Guest Lecture 4 : Pest and Disease Management in organic agriculture

Dirk Wölbling and Kristina Waldschmidt, two organic farmers in Namibia, addressed pest and disease management in organic farming systems, employing different approaches. Kristina implements JADAM farming practices from Korea, while Dirk focuses on traditional organic methods that prioritize soil health. Dirk elaborated on his method of regularly measuring crop Brix values, which indicate plant health and resilience to pests and diseases. They were joined by Dr. Shepard Ndlela from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), who discussed ICIPE's collaboration with small-scale organic farmers in Kenya and beyond, emphasizing the management of Tuta absoluta, a prevalent tomato pest in Africa.