The term "organic farming" is familiar to a considerable number of people, there are various discussions around it. Someone is of the opinion that this is the most effective way of farming, while others consider it only half useful. However, interest in the crop is shown not only by the people who grow it, but also by various pests. In this connection, there is an urgent need for biological plant protection products from extraneous encroachment.
In addition to the available means of struggle, the search for other more effective and safe solutions does not stop. So that, as they say, there would be no harm to people, and the pests would get what they deserved.
Plant Protection Techniques
The technologies by which means and methods are created to combat various pests and diseases are diverse. Currently, many amateur gardeners, as well as workers in the national economy, use these methods. Moreover, they can all be divided into several groups:
- Agrotechnical.
- Biological.
- Physical and mechanical.
- Chemical.
The essence of the agrotechnical method is the competent selection of planting material and the place of planting. At the same time, tillage should be carried out, which leads to a deterioration in the living conditions of various harmful insects. Conducting timely sowing contributes to the favorable germination of seeds and the development of plants, increasing their resistance to damage.
Biological plant protection products deserve a more detailed study, and therefore about them below in the subject of this article.
Physico-mechanical method involves the destruction of pests and pathogens of various diseases. The collection of insects is carried out manually, using various traps and other devices. The technique is quite laborious, but in some cases you can not do without it. For example, if you do not touch the nests of the hawthorn or the goldfish, which usually serve as a shelter for insects in the winter, the caterpillars hatching from them will cause serious damage to the trees, destroying many leaves.
The chemical method is based on the use of poisons called pesticides. It is important to have certain knowledge, because a mistake leads to the death of not only the “protectors” in the face of some beneficial insects, people can also be seriously injured. For this reason, they resort to chemistry only in case of emergency.
Biological protection
Thanks to the development of scientists, various types of biological plant protection products have appeared. Now it is possible to effectively protect most crops not only from diseases, but also from pests. Means from an environmental point of view are absolutely safe for human health, because they contain only natural components. It can be both living microorganisms, and herbal supplements having certain properties. As you can already guess, we are talking about biological products.
If you compare them with other methods of dealing with misfortune, then biological protection is a modern technology and is still not so common among many summer residents. However, this is only a matter of time. If almost everything was encountered with the methods described above, then as for biological products, not all gardeners have full information on this. What are they and how does biological defense work? Let's try to open this veil of secrecy.
With only agrotechnical measures, all agricultural problems are unlikely to be resolved, which is called one fell swoop. Not every gardener wants to use chemicals. What to do and what to do? It remains to make a choice in favor of biological plant protection products from pests.
What is characteristic, if marigolds or calendula are planted around the beds, this is also a kind of cultural protection at the biological level. These plants and other similar species have a strong odor that has a deterrent effect on most harmful insects.
Moles, which underground seek out the larvae of the May beetle for food, also provide invaluable assistance. The same applies to chickens, who do not mind eating the Colorado potato beetle, you just have to let them out into the garden. All this can also be called a biosecurity system.
A variety of protective biological agents
Now, something is becoming clearer about the biological protection of plants. You can even make such a definition - this is when some living organisms (beneficial) inhibit or even destroy other species (pests) that pose a serious threat to crops. In order to help such "defenders" biological means have been created that are divided into several types:
- bioinsecticides - effective against pests;
- biofungicides are good in the treatment of diseases.
This classification is well reflected in customs documents, which indicate the corresponding code of HS FEA of biological plant protection products.
These funds pose a serious threat to all fungi, other microorganisms and a number of pests. While they themselves do not affect the plants and people themselves. Moreover, almost each of these varieties is also divided into several subspecies.
However, before moving on to listing them, it is worth familiarizing yourself with a number of advantages from the use of biological products.
Characteristic advantages of biosecurity
And the most important of them is that the drugs are not able to accumulate inside fruit or vegetable plants. For this reason, the probability of poisoning by crops harvested from their site is excluded.
Other equally important advantages of biological plant protection products include:
- The causative agents of various diseases, as well as harmful insects, do not get used to the drugs used.
- To eliminate the problem does not need a large amount.
- Long-term effect after application (about 30 days).
- There are no established processing dates - you can start as soon as the snow falls, and until the very end of October.
- Some preparations contain special substances, thanks to which they not only provide protection against pathogens, but also increase the immunity of plants.
Due to this, biological agents are the most effective among other pest control methods.
Protect plants from outside attacks
Harmful insects can cause serious damage to agriculture, and this applies not only to amateur gardeners, but also to entire peasant farms. Thanks to ticks, sawflies, aphids, moths and other parasites, the quality of the crop is significantly reduced. At the same time, plant immunity also undergoes a crushing attack, and as a result, many of them simply can not withstand the cold. Therefore, special biological plant protection products have been created. The types and methods of exposure to pests are different for everyone.
The first time after planting, neither pests nor pathogens of various diseases are observed. But one has only to bloom the fruits, and those and others are right there. To protect garden plants, as well as horticultural crops, special biological preparations called insecticides have been created.
Their action occurs immediately, and the effectiveness lasts quite a long time. Preparations are relevant for use not only among owners of private real estate, but also on a large industrial scale. In the manufacture of bioinsecticides, a different basis can be used:
Only there is one peculiarity regarding the application - the processing of crops should be carried out only in dry weather conditions. In the rain, the product will simply be washed off, and then there can be no talk of any benefit.
Fungal preparations
There is one characteristic feature that these biological plant protection products possess. The control method is as follows: first, due to the effect on the pests of the active substance, they are paralyzed, and then destroyed. It is the Streptomyces avermitilis fungus that produces such a poison. Such agents are especially relevant for use when pests are still at the stage of larvae or caterpillars.
The preparations "Aversectin C" and "Avertin-N" effectively fight ticks, nematodes and the Colorado potato beetle. "Verticillin" is detrimental to aphid whitefly. Using the other three, you can also once and for all get rid of nematodes - "Pecilomycin", "Metarizin", "Basamila".
Despite the effectiveness of these drugs, it is worth knowing their disadvantages:
- it is necessary to strictly adhere to the instructions;
- special storage conditions: from + 4 ° C to -60 ° C;
- some beneficial insects can also be affected;
- processing should be carried out in the early mornings or in the evening, cloudy days are also suitable, most importantly, so that there is no rain.
Moreover, all this does not apply to one of the listed funds, but to all fungal bioinsecticides!
Bacterial agents
This category of biological plant protection products from pests includes only two drugs:
- Lepidocide.
- "Bitoxybacillin."
The basis of their production is a strain of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Drugs are available in powder form. Considering what these bioinsecticides are made of, their shelf life is quite long, up to 1.5 years. There are no special storage conditions, in addition, the preparations do not cause allergic reactions. Only due to high efficiency and due to wide demand, such funds are not so easy to find on sale.
According to experts, Lepidocide is good in the fight against leaf-eating insects. The immobilization and death of parasites occurs within the first 4 hours after ingestion of the drug by pests. The active substance is the waste products of bacteria (spores, crystals). And since they constantly excrete them, the effect of the drug lasts a long time.
The advantage of Lepidocide is that it can be used at any stage of plant development. Scoops, leafworms, fireworms, sawflies, whites, moths, moths, carrion moths, goldfinches - all these insects can cope with this drug.
Among analogues of biological plant protection products, Bicol can be distinguished (can replace Lepidocide). It also performs well in pest control in vegetable and fruit crops.
The composition of "Bitoxybacillin" includes beta-exotoxin, which gives bioinsecticide broader functionality among other analogues. The action of active substances spreads not only through the intestines, but also the cover of harmful insects. It allows you to get rid of both adults and their larvae. But the drug gives the greatest effect by interacting with the caterpillars in the early stages of their development.
A good analogue of these two products is Bicol, which also performs well in pest control in vegetables and fruit crops.
Nematode base
Such drugs are quite popular due to the peculiarities of production. Their basis is not those garden pests that you can immediately think about based on the title. For the manufacture of such products, manufacturers of biological plant protection products use microorganisms that can penetrate any insect, regardless of the stage of its development (with the exception of eggs). Complete destruction of the pest occurs on 2 or 3 days.
A characteristic feature is that nematodes are capable of isolating bacteria of the Xenorhabdus species, which is actually responsible for the death of pests. This group contains two drugs:
Both effectively deal with weevils, thrips, mushroom mosquitoes, wireworm, bear, cabbage fly. They will also help get rid of the May bug and locusts.
Only before using them, it is necessary to conduct special training. To remove nematodes from hibernation, it is necessary to maintain it in a dark place at a temperature of ≈25 ° C for several hours. After this, you need to perform the sprinkling procedure and only then do the treatment.
Fight an invisible enemy
To protect plants from a number of diseases, there is another type of biological product - fungicides. Like previous species, these biological plant protection products against diseases can also be made on the basis of fungi or bacteria. These microorganisms can effectively fight the causative agents of various diseases. At the same time, they perform another related function - they improve the soil composition, due to which organic matter decomposes.
It is only worth using them, adhering to the exact dosage of the drug, as actually stated in the instructions for use. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the use will not be observed.
Fungal biofungicides
These funds are no less interesting. Spores from beneficial fungi penetrate the bodies of parasites and after a while destroy them. As a result, this leads to a slowdown in the growth of pests or their development completely stops.
White and gray rot can be combated with such a biological plant protection product as Koniotirin. Ampelomycin can handle powdery mildew.
Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting several points. The shelf life of the drugs is small. In addition, when warm, they quickly lose their properties.
Biofungicides from bacteria
These drugs effectively deal with pathogens of various diseases of flower crops. They are applied in different ways: directly into the ground or by spraying.
Among many gardeners, the Fitosporin-M remedy enjoys special honor. It contains hay fever pathogens that are resistant to low moisture levels and also tolerate a wide range of low and high temperatures. Once inside the plant, they prevent the formation of colonies of pathogenic microorganisms.
It is worth noting that you can use this biological plant protection product as a preventive measure. "Fitosporin-M" can process not only the crops themselves, but also their seeds. It is only important to strictly follow the dosage instructions.
Public opinion
Judging by the reviews of some summer residents, the effectiveness of certain biological preparations is indeed confirmed. For example, many noted the good work of Lepidocide in the fight against caterpillars and other pests. No less effective was the drug "Bitoxybacillin." And, as the majority of people who have tried certain drugs of biological origin, notes, this is the best alternative to chemicals.
Currently, the Internet is not only one of the popular types of home entertainment - it can also perform a useful function. For example, thanks to reviews of biological plant protection products, now many crop lovers or favorite crop varieties will be able to find a solution that suits them. This is especially true for beginners, as experienced agronomists already have certain skills and knowledge.