Organic Biofumigants Essay -- Agriculture Biology Farming Farm Essays

Organic Biofumigants In recent years, production of many crops has become inhibited by taking several herbicides and pesticides off the market. If a producer wishes to be in organic production, this is even further inhibited by products useable to stay within organic guidelines. Biofumigants are basically any product used to control pests and competing weed species within a crop. This has become a hurdle for many producers due to labeling issues as well as the desire to keep the crops and their land feasible for â€Å"organic† production. There has been a great deal of research and discoveries pertaining to alternative methods of controlling the crop inhibitors (weeds and pests) in a more organic matter. Organic biofumigants have become one of the most feasible options for carrying out this daunting task. A big problem that today’s producers face is the control of nematode populations. Certain crop rotation systems may greatly increase the control a producer has over these problems. There are several crops that can be implemented into a rotation that can perform several tasks including: bio-fuel production and the control of pests and weeds organically. According to Klein et al. (2006), glucosinolates are natural products that when degraded in a soil can have profound impacts on the defense of insects and fungi invading a crop. Many of the crops that contain glucosinolates are in the Brassicaceae family. One of the most popular cover crops for the purpose of releasing glucosinolates is mustard and its different varieties. Mustard can be planted as a cover crop before several different crops. The crops that we found to benefit the most from this type of system were tap-root crops such as potatoes and sugar beets. ... ... Mohammad , Akhtar, Abdul Malik. "Roles of organic soil amendments and soil organisms in the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes: a review ." Bioresource Technology Volume 74. Issue 1.August 2000 Pages 35-47 . 03/27/07 5&_user=2532480&_coverDate=08%2F31% 2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000057783&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2532480&md5=0f8465d8d83ce62f9ccf3fa585e54c76>. Zasada, I.A. and Ferris, H.. "Nematode suppression with brassicaceous amendments: application." Department of Nematology, University of California 18 February 2003 3/27/07 . Wilson, D. â€Å"Lecture: Mutualism.† Given 28 March 2007. University of Wyoming Department of Agriculture.