Organic Hemp Cultivation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) & Birds

 We encourage birds to make themselves home here in the Arendell Hill nursery gardens.

Wild birds, song birds, raptors and more.  Winged creatures serve an important part of our Organic IPM

I consider birds to be better than 'human help' at picking caterpillars and other potential pest insects out of our gardens.  Songbirds can keep the ground and shrubbery around a hemp cultivation area significantly free of larvae that are crawling around looking for leaves or flower buds to chew on.  Larger birds also, like red shouldered hawks here are vigilant in keeping the nursery free of disease vectoring rodent populations. 

Winged creatures have a definite advantage over crawling pests.  Winged predators can conduct reconnaissance across a ground area much quicker than most crawly pests can escape.  It is true that many insects can fly and are beneficial in their own ways, such as for pollination.  The advantage however lies with birds though due to their size, advanced development of senses and ability to quickly forage across large areas of garden.

Maintaining quality bird habitat for hemp farms should include practices that ensure ample bird forage provisions exist.  Feeders are one obvious way to attract birds and work well in creating a basic Integrated Pest Management program.  Yet bird feeders are just a start.  Native landscape plants that flower, fruit and produce seed are another worthwhile addition to bird feeders in hemp cultivation areas.

Importantly, once the grower begins to attract birds to their hemp growing area and the birds begin their caterpillar and pest insect control duty, the grower must also ensure that the farm provides a place for the birds to 'stay' and nest.  Communal habitat is best established by planting native landscape and wildlife value shrubs.  

American holly, Ilex opaca, provides forage and evergreen communal habitat to wild songbirds and as such can be an important part of an Organic Hemp IPM program. 

Native shrubs, rather than horticultural imported shrubs, will always be a wild songbird's and raptor's preference, for the native shrub's habit and familiarity are transcribed by countless previous generations into a bird's DNA.  Simply put, the wild songbirds are attracted to those native shrubs they and their ancestors have always lived in and around.   

It is true that some non-native horticultural shrubs and plants will also be utilized by wild birds.   However the net benefit to the hemp farm efficiency matrix will be reduced when using non-native landscape species.  In fact, it is possible non-native landscape plants can cause significant ecological systems damage.  When the growing ecosystem matrix becomes unbalanced pest pressure will increase.

As we will see in other posts, not only do native plant species support all important bird populations across the hemp farm, but native plant species also provide a number of other important pest control and nursery management functions.

We will also discuss in future posts, how to visualize the hemp farm bio-geophysical ecosystem matrix.  Though the name 'bio-geophysical ecosystem matrix' may sound complex, the concept is a simple one.  Everything affecting the hemp farm makes up the matrix.  There are many variables, such as birds, wildlife, rain, wind, temperatures, pests, soil, water and others.  The way these variables act upon and influence hemp plant growth in the garden is what the matrix is all about.

Another term I like to use when thinking about the ecosystem matrix is the phrase 'Languages of Nature'.  Each variable asserts an influence, good or bad, on the hemp plants.  Each good or bad influence can be known through interaction with our senses.  Ecosystems communicate the effects of most impacts they experience through measurable responses. An expert hemp farmer 'reads' and understands these ecosystem responses and utilizes the information to maximize crop efficiencies.

Importantly, songbirds and raptors are not the only winged creatures employed by organic hemp and plant nursery growers as part of an organic IPM program.  Chickens, bats and other critters have been successfully integrated into hemp farm pest control programs.  We will discuss these too in future posts.

Finally, it must be understood that birds can be vectors of plant diseases.  However when weighing the risks of potential bird vectored plant diseases versus the insect control benefit, the pest control benefit is usually greater than the disease risk.  

IPM risk benefit analysis can be established through trial and error on the farm, through research of peer reviewed literature and also through coordination with experts working with a local agricultural extension service.

Birds are just one part of a hemp farm ecosystem matrix complex, yet they are a beneficial part.  

Now it is time for me to go add bird food to the feeders!

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