What the Standards say about pest and disease management

 

Section 205.206 of the NOP Standards requires producers to rely first of all on management practices to prevent crop pests and disease. These practices include:

 

•        Crop rotations and other soil and nutrient management practices

•        Sanitation measures to remove disease vectors and habitat for pest organisms

•        Cultural practices to enhance crop health, such as selecting plant species and varieties that are resistant to prevalent pests and diseases

 

In addition, the Standards permit the control of pest problems "through mechanical or physical methods including but not limited to:"
 

•        Releasing beneficial organisms

•        Developing habitat for beneficial organisms

•        Using lures, traps and repellents


And disease control via:

 

•        Management practices to suppress the spread of disease organisms

•        Application of nonsynthetic biological, botanical or mineral inputs

 

After producers have tried or considered all of these strategies, they are allowed to turn to approved pest-management materials.

  
 

 

Inspector's Notebook

 

Any substance used must be fully documented in your Organic System Plan, including name and reason for use. The inspector will review the organic plan to make sure all pest management inputs being used or intended for use are listed.

 

Farmers often forget to write down all the pesticides they use, or start using new pesticides after submitting their organic plan. Inspectors also examine product labels, usage records and receipts for all pest control inputs used.

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