10 Effective Crop Protection Techniques Every Farmer Should Know

Protecting crops will help you consistently harvest for weekly market, wholesale, and farm stand sales. Don’t be caught unable to provide your weekly lettuce orders because of a damaging hailstorm or an untimely frosty night. We’ve gathered our best resources, tools, and expert knowledge so you can start your season confident in your farm’s protection. 

Here, we’ll discuss practical and effective protection methods for crops at various stages and how to shield them from:

• Inclement weather

• Pests

• Diseases

• Erosion

• Fluctuating climate

• And more

If you’re wondering how best to manage a new greenhouse, irrigate through the seasons, cover low tunnels, or control disease, you’re in the right place. 

Preventative Measures

Prevention is key to crop protection. Let’s talk about steps you can take before the season starts to mitigate crop loss due to inclement weather, pests, and diseases. 

1. Choose Disease-Resistant Varieties

Select hybrid (F1) cultivars for built-in protection for busy market gardeners with limited time. Breeders sometimes work for years to create tomato varieties that don’t crack and provide:

• Higher productivity

• Increased resilience

• Better uniformity

• Resistance to common detrimental diseases

• Tolerance to

• fluctuating temperatures without bolting

• soil salinity

• cold soil

• drought conditions

• common diseases 

For best results, look for characteristics that align with your needs based on:

• Weather

• Soil type

• Crop’s growth habit

• Growing conditions, such as hoop houses or outdoor growing

Start seeds at home to ensure your seedlings are disease and pest-free before transplant. A few must-haves to guarantee success include: 

• High-quality seeds and seed-starting soil mix

• Seed-starting trays and pots for up-potting

• Heat mat and temperature controller 

• Humidity domes 

• Proper ventilation

If you have the time and patience, try grafting crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers. It’s a fun and engaging way to achieve the look and flavor of heirlooms while maintaining the vigor and production of robust rootstocks. 

2. Crop Rotation Systems

Crop rotation helps break the cycle of disease by removing the host plants. Many harmful pathogens live in soil for up to ten years. Rotate crops so the pathogen doesn’t have food to survive on. Hopefully, the pathogen will die off before that crop returns to the affected plot of land. Read more in Managing Plant Diseases With Crop Rotation by Margaret Tuttle McGrath, done in conjunction with Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). 

Follow a simple crop rotation each season to break pest lifecycles and keep nutrient levels healthy. Add a column to your sowing schedule that indicates what vegetable family the crop is in to help you keep track of rotations. 

Here are the families you should rotate: 

• Nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes)

• Legumes 

• Alliums

• Brassicas (kale, radishes, cabbage, collards, Brussels sprouts, mustards, bok choi, broccoli, arugula, cauliflower) 

• Cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, squash, zucchini)

• Parsley (dill, fennel, carrots, parsnips, parsley, cilantro)

Each family has different groups of pests and is susceptible to various diseases. Rotate them every year or two to:

• Limit exposure

• Break pest life cycles

• Offer a wide range of food and resources for wildlife

• Reduce the risk of pathogen survival and crop loss

The more diverse the flowers, families, and root systems on the farm, the more resilient your crops will be. 

3. Soil Health Management

Test your soil annually to establish a baseline for nutrient surpluses and deficiencies. Some crops are sensitive to even the slightest imbalance and will perform poorly if not corrected. Send samples to a trusted lab or get quicker results with a home soil kit.

Revitalize soil that is new to you or depleted after a busy season with cover crops. Select a cover crop based on:

• Your region

• Soil type: Watch the Home DIY Soil Jar Test—What Type Of Soil Do I Have? to learn how to determine it at home.

• The duration you can go without using the field for cash crops

• Your ultimate goals. 

Consider organic amendments over synthetic ones to boost your soil’s health and strengthen plants. Soil is the bedrock of your farm’s health, so knowing what’s happening beneath the surface is crucial. When you receive your soil test results, plan to improve the soil structure, increase aeration and drainage, and amend your soil. 

Healthy soil leads to:

• More resilient plants

• Higher yields

• Extended seasons

Physical Barriers

Physical barriers are an (almost) fail-safe way to protect plants underneath when applied at the proper time. Gaps, tears, or improper installation can cause poor protection, so let’s discuss how to use them properly for the best protection. You can learn about the 10 Benefits of Using All-Metal Tunnel Kits for Year-Round Farming here. 

4. Row Covers and Netting

Frost blankets will help you prevent frost damage. They’re easy to install, layer, and store. Their lightweight nature makes them gentle on crops of all types and growth stages without damage. Select a weight appropriate for the current weather. Keep several options on hand and change them as conditions change. 

Apply insect netting over hoops to protect young transplants from pests. Adjust the hoop height to fit your raised beds and plants. Use a DIY low tunnel for tall plants like cabbage and broccoli, and shorter tunnels for crops like baby lettuce mix and arugula. Snag a hoop bender to make building a low tunnel quick and easy. 

VIDEO: Protect Your Garden in All Seasons: DIY Low-Tunnel Setup with Bootstrap Farmer

Pull insect netting taut to:

• Prevent sagging

• Keep birds from getting caught

• Disperse rain evenly

• Keep pests from laying eggs through it

Secure the ends of all coverings with sandbags or bricks to keep critters and strong winds out. 

5. Mulching for Weed and Pest Control

Weeds and pests love bare soil, so to keep them away, cover it as much as possible with cover crops, landscape fabric, live plants, or mulch. Organic mulches include straw, woodchips, newspaper, cardboard boxes, and grass clippings. They will decompose, adding fertility to your soil.

Ground covers:

• Can be used as flooring in hoop houses 

• Reduce weed competition

• Aid in germination 

• Reduce soil erosion 

• Make transplanting easier 

• Prevent chemical leaching into the soil and waterways

Consider mulches over landscape fabric if you do not want the hassle of removing the inorganic material each season for storage. Use fabric pins for easy installation. 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

IPM uses predators, physical barriers like insect netting, and cultural practices like crop rotation.  It’s more proactive than reactively spraying something to kill them.

6. Encourage Beneficial Insects

What’s a garden without beneficial insects? Invite bees, beetles, predatory wasps, and hummingbirds with: 

• Native plants

• Access to fresh water

• Fragrant annuals

• Nesting areas for migratory birds and small critters

• Spent seed heads

• Avoid chemicals

It takes time, but you’ll notice a balanced ecosystem naturally forming when there is a constant cycle of life and death, food and predators, flowers to pollinate, and mulch to hide under. 

A few ways to encourage beneficial insects while benefiting your gardens in other ways: 

• Plant sweet alyssum beneath tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant to encourage hoverflies and ladybugs. According to the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, ladybugs can consume up to 50 aphids daily! Direct sow it after the last frost. 

• Sow a wide range of flowers with nectaries of various sizes, aromas, and petal colors to promote biodiversity and balance. 

• Add early-, mid-, and late-season flowers to provide year-round food for beneficial insects.

• Grow marigolds and herbs like dill, fennel, and cilantro to attract predatory wasps. They prey on aphids, flies, and caterpillars. 

7. Use Organic Sprays When Needed

Spraying is sometimes the only way to beat a severe pest or disease outbreak. Use these selectively for effective and safe protection. 

• Insecticidal soaps for soft-bodied pests

• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) kills various pests in the larval stage

• Spinosad may work on young flea beetles

• Neem oil for aphids, scales, and whiteflies

• Pepper spray for deer, rabbits, and mice 

• Sticky trap cards for fungus gnats, leaf miners, aphids, fruit flies, and more

• Be sure to remove the traps when your plants need pollination, as the traps will catch pollinators too. 

Review the national list of allowed and prohibited substances if you have questions about a specific product. 

Bootstrap tips: 

• Follow the instructions and warnings on labels when applying any type of spray in the garden. 

• To prevent harm, spray in the evening to protect beneficial insects.

• Avoid spraying when the sun is hot to prevent foliar burn. 

• Wear gloves. 

• Spray the undersides of leaves where pests and their eggs may be hiding. 

• Avoid overusing sprays of any kind to prevent tolerance. 

Environmental Controls

We saw a shift in our growing zones in 2023, and the climate fluctuates yearly. Droughts, heavy rainfalls, and hard frosts are becoming more challenging to predict. To protect crops, respond quickly to approaching disastrous weather. 

8. Monitor Weather Patterns

Weather affects different areas with various microclimates differently. Do the following to prepare for frost, high winds, harsh sunlight, or heavy rainfall: 

• Cover young seedlings with 6-mil plastic 

• Move sensitive plants inside

• Turn up the heat in greenhouses and high tunnels

• Button-up buildings

• Add incandescent lights to hooped crops for extra warmth

• Add a layer of shade cloth

Knowing your zone’s estimated last spring frost provides a good guideline for what to expect at the start of each season. Respond quickly to extreme weather to prevent crop damage, stunted growth, and loss. 

9. Drip Irrigation for Precision Watering

Install an irrigation system and maintain a consistent watering schedule to prevent crop damage during weather fluctuations. 

Drip irrigation systems:

• Efficiently distribute water to the root systems

• Improve plant health

• Lead to better growth 

• Increases yields

• Reduce disease

• Decreases waste

• Prevent soil erosion

Use watering timers to ensure your plants never go thirsty. Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation. Increase irrigation during extreme heat and drought conditions. Decrease it when rainfall is plentiful. Note reactions to various frequencies and amounts of watering. 

Use the raised bed kit when growing in containers or small tunnels. The greenhouse drip irrigation kits are more customizable, allowing you to control multiple zones, high tunnels, and raised garden beds. 

Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance

Monitoring and maintaining your farm is last but certainly not the least important. 

10. Regular Crop Inspections

Early detection and prevention are crucial for healthy and productive farms. 

• Identify signs of pest damage or early disease symptoms for swift action.

• Subscribe to newsletters, social media pages, and information boards to stay updated on issues affecting your region, such as early blight, untimely frosts, and migratory bird patterns. 

• Create a weekly checklist of things to look for each month. Prepare for recurring issues like spring flea beetles, summer aphids, and fall blight.

• Contact your local extension office for help identifying weeds, insects, or diseases.

• Write down your findings and record seasonal notes. Improve techniques and timing of sowing, cultivating, and harvesting each season. 

FAQs For Effective Crop Protection Techniques 

What is the most cost-effective way to protect crops from pests?

Combine any of the following seven techniques for maximum protection: 

1. Hybrid cultivars

2. Biological controls

3. Delayed planting

4. Cover crops

5. Mulching

6. Physical barriers

7. Organic sprays as a last resort 

How does crop rotation help reduce disease risk?

Crop rotation removes a pathogen’s primary host plant, allowing the soil to recover. The pathogen will die off if no host crop is available. 

Are organic pesticides as effective as conventional ones?

Organic pesticides can be as effective as conventional alternatives with regular application. The organic ingredients break down faster, so apply them more often. Organic sprays reduce harm to beneficial insects. 

What are the best materials to use for row covers?

The best row cover materials include frost blankets, greenhouse plastic, insect netting, and shade cloth.

Change them throughout the seasons, depending on the weather and pest control needed. 

Which beneficial insects should I attract to my garden?

To create a balanced ecosystem, attract the natural enemies of the most prominent garden pests. 

• Tachinid flies

• Minute pirate bugs

• Assassin bugs 

• Hoverflies 

• Lacewings

• Ladybugs

• Spiders 

• Ground beetles 

How does drip irrigation improve plant health while lowering costs?

Drip irrigation directs water to the roots, prevents evaporation, and helps retain soil moisture. 

By using water effectively, it decreases waste, reduces water bills, and results in less crop loss. It can also help prevent disease. 

What’s the biggest mistake farmers make when trying to protect crops?

Reactively protecting your crops can cause irreparable damage. Add protection before danger arrives to ensure your crops remain safe, stress-free, and healthy.

When should I apply physical barriers like netting or mulch?

Apply insect netting upon transplant before the life cycle of damaging pests begins. Use snap-on clamps to layer row cover over insect netting to protect cucurbits well before the cucumber beetle begins to hatch. 

How can I make sure my soil stays healthy year-round?

Focus on these five crucial aspects of soil to ensure year-round health.

1. Monitor organic matter levels

2. Test your soil pH and fertility regularly and amend as needed

3. Mulch and cover crop to limit erosion, reduce weed pressure, and boost fertility

4. Reduce or eliminate tillage 

5. Use soil amendments like coco coir to increase aeration and loosen clay soils.