Fact sheet on preventative practices for pest, weed, and disease managment for organic production.
Crop Pest, Weed, and Disease
Preventative Practices
O rg a n i c C e rt i f i c a t i o n F a c t S h e e t
What are Preventative Practices?
Preventative practices are techniques that help your avoid crop pest, weed, and disease problems on
your organic farm. Preventative practices are required prior to the use of any material input.
USDA organic regulations require that producers use a multi-step approach in dealing
with crop pest, weed, and disease problems (7CFR 205.206).
An organic producer must be able to demonstrate, through records and
observable practices, that they implemented each level before the use of any
approved materials to control pests, weeds and diseases. 7CFR §205.206
Consistent observation and monitoring of fields and storage areas is important to ensure that
potential issues are recorded and action is taken before a problem arises.
Step 1 — Prevention of the problem through crop rotation, soil management, sanitation, and
cultural practices.
Step 2 — Use of mechanical or physical methods to prevent problems
Step 3 — The application of approved materials.
Preventative Crop Pest Control Measures may include:
Crop rotation
Insect or rodent traps
Frog ponds, bird houses or bat houses
Resistant varieties
Timing of planting
Release of beneficial insects
Companion planting and trap crops
Physical removal and physical barriers
Preventative Weed Control Measures may include:
Mowing and cultivation
Crop rotation
Crop spacing
AGR 3014 – Updated July 2019
Use of mulches
Hand or flame weeding
Cover cropping
Crop Pest, Weed, and Disease Preventative Practices
Page 2
Preventative Disease Control Measures may include:
Crop rotation
Resistant varieties
Limiting disease transmission
Plant spacing
Companion planting
Soil solarization
Non-synthetic biological, botanical,
or mineral inputs
Compost or compost tea use
Field sanitation (removal of plant debris)
Timing of planting or cultivation
Timing and methods of irrigation
How are preventative practices evaluated?
Your organic management practices must be outlined in an organic system plan. This plan, which
details all of your practices, including preventative, is updated at least once a year. During the
inspection, the inspector will evaluate whether or not the practices outlined in the organic system
plan have been implemented as described. The inspector will look for signs of preventative practices
observable at inspection, such as row spacing or beneficial habit; as well as review the records of
practices that were implemented but are no longer observable. For this reason it is important to
keep clear records of what preventative practices you implement and when.
Records should be adapted to meet the needs of your particular business and therefore vary based
on the complexity and scale of the farm. However, management records as simple as a field note
book or a wall calendar tracking daily activities may prove sufficient.
Additional Resources
NOP Guide for Organic Crop Producers
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5101542
Cooperative Extension: Preventative Practices in Organic Weed Management
http://www.extension.org/pages/59489/preventative-practices-in-organic-weedmanagement#.VYBvwflVikq
Cooperative Extension: Fire Blight Control for Organic Orchards: Moving Beyond Antibiotics
http://www.extension.org/pages/70541/fire-blight-control-for-organic-orchards:-moving-beyondantibiotics#.VYBY2PlVhBc
MOSES: Managing Pests & Diseases in an Organic Apple Orchard http://mosesorganic.org/wp
-content/uploads/Publications/Fact_Sheets/32ManagingPestsinOrchard.pdf
WSDA Organic Program
PO Box 42560 | Olympia WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1805 | organic@agr.wa.gov
http://agr.wa.gov/organic
AGR 3014 – Updated July 2019
All Regions
External Link
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