4.3 Pest, disease and weeds

Diversity in plant production and activity shall be assured by minimum crop rotation requirements and/or variety of plantings. Minimum rotation practices for annual crops shall be established unless the operator demonstrates diversity in plant production by other means. Operators are required to manage pressure from insects, weeds, diseases and other pests while maintaining or increasing soil organic matter, fertility, microbial activity and general soil health.

For perennial crops the operator must maintain ground cover and a diversity of plants in the orchard.

All organic production systems shall display a set of positive processes capable of accounting for management of significant pests, weeds and diseases under normal circumstances.

4.3.1 Pests, diseases and weeds should be controlled by any one, or a combination, of the following measures:

- Choice of appropriate species and varieties.
- Appropriate rotation programs.
- Mechanical cultivation.
- Protection of natural enemies of pests through provision of favourable habitat, such as hedges and nesting sites, ecological buffer zones which maintain the original vegetation to house pest predators.
- Diversified ecosystems.  These will vary between geographical locations.  For example, buffer zones to counteract erosion, agro-forestry, rotating crops etc.
- Flame weeding/steam weeding (mobile units only).
- Natural enemies including release of predators and parasites.
- Biodynamic preparations from stone meal, farmyard manure or plants.
- Mulching and mowing.
- Grazing of animals.
- Biological control
- Soil solarisation (plastic to be re-used and picked up once deteriorated.
- Mechanical controls such as traps, barriers, light and sound.

4.3.2 Only in cases of imminent or serious threat to the crop and where the measures identified in 4.3.1 (above) are, or would not be effective, recourse may be had to products referred to in Section 10 Table 2.

NB: All substances in Section 10 Table 2 are restricted substances and can only be applied under the conditions as outlined in 4.3.2 above.

4.3.3 For pest management and control the following measures, in order of preference, should be used:

- Preventative methods, such as disruption and elimination of habitat and access to facilities by pest organisms, should be the primary methodology of pest management.
- If preventative methods are inadequate, the first choice for pest control should be mechanical/physical and biological methods.
- If mechanical/physical methods are inadequate for pest control, pesticidal substances appearing in Section 10, Table 2 (or other substances allowed for use by a AgriQuality in accordance with Section 10.1) may be used provided that they are accepted for use in handling, storage, transportation or processing facilities by the competent authority and so that contact with organic products is prevented.

4.3.4 Pests should be avoided by good manufacturing practice.  Pest control measures within storage areas or transport containers may include physical barriers or other treatments such as sound, ultra-sound, light, ultra-violet light, traps (pheromone traps and static bait traps) controlled temperature, controlled atmosphere (carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen) and diatomaceous earth.

4.3.5 Use of pesticides not listed in Section 10, Table 2 for post harvest or quarantine purposes should not be permitted on products prepared in accordance with this Standard and would cause organically produced foods to lose their organic status.