In this episode, we chat with Deidré Odendaal, Biological Product Portfolio Manager at AECI Plant Health. She discusses the integration of biological control organisms into pest management strategies. She also explores challenges faced by farmers regarding the Green Deal.
As a highly experienced expert in the field of biological control, Odendaal talks about how biological control can be used to help farmers reduce their reliance on conventional plant protection products and move towards regenerative agricultural practices. Her insights are of great value to anyone interested in the future of farming in South Africa.
The foundation of any pest management strategy for any farmer is to know the ins and outs of your farm, she explains in the episode. The key concept to understand is monitoring in order to identify key problems.
“Biological control organisms can be integrated into an integrated pest management strategy by knowing what is going on, on your farm,” she explains.
Green alternatives
In the episode, Odendaal also discusses the EU’s Green Deal talks, adding that there has been a positive trajectory regarding biological control and incorporating it in pest management strategies.
“Farmers can incorporate these organisms by working with companies that have mass-produced these organisms, which are naturally occurring in the environment,” she says.
Challenges that farmers face
There is no doubt that there are quite a few challenges that farmers face. Living organisms are influenced by a plethora of things such as environmental factors that contribute to their unpredictability.
“There’s no silver bullet regards to pest and disease management. With your biological control you work with live organisms and as you know with any live organism, you will never get the same effect day in and day out,” she says.
In this episode, Odendaal also discusses:
- Using the correct biological organisms for specific crops
- Green Deal and its challenges
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