Organic Pest Control & Disease Resilience

Developing Insect And Disease Resistance From Within

Pests are responsible for substantial crop losses around the world, damaging plants and transmitting diseases. Broad-spectrum chemical insecticides are neither efficient nor effective in pest prevention, which is why Zylem aims to build crop resistance to disease and pests through improved soil and plant health using organic pest control products and methods.

Building Plant Resistance To Disease And Pests

Healthy plants with high resilience and high Brix levels come from healthy soil conditions. Instead of growing low Brix crops and fighting off insects and diseases with expensive pesticides and chemicals, implementing an effective soil management programme results in healthier, hardier plants that are more resistant to insects and disease.

The Benefits of High Brix Plants

Resistant to disease

Unappealing to insects

Require fewer inputs

Better for human consumption

Improve profitablity

Better yields

Develop your farm’s insect and disease resistance

How Does Sea Brix™ Work?

Sea Brixº™ works efficiently in two ways:

As a microbe food or soil food

Metabolites in Sea Brixº™ serve as a microbe food source. The microbes are stimulated and/or multiplied, resulting in beneficial microbe processes such as making nutrients more plant-available.

As a foliar feed

The already-processed (enzyme-fermented) raw materials are quickly and easily metabolised in the plant. This allows for spontaneous and quick effects on stimulating important processes such as photosynthesis.

Products To Improve Plant Resistance To Disease And Pests

Sea Brix™

Sea Brixº™ is a product formulated by Zylem that contains Triacontanol, a potent natural growth stimulant. Its primary objective is to maximise photosynthesis (the process that ultimately results in high Brix levels of the plant).

The Sea Brixº™ name is indicative of its source and its effect—products and ingredients originating from the sea (such as kelp and fish hydrolysate) improve soil health, resulting in higher Brix levels in plants.

Higher Brix levels provide natural pest control and higher plant resistance to disease. So, instead of trying to fix the problem, you’re preventing it from occurring in the first place.

Learn More About Natural Plant Pest And Disease Control

Frequently Asked Questions

What is organic pest control?

The term “organic pest control” can be used to refer to a number of ways of dealing with pests in plants:

Using pest control products sourced from natural, organic ingredients
Building pest resistance naturally by improving the health of the soil and the plant

Which organic pesticide is best?

Does organic pest control really work?

Organic pest control works when done properly. It’s not enough to douse plants and soil in organic pest control products without a defined soil health strategy. Even with a good soil management programme in place, it may take a while for soil to regenerate to a level conducive to providing high enough Brix levels for natural pest control and insect resistance. For this reason, many farmers don’t go cold turkey with chemical inputs straight away. Our consultants are experienced in sustainable and sensible transitions to organic methods and products, so don’t hesitate to get in touch for help making the move.

What is high Brix?

How do you make high Brix soil?

What is a good Brix level?

What is disease resistance in plants?

How can plant disease resistance be improved?

Plant disease resistance can be improved by developing better soil health. The health of a plant is determined by the health of the soil, which has the potential to provide natural “immunity” to plants. Along with supplying essential water and a growing medium, healthy soil is home to organic matter and living organisms that work symbiotically to provide plants with the nutrients they need to thrive.

If the soil has been stripped of these qualities, the plants that grow in it will not be able to achieve optimal health, leaving them susceptible to insects, pests and diseases.