Ian Juarez EDINBURG – With spring coming soon, anyone involved in agriculture or wishing to get involved will have to prepare to face the changes the spring season brings.
Juan Raygoza, director of special programs at the Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement, said because of the temperature increasing higher than last year, crop-infesting pests may be lurking about.
Raygoza said constant monitoring of crops is the most common way to get rid of pests.
“It’s all about catching them on time and, you know, don’t let them get out of control otherwise, yeah, there is going to be serious financial losses,” Raygoza said. “Don’t go a week without checking your crops and without noticing that, some of those pests are establishing.”
Raygoza shared some of the common pests found in the Valley, which include Aphids, Stinkbugs and Looper Caterpillars.
According to the Nation Pesticide Information Center, Aphids can suck the juices from leaves and stems, attract other pests like ants and spread crop-destroying viruses, one of many examples of the damage pests can cause.
“They reproduce very quickly, especially the aphids. And usually, they hide under the leaves on, little tight spaces. So you, know, not only just walk by and look for the signs, but actually look under the leaves and try to spot them at an early stage,” Raygoza said.
Raygoza said gardening and farming take a lot of work, time and resources. This on top of the time it takes to buy supplies, seeds and tending to those crops.
“So, you want to take care of those pests so they don’t come and ruin all your hard work. And so, not only for the time, but also financially.” Raygoza added.
He shared two methods that can protect your crops. One method being Agribon, a special fabric that lets your crops breathe and get sun while keeping pests out.
The second method is to spray garlic oil three times a week as a repellent for stubborn pests.
