Ithaca, New York
September 8, 2005
How can organic growers deal with
yellow spots on tomatoes or holes in their cabbage? How can they
determine whether their organic garden suffers from canker or
leaf spot? They can find out the cause of damage and what to do
about it in the new guidebook -- "Resource Guide for Organic
Insect and Disease Management" -- just released by Cornell
University and online at <http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/>.
The purpose of the guide was to compile accurate information
based on published research that can help organic growers
control insects and diseases in their crops, says co-author Tony
Shelton, Cornell professor of entomology, one of the guide's
five authors.
Organic farming has been steadily increasing in recent years,
though organic producers are still only 2 percent of the overall
food production system. "But it is important that Cornell
research and extension efforts address their needs," says
co-author Christine Smart, assistant professor of plant
pathology at Cornell.
The 169-page book gives detailed crop management practices for
five of the most important vegetable groups, provides a
comprehensive assessment of 13 of the most commonly used
pesticides in organic production and describes options that
growers can use for preventive management, including growing
plants that are pest-resistant, or planting crops in ways that
reduce the risk of pest attack. |