons. Companion planting is a related method that capitalizes on plants that are natural pest repellants (for example, marigolds), plants that are more attractive to pests than the primary crop, or plants that attract beneficial insects.
Our shredders enable easy mulching with finely cut crop residue. Mulching is the process of spreading organic or mineral (rock) material to manually control the growth of weeds. Ground covers (also known as “living mulch”) are generally plants that that are grown close to the ground below the main crop in order to control weeds.
There are a number of beneficial insects and organisms that, when released, destroy harmful pests. Beneficial insects include predators such as ladybugs; beneficial organisms include nematodes (microscopic worms) that are used to destroy the larvae of pests.

How do organic farmers fertilize crops and control pests, diseases, and weeds?

Organic farmers build healthy soil. Organic matter in soil contributes to good soil structure and water-retention capacity. Organic farmers increase organic matter in soil through the use of cover crops, compost and biologically based soil amendments, producing healthy disease and insect resistant plants. Organic agriculture emphasizes good plant nutrition, which is key to the prevention of plant diseases. Organic farmers use cover crops and sophisticated crop rotations to improve ecological relationships in the field. Weeds are controlled through crop rotation, mulching, cover crops, hand weeding, and mechanical methods such as flame weeding and other methods. Organic farmers also rely on diverse populations of soil organisms, beneficial insects, and birds to keep pests under control.