Organic Hemp Farming, Pest Control and Annual Ecosystem Matrix Data

 Last post we discussed the importance of codifying the hemp cultivation area's biological and geophysical characteristics into a chart or graph.  We call this site summary the ecosystem matrix.

Four season data provides the most accurate ecosystem matrix data to the hemp grower for pest control efforts.

Smaller sites may possess a single ecosystem matrix while large sites, spread across acres of land may involve many different existing ecosystem types.

There are many variables interacting with each other in a functioning ecosystem.  The whole of these variables comprises the ecosystem matrix.  Documenting hemp farm ecosystem matrix biological and geophysical variables in a summary table or graph can provide the grower with valuable tools for best growing results and pest control.

Importantly, many of these variables act differently according to seasonal variations.  Recording the growing site's variables during one month may provide valuable growing information for that month but may be irrelevant for different months or other seasons.

The ideal ecosystem matrix analysis will contain site data from one or more complete annual growing cycles, including data from spring, summer, fall and winter.

With respect to hemp plant pest control, the knowledge of when certain pests appear and when they inflict their respective damage is a vital part of the organic integrated pest management program.

It is a given that there are quite a number of pest insects that can harm hemp crops.  Importantly, these pests not only appear at different times of the year, during different seasons but they also have their own set of biotic and abiotic ecosystem variable requirements for growth and survival.

A few of the seasonal variables that should be noted when developing an organic pest control program include; day length (photoperiod), wind speed and directions, rainfall amounts, leaf litter amounts, air quality, temperature, bloom types, mushroom growth, relative humidity, barometric pressure and others.

The goal for the hemp grower should be to avoid surprise with respect to pest organism emergence.  By collecting hemp growing area ecosystem matrix observations and measurements throughout the year, predictive patterns will begin to emerge with respect to fly, caterpillar, fungus and insect population growth.

All pests have specific requirements for successful growth.  When the ecosystem is favorable to their needs, pests will flourish.

The ability to recognize patterns in seasonal occurrences affords the hemp farmer warning that certain pests may be expected, and then also the opportunity to manage variables in order to prevent pest outbreaks.

Though it requires time and effort, an on-going, annual ecosystem variable analysis effort is truly the backbone of any organic integrated pest management program.  The hemp farmer must understand what they are dealing with and when they will be facing specific pests.  It can't be overstated enough, the hemp farmer must intimately know their growing site ecosystem(s) through all the seasons.

The benefits of ecosystem matrix tools for organic pest control are many, not the least of which is a healthy agricultural product free of toxic sprays and powders.  Organic integrated pest management focused hemp growing operations will always produce the very best hemp products.