As a farmer of arable crops or vegetables, you strive to achieve the highest yield and the best quality product possible. Of course you would prefer to do this with a minimum investment of energy and resources, but you are continuously bothered by all kinds of harmful organisms (pests) that threaten to reduce the quality and yield of your crops. Protecting your crops from these pests is extremely important, but it is difficult to achieve maximum results with a minimum of effort. You have to look not only at a measure’s immediate effect, but also at its long-term effect. This booklet gives an overview of the main non-chemical measures you can take to protect your crops from pests. Most of these measures are preventive: they involve planning and farming practices that will help you to keep pest numbers down and limit the damage they do.
Version 1, 2007