EP12: A grower's journey to lighter touch crop protection

In this episode, Pukekohe vegetable grower Howe Young talks about the changes he’s made in the way he manages pests and diseases in his crops over the course of his almost 60-year career.Listen as Howe describes his journey from agrichemical reliance to integrated pest management decision-making, informed by crop scouting and use of biodiversity plantings as part of a crop protection strategy.He and advisor Olivia Prouse reflect on the importance of a strong grower-advisor partnership, and discuss how this has impacted on the management of crops at the Pukekohe Research and Demonstration Farm, where marketable crops have been harvested with fewer or in some cases no post-transplant spray applications.In the face of developing agrichemical resistance, incorporating biodiversity to enhance natural enemy populations isn't just about being more sustainable. It's about developing another tool to help maintain the ability to grow vegetables commercially in the future. Grower resources supporting implementation on biodiversity as part of integrated pest management (IPM) mentioned in the episode are available here, including "how to" guides, monitoring templates, case studies, plant species lists, and video resources from this project .Looking for more tools, tips, and resources on sustainable agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand? Visit A Lighter Touch's website, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Linkedin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.