Flash-grazing of hogs as a pest management tool in organic apple production

An on farm experiment examining the potential of flash grazed hogs to manage insect, weed, and fungal pests in an organic apple orchard was conducted in Flushing MI. The experiment took place in six, 1-acre orchard plots, of which three received flash-grazing and three did not. Hogs were grazed in the early summer of 2007 and again in the winter and early summer of 2008. The primary insect pest targeted was plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) with the early summer grazing timed to intercept larvae located within dropped apples. In 2008 impacts of hogs on codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), orchard floor weed cover, and apple scab,Venturia inaequalis, infection were also assayed. Initial results indicated that grazing by hogs had a significant impact on plum curculio and weed density with reduced pesticide inputs. Furthermore, hog related costs incurred by the grower were partially recovered through the sale of organic pork.