Farm Resilience: Intercropping & IPM Webinar (Agricology)

This entry describes an online webinar event hosted through Agricology under the title “Boosting farm resilience: Intercropping and sustainable pest management.” It is scheduled as part of an events listing and is aimed at farmers, advisers, and others interested in applying agroecological principles to reduce pest pressure and build resilient production systems. The event focuses on intercropping and related sustainable approaches as integral components of integrated pest management (IPM) on regenerative and sustainable farms.

The webinar is framed around the concept of farm resilience, understood as the ability of a farm system to withstand and recover from climatic, economic, and biological stresses such as pests and diseases. Intercropping—growing two or more crops in the same space at the same time—is presented as a key agroecological practice that can enhance this resilience. By increasing plant diversity above and below ground, intercropping can disrupt pest life cycles, confuse host-finding by specialist insects, and promote beneficial organisms, all of which contribute to reduced pest pressure without heavy dependence on synthetic pesticides. These principles are consistent with IPM resources that encourage cropping system diversity and habitat management as part of the Prevention and Avoidance phases in the PAMS approach.[1][2][4]

The description indicates that the webinar will explore how intercropping fits within broader integrated pest management strategies. That likely includes discussion of how mixed cropping patterns interact with other IPM elements such as crop rotation, resistant varieties, and optimized planting dates to create an environment where pests are less likely to reach damaging levels. Because IPM emphasizes monitoring and thresholds before intervention, the event is expected to highlight practical methods for observing pest and beneficial populations in more complex intercropped fields, and how farmers can interpret this information when making management decisions.[2][3]

Sustainable pest management in this context goes beyond simply substituting organic-approved products for conventional pesticides. The webinar is poised to focus on agroecological tactics such as providing floral resources and refuge habitats for natural enemies in or around intercrop strips, selecting crop combinations that are mutually beneficial, and using groundcover and legumes to both improve soil health and suppress weeds and insect pests. These ideas align with conservation system designs that integrate pest management with practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage, using a combination of Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring, and Suppression tactics to manage pests while preserving soil and environmental quality.[4][9]

The webinar will likely feature case examples or farmer experiences demonstrating how intercropping can be practically implemented in different farming contexts, including arable, mixed, or horticultural systems. Participants can expect discussion of real-world challenges such as machinery compatibility, labor, and market requirements, and how these constraints can be addressed while still reaping pest management and resilience benefits. In doing so, the event aims to make agroecological IPM not just a theoretical concept but a feasible strategy for commercial and smaller-scale farmers.

By positioning intercropping as a central tool within IPM and connecting it to enhanced farm resilience, the event supports a transition toward more regenerative farming models. These models seek to maintain productivity and profitability while improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. For growers seeking ways to reduce pesticide reliance, the webinar offers a focused opportunity to learn how plant diversity and ecological design can serve as effective, long-term pest management solutions.