Biocontrol Agents for Organic Farming… the terminology
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Article by: A.O. Kime The following article is available for publication on websites, ezines or newsletters. Permission is granted to anyone to reprint for free provided the Resource Box at the end of the article accompanies it and the links within it remain active hyperlinks. I would appreciate simple notification of such use… send to allen@matrixbookstore.com Article Title: Biocontrol Agents for Organic , Prepare Your Deck this Winter and Take the Hard Work Out of Farming… the terminology Author: A.O. Kime Category: farming/gardening Word Count: 1,180 Format: 65 characters per line Website Source: http://www.matrixbookstore.biz Article URL: http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/biocontrol_agents.htm Author's Email Address: allen@matrixbookstore.com ------------------------------------------------ Biocontrol Agents for Organic , Destroying Those Annoying Dandelions Farming… the terminology: by A.O. Kime If you haven't been keeping up on the latest developments in biocontrols… wait a minute, what are biocontrols? Oh, shoot, you know, ‘environmental friendly' products , How To Grow Red Oak Trees Near Horsham, PA which aren't agricultural chemicals that are used for controlling crop pests. , Some Practical Ideas For Designing You Own Landscape If you haven't, then this article may surprise you. During the past 15 years, the latest in biotechnology, along with ancient pest-control methods, now provide a respectable arsenal of weapons in, well, you know, ‘biocontrols'. What are biocontrols exactly? Is it stuff you use for organic , Style and Perfection in Home Decoration with Plantation Shut farming, like ladybugs, sulfur and maybe soap-spray? Right on folks, but much-much more. Things change , Style and Perfection in Home Decoration with Plantation Shut fast nowadays, ya know. The biotechnology which produces many of the relatively new and growing list of biocontrols for the American farmer (and gardener) has ushered in the next era of pest-controls… at least as a viable alternative anyway. It's growing , The Awnings can be made with transparent plastics so fast however, it's the new terminology, not the technology, which you have to contend with first. I think we need a quick review. To begin with, the term ‘biocontrols' is slang for ‘biocontrol agents' and defined as "biological derived or identical to a biological derived agent". That means the term covers all types of environmentally , The way of the future is turn to solar safe products. , Kitchen and Bath Solutions Watch out though, some of the terminology might get confusing. ‘Biological control agents' is a more specific term… meaning only beneficial insects, nothing else, although these bugs are often just referred to as ‘beneficial insects' or 'beneficial organisms', somewhat slangy terms. Within that, there are sub-categories, insects which might be classified as ‘predators', ‘parasites' or ‘weed-eating invertebrates' which are "living organisms used for controlling the population or biological activities of another life-form considered to be a pest". If you noticed, the industry prefers to say ‘control' instead of ‘kill'… a hedge , How To Grow Red Oak Trees Near Horsham, PA maybe? Today, there are about 30 commercially available predators, like spiders, mites and beetles, which seek out and kill other bugs. They are hatched, raised and sold by companies called ‘insectaries'. The number of parasites put to work has grown also, about 60 of them critters, the likes of tiny wasps, flies and a myriad of other parasites, parasitoids (host-killer parasites) and also a few protozoan. Parasites live on (or in) various ‘hosts' (their victims) which impede the host's development or generally causes them injury. A protozoan, however, is a ‘microbial control agent', a different kind of agent, which are not to be confused with biological control agents. There are about 25 biological control agents (good bugs) which control weeds , Understanding s - How to Kill them? although they're often just called 'beneficial insects', the most common slang term which farmers use. By whichever term, even though they don't eat or live off other bugs, they go around doing good deeds by controlling weeds. , Black Haw Viburnums will grow in Ambler Pa. Anyway, these weed-destructive bugs consist of moths, weevils, beetles and flies. A fungus or two are also available for the control of weeds , How to distribute the water in your new log cabin and fungus, like a protozoan, is also a ‘microbial control agent'. As you might suspect, the honeybee is also considered a beneficial insect but since the Africanized bee began infecting some of their ranks, they can also cause problems. I remember once when all bees led a dignified life within their beehives but today many are terrorists and live in weeds. In addition, the industry has identified about a dozen different beneficial nematodes, which, if you didn't know already, are tiny little wormlike-looking creatures that live underground. Nematodes usually just eat roots , Plants For Establishing a Hedge in Danboro Pa. and are normally considered destructive but these little guys like to eat other bugs. The industry has no interest in employing any vegetarian nematodes that are non-selective, they just want bug eaters. From here on, it starts to get more complicated and scientific sounding. Microbial control agents, like fungi and protozoan, also mean other teeny-tiny microscopic things like bacteria and viruses. Farmers use about 25 different kinds to control undesirable bugs and fungi. The use of viruses and bacteria can sound kinda scary but don't worry, microbial control agents in Arizona are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental , CollectibleSport.com offers a great selection of collectible sports memorabilia and gift ideas for m Services Division of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, , Choosing Conservatory Blinds the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Plant , Style and Perfection in Home Decoration with ation Shut Quarantine Act (PQA) but you still need permits from the State of Arizona, USDA, APHIS and from Biotechnology and Environmental , Furnishing and decorating your own home Protection (BEEP). Only then can a farmer apply the stuff… if his crop ain't already ate up. We're not done yet, we still have ‘biochemical control agents'. These are semichemicals such as plant-growth regulators, hormones, enzymes, pheromones, allomones and kairomones which are "either naturally occurring or identical to a natural , Tips for Working on Plaster Walls product that attract, retard, destroy or otherwise exert a pesticidal activity". Impressive, huh? But that's still not enough already… the EPA wants to push a stupid term called ‘biorational pesticides'. And this is where they get picky… you can use the term if you're (1) not talking about bugs or (2) not talking about synthetic-made stuff they don't think is identical enough to a given product , Choosing Conservatory Blinds of nature. , Gardening Tips for Avoiding Fungal Diseases Anyway, I hate that term, there is nothing rational about causing more confusion. In all, there are over 200 biocontrols of which some have multi-use applications which equates to about 300 specific uses and there are at least 400 of these 'products' on the market. Competing companies supplying the same product , Decorative Wall Painting Techniques accounts for this discrepancy. A lot of biocontrols have hard-to-pronounce, stuffy-sounding scientific names, which, I think, are thought-up by laboratory-shackled scientists who jealously hate farmers and like to see them get tongue-twisted and embarrassed. One such case is ‘bacillus thuringiensis', a bacteria widely used and marketed in different variations but to spoil their fun, farmers just call , How To Choose A Freezer For Home them ‘B-Ts'. Another thing farmers can use are made of ‘nuclear polyhedrosis viruses' but they don't sound very environment-friendly to me. What I really think is dumb are those goofy brand-names the distributors use for these biocontrol products , Want a garden but not enough room or soil? Then Hydroponics Gardening could be for you. such as ‘Doom', ‘Condor', ‘Futura', ‘Grandlure' and so forth. I think they hired the same marketing guys that work for the car companies… they think brand names gotta sound ‘cool'. Farmers also use juvenile hormones and behavioral modifiers. Juvenile hormones keep bugs from maturing, thus denying them their adult and reproductive cycle. It should be obvious what behavioral modifiers do... it makes them less destructive. Agricultural firms sell plant-growth regulators too, made from cytokinins and gibberellic acid. There are also sex hormones on the market to confuse and attract bugs. Confusion and bugs I don't need. In summary, these biocontrols are incredibly diverse but they don't include genetically engineered plants , Decorative Wall Painting Techniques which have disease , Can your sundial really tell the time? or insect resistant qualities, but that's another story. See Genetically Modified Food , How to choose roses for your landscape (external link) or else genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (external link) Well, that sorta brings you up-to-date, so consider yourself , How to Create a Backyard Oasis ‘bio-informed'. Remember though, you can't go around saying ‘biological' anymore because people might think you're talking about bugs. If you're still confused, talk about something else or you could end up getting mighty embarrassed. Some words might even sound organic , Understanding Weeds - How to Kill them? when they're not. I knew a farmer who, when he first heard the term ‘entrepreneur', asked… "What kinda manure is that?" (A.O. Kime is a former licensed , How To Avoid Making The Mistake That More Than 70% Of Home B pest control advisor) ------------------------------------------------ Resource Box: © A.O. Kime (2003) A.O. Kime is an author of two books plus some 70 articles on ancient history, spiritual phenomena, political issues, social issues and agriculture , The Nigra Arborvitae Grows Well In Carversville / Bucks County Pa. which can be seen at http://www.matrixbookstore.biz ------------------------------------------------ --- end --- About the Author Resource Box: © A.O. Kime (2003) A.O. Kime is an author of two books plus some 70 articles on ancient history, spiritual phenomena, political issues, social issues and agriculture , Tuscan Style Decorating - Three Essentials which can be seen at http://www.matrixbookstore.biz |
  
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