Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening

Managing Arthropod Pests

Unit 1.8 | 27
Instructor’s Demonstration 2 Outline

Demonstration 2: Field Observations

for the instructor

Overview

In this field demonstration students

will visit a working farm to review

the pest management program

different growers have developed

for their certified organic farming

operations. Request from the grower

a brief overview of the current

soil fertility and pest management

practices used in the operation.

The overview should include the

components outlined below.

deMOnstratiOn tiMe

2 hours

deMOnstratiOn OUtLine

A. Soils and Soil Fertility Management

1. 
   

    Soil    textural    classification

   
   


2. Hydrology of fields


3. History of cultivation


4. Tillage and irrigation practices


5. History of soil testing and amending


6. Organic matter management: Cover crops, compost,
   
   and manure application rates and timing


7. Crop rotation history or practices


8. Supplemental fertilizers and tillage practices used

B. Pest Management

1. 
   

    Persistent  pests   

   
   


2. Persistent diseases


3. Plant growth response and/or crop quality concerns


4. Brief overview of the arthropod monitoring practices


5. Explanation of the treatment options used, including
   
   at what defined thresholds they were applied and how
   effective the treatments have been