It was a case that all farmers know too well; a worry that comes with the territory; armyworms were devastating the organic farmers’ broccoli crop. An expert in environmentally conscious farming, Miley has been repelling almost all kinds of pests organically but this time a winged pest known as armyworm caterpillar posed a direct threat to all her crops.
Identifying the Culprit: Armyworm caterpillars are pests which poses major threat to the plants and crops.
One day, Miley observed the injury when she saw large shoddy holes in the leaves of broccoli. At first glance, it could have been any number of leaf-feeding pests, but upon closer inspection, she found the tell-tale signs of armyworms: slender caterpillars with no spines on their bodies and green or brown colour with lines that may run longitudinally along their bodies. They were more or less nocturnal, retiring to the basal portions of the plants during the daylight hours.
Spodoptera species of armyworm caterpillars are very much destructive feeders as they remove the foliage of plants completely if allowed to feed on them. Hearse is reported to feed on broccoli, corn as well as grains. In this regard, the deterioration was prompt and extensive and Miley understood that she had to act fast in order to bring her harvest in.
Seeking a Sustainable Solution
It was established that Miley’s farm has practiced organic farming for years and as such, she practices biological rather than chemical control. This search and desire made her to buy BT Thuricide produced by Novobac, that contained the natural feature of Bacillus thuringiensis. The naturally occurring bacterium, that is, BT, has been found to be effective in controlling armyworm caterpillars and other pests.
Miley learned from her research and talking with other Organic farmers that it only affects the caterpillars and does not affect other beneficial insects. BT synthesizes proteins that when consumed by the caterpillars make holes in the caterpillar’s gut wall and the caterpillar dies.
Application: It was how Miley Controlled the Armyworms
Once Miley decided to use BT Thuricide, she clearly understood that timing as well as application were going to be delicate. BT is most effective when applied when the caterpillars are still small – before they become even more destructive. According to the consignment note, Miley the Pest Control officer stir the Bacillus thuringiensis powder in water as directed in the product label. She applied it directly to the plants she was protecting – her broccoli – and she made sure that she was covering as much of its foliage as she could including the undersides of the leaves where she knew the caterpillars could be lurking.
Soon enough, after days, Miley was happy because she observed that the number of caterpillars was somehow reduced, and feeding damage was minimal. When the armyworms fed on the green maiz containing BT protein, they started getting sick and dying and her broccoli plants were saved. In contrast to other pervasive chemical pesticides known to harmfully affect the environment, BT Thuricide is bio degradable and will not leach toxic chemicals into the ecosystem.
Why BT Thuricide?
Miley decided to go ahead with the choice of BT Thuricide for so many reasons and one of those reasons being that it was an organic way of eliminating the invaders, and secondly that was an efficient way to do it. It has been applied in the organic farming for several years as a green armyworm control pesticide through the soil or as aerosol spray. For Miley this was an easy decision – she wanted to protect her crop but she did not wish to harm the soil, the pollinators or water.
BT Thuricide by Novobac stands out for several reasons:
- Selective Action: It affects planned pests , for instance the caterpillars that feed on the foliage such as the armyworms but does not affect other friendly insects.
- Organic Certification: It is organic farming hence can be relied on by the organic farmers such as Miley.
- Ease of Use: It is a fine powder so very easy to apply for it comes with guidelines on how best to apply it and at which rate.
Lessons Learned
The case of Miley puts the argument on early detection and prompt action into pest control into perspective. This knowledge of the armyworm’s life cycle helped her to act before much damage had been done that could not be undone. Organically derived methods such as Bt, set out as Bacillus thuringiensis have been found to give farmers a strong weapon against insect damage.
Other farmers are able to see the advantages that come with use of biocontrol having followed on Miley’s journey on the same matter. Chemical pesticides can quickly solve the problem of pests and diseases, but this is at the cost of many years of the health of the land, number of species of animals or even the susceptibility of crops to pests and diseases. On the other hand, some solutions such as BT Thuricide are in line with Miley’s comprehensive vision for fertile land, and can help to make the land productive and alive in the future.
Conclusion
The Armyworm caterpillars are known to attack the broccoli plants and there are ways through which they can be controlled. Thus, through use of BT Thuricide, Miley also explained biological control of armyworm as meeting the objectives of crop protection, as well as those of organic agriculture. This paper being a recommendation for growers experiencing similar issues, Bacillus thuringiensis is an organic, selective and environment-friendly option.
