On Organic Coffee Farm, Complex Interactions Keep Pests Under Control

Cohen and Stewart wrote for the public their perceptions about systems of interactive behavior, like pest "hotspots", in 1994 in The Collapse of Chaos. That was a fave book of our founding entomologist at Rincon-Vitova Insectaries Everett J. "Deke" Dietrick who began describing this phenomenon in 1960 using his D-Vac Vacuum Insect Net (see rinconvitova.com & dietrick.org). When an observant naturalist makes enough repeated observations about the composition and movement of concentrated insect populations, it can be truer than what some people call real science. Biocontrol research colleagues weren't allowed to publish such findings while at the University of California anyway because pesticide companies controlled the department and still influence them. Pesticide companies invest incredible sums in chemical control propaganda. Deke (my intuitive scientist father) was so sure about the economic benefits to the farmer of ecological balance that he pioneered entrepreneurial biocontrol as a way around the powers that be. In his 50+ years as a consultant and beneficial insect producer, he showed farmers in 50 crops on 3 continents how to monitor the hotspots to see if they're functioning in a favorable way. Deke's eyes would be shining with gratitude if he were alive to read this intriguing news report about applied insect ecology in action for the general reader. Thanks to both Bioscience and US News for publishing observations about biological diversity on organic coffee farms in it's amazingly intricate balance and suggest that it may be the essential condition for effective biological control of pests. You said a lot of great stuff, but it needs to be also be said that some approved for organic materials like pyrethrum, sulfur, and spinosad can be worse than synthetic pesticides in disrupting what we have for decades called "the natural enemy complex". We, like Deke, also intuitively question assumptions of no harm to that balance from genetically modifying plants. Finally, we share Deke's oft repeated take-home statement on this topic, "Food drives all these systems."

Jan Dietrick of CA 7:09PM September 01, 2010