Trap crops are considered decoy plants in organic paste control. The trap crops are specifically planted near the main crops to keep the pests away by luring them toward the decoy plants.
Following this method minimizes damage to all the main crops that you want to protect while encouraging the usage of natural pest control beneficial insects.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the procedure of how trap crops work, along with how you can manage and learn more about monitoring this method.
How do trap crops in organic pest control work?
The trap crops method in organic paste control works based on the following three benefits:
1. Attraction mechanism
Some pests and insects are naturally attracted to trap crops, which explains the attraction mechanism used in this method. The trap crops appeal to attract beneficial insects, which come from their scent, color, and structure.
For example, if you plant trap crops like nasturtiums instead of cab, it can become a good example of a trap crop to grow around the cabbage fields. The idea of this method is more like giving them an alternative over the primary crop.
2. Sacrificial plant nature
Trap crops are also called sacrificial plants because they may end up having the highest pest infestations. Even if trapped crops are sacrificed, it can be considered acceptable as the primary goal of planting them is to keep the main crop pest-free.
Trap crops are the kind of companion plants that help the main plants grow healthier and undisturbed.
3. Supports beneficial insects
Attracting pests to a concentrated area is also a way of helping natural helpers like ladybugs or parasitic wasps to help them have food by consuming pests.
The entire process of planting trap crops makes it easier for the beneficial insects to control pest populations around the trap crops while helping reduce the need for chemical control.
How do you manage trap crops?
It is very important to regularly check on trap crops to confirm that pests are actually drawing to the trap drops as expected. Regularly checking will also help prevent too many tests from building up on only one trap crop.
If only one trap crop is being targeted by the best population in a large number, it might start overflowing onto the main crop. Therefore, it is necessary to take early action by regularly checking the trap crops.
Things you must consider when using trap crops –
Here are a few considerations that you need to take into account when using trap crops:
1. Placement of the crops
You need to strategically place the trap crops around the main crops while making sure they are on the perimeter. Doing this will keep pests drawing towards the age of the field instead of letting them wander around the main crop.
If the placement of the trap drops goes wrong, it might ruin the entire strategy for drawing the pests.
2. Rotation of crops
By rotating the types of trap crops, you can prevent pastes from becoming familiar with a particular kind of deco plant. The best stay must be accustomed to different kinds of trap crops. This way, pests are less likely to recognize trap crops and ignore them over time.
3. Monitoring and managing the crops regularly
Regular monitoring and management of the trap drops is very important, just like removing plants that are highly infested. It prevents the best population from increasing out of control.
By monitoring and managing the trap props, you can easily protect the main props and keep the pest levels low.
Wrapping Up!
With the help of decoy plants, you automatically reduce the use of pesticides to remove the pest infestation from your plant fields. Consulting a pest control expert or a government helpline might also come in handy to get more information.
