Organic Pest Management

Limited availability of effective pesticides or other responsive pest management tactics for pests with low economic thresholds is a major challenge for organic fruit producers.  Thus, farmers are constantly looking for new methods to control detrimental insects.  Organic apple grower, Jim Koan has been rotationally grazing Berkshire hogs in his organic apple orchards.  The idea is that the hogs eat fallen apples infected with plum curculio larvae, thereby interrupting the life cycle of the pest.  The hogs also consume weeds growing in the orchard, and may impact codling moth and apple scab, making them a well rounded pest management tactic as well as providers of tasty organic bacon and chops!

In addition to the pest management benefits of rotational grazing of hogs we are also exploring the economics of the system and are seeking to begin assessing potential animal welfare benefits, meat quality, and  food safety aspects of hogs and animal manures in apple orchards. This research is being conducted in collaboration with MSU researchers Dave Epstein, Dale Rozeboom, and George Sundin. Preliminary funding has been supplied by the USDA OREI program, the North Central IPM Center and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.