Tags

The main threat to black pepper crops is the fungus Phytophthora capsici. This particular fungus causes root and crown rot in black pepper crops. In this video, Jose Elanjhimattam, an organic farmer from Kerala, India explains how, by applying the liquid captured from his compost heap, he is able to effectively eliminate the impact of the fungus on his organically grown black pepper crops. He also explains how the worm castings from the compost heap provide a rich source of soil nutrients.

In their uncultivated state, plants must continually depend on their adaptability for survival. In addition to accommodating local variations in their environment, they need to compete against rival plants for their share of soil nutrients and other resources like water, sunlight, and physical space. While this competition can frequently be harsh and unforgiving, there are also situations where plants benefit from establishing mutually co-operative relationships with non related species. By closely observing nature over many years, I have learnt to appreciate and accept these complex patterns of ecological rivalry and cooperation. In turn, this provides me with a useful foundation for establishing companion planting programs within my own organic...

In recent years, there has been a considerable shift away from the chemical approach to insect control. This is often explained in terms of the increasing cost of developing new formulations to combat elevated levels of resistance within several insect populations. At the same time, the accessibility of international travel combined with progressive reductions in agricultural trade restrictions have contributed to the increased risk of introducing previously unfamiliar insect species to working farms, and gardens throughout the country. In their efforts to control troublesome insect populations, organic gardeners and primary producers depend upon a restricted range of natural products and control strategies. These can be grouped within four...

It is estimated that a majority of organic gardeners will be challenged by several outbreaks of plant disease during each growing season. This statement never fails to alarm a small percentage of faces in my audience. I quickly identify them as worry prone gardeners. Occasionally, they will approach me following a speaking engagement. Some of them possess an encyclopaedic knowledge of plant disease. They worry and fret over every perceived blemish. Patchy lawns, curled leaves, mottled bark, misshapen flower buds, and so on. After brief discussion, I appreciate their anxieties but cannot genuinely help them. I have also encountered the opposite reaction in gardeners. There are a minority of individuals who refuse to acknowledge serious problems...

There are several botanical and naturally derived substances which can be sprayed in the organic garden to control pests and disease. Widely used before the arrival of chemical products, several of the natural alternatives have become less fashionable and may be difficult to obtain. I first appreciated the benefits of natural garden sprays several years ago when I helped a close friend whose vegetable gardens became infested with a particularly virulent species of cutworm. Around the peak of spring, she attempted to control them with a well known chemical treatment. Despite repeated applications, the number of cutworm began to increase rather than diminish. By the approach of autumn, her summer vegetables were all but devastated and my friend...