Spillover effects of organic agriculture on pesticide use on nearby fields. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38513026/)

These scientists wanted to understand how organic farming affects the environment and pest control in nearby fields. They collected data from thousands of field observations in Kern County, California from 2013 to 2019.

They found that organic crop producers benefit from having other organic fields nearby because it reduces the overall use of pesticides, especially those that target insect pests. On the other hand, conventional fields tend to use more pesticides when surrounded by organic fields.

By using computer simulations, the scientists showed that if organic fields are clustered together in one area, it can completely prevent the spillover effects that lead to an increase in pesticide use overall. This means that having organic farms close to each other can help reduce the need for harmful pesticides in the environment.

Larsen AE., Noack F., Powers LC. Spillover effects of organic agriculture on pesticide use on nearby fields. Science. 2024 Mar 22;383(6689):eadf2572. doi: 10.1126/science.adf2572. Epub 2024 Mar 22.