Farmers can landscape their farms to create a perfect habitat for bugs that naturally prey on pests that destroy crops. This information was released in a study done by Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. She released the results of her multiyear “biological control” study last week at the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Chaplin-Kramer also noted that establishing a pest predator population is sustainable, a factor which may reduce conventional pesticide costs year over year. Pesticides would still be necessary as pest predators tend to arrive late in the growing season.

It takes a very small percentage of the crop, about 5-8%, to plant crops such as dill, cilantro and coriander which are known to attract beneficial insects. More on sustainable farming and pest control at National Geographic.

Tags: Ecological Society of America, organic farming, pest predators, sustainable farming, sustainable pest control

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