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Vineyard and Orchard Cover Crops:
Low Investment, High Return
Ancient wisdom is at times proven to be
superior to the teachings of modern science. This is especially important at a
time when more people are thinking green and artificial growing methods are
being questioned. 
I'm as green as the next guy, but I'm begining to think selling the tractor was a mistake.
Often the result of research leads to
an affirmation of the effectiveness of the old ways. Warm milk really does help
you sleep better. A glass of red wine, long held to be beneficial, is gaining
scientific evidence that it is the key to the French Paradox—a high-fat
diet and generally low cholesterol levels in the population. Red wine apparently
helps reduce dental cavities as well. The ancient Greeks and Romans were no
strangers to the benefits of wine. And now there is a strong and growing use of
their technology in modern viticulture and fruit production. Cover crops.
Current Problems Rooted in Past Orchards and vineyards are under
attack. Crop damage from insects has long been a problem for agriculture. Until
recent years the insect invaders were typically battled using pesticides, but
increasing pressure to eliminate toxics from the environment caused growers to
seek other pest control methods.
The chemical approach to crop
protection became an expensive proposition. Not only were there significant
equipment, material and labor costs, the farmer's liability was increased. The
use of chemical pesticides, many which are now entirely banned, put workers at
risk and added to the growers' liability. So too did increased government
oversight of pesticide use.
The answer to the crop protection
dilemma is, paradoxically, much less expensive, bordering on what may be termed
benign neglect. Biological pest control reestablishes the orchard and vineyard
ecosystem. When pesticides were used, they not only wiped out the
crop-destroying insects, but also the bugs that were the farmer's allies.
The view that is gaining increased
support is that the right predatory insects, given the opportunity, will control
the bad bugs and protect the crops. This is not a new concept, there is simply
increased pressure to implement it. | Nonchemical insect eradication methods are not new. |  |
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