Chapter 51

Qi Ping thought he was now a wealthy man, believing his forest farm could enter a phase of rapid development; for example, he could get a lot of money and set up more magical arrays in the forest. However, it now seemed that he was being too optimistic.

It was clear that the current forest farm was generating good income, with the stable production of vegetables allowing Qi Ping to earn a considerable amount of money. However, this required some time and gradual accumulation. Moreover, Qi Ping's expenses over this period were not insignificant, including planting fruit trees, laying irrigation systems, and even buying a car. As a result, he still didn't have much money.

So, it was better to be low-key for now. Being too high-profile could actually make people resentful. Since he didn't have enough money in his pocket, Qi Ping planned to continue developing slowly. This was the most important and practical thing for him.

"Xiao Qi, come over here," Huang Siqing said on the phone, sounding a bit anxious.

Qi Ping's heart suddenly raced. Huang Siqing's voice was urgent, indicating that something was wrong. Clearly, there was trouble.

Since arriving in the United States, Qi Ping's development had been smooth sailing, making him feel very optimistic. Now, it seemed that being too proud was not a good thing, as it might lead to a big fall.

"Xiao Qi, although we have been working hard to catch the bugs, we can't keep up with their growth," Huang Siqing said, sounding worried. Although it was just a sign for now, it was a very bad sign.

"We can't use pesticides either, or the vegetables will lose their competitiveness," Qi Ping said, feeling a headache. The vegetables here were labeled as high-quality organic produce, close to USDA standards, so pesticides were not allowed. "Uncle Huang, can we hire more workers? We can only rely on manual labor now."

"Although more people might slightly improve efficiency, Xiao Qi, we are already at full capacity. If we hire new people, they will only be used to catch bugs. And you've noticed, our environment is very good, which means not only the vegetables grow well, but also the weeds and these small bugs grow quickly," Huang Siqing said, though he was also worried, he lacked confidence.

Since humans started growing vegetables, they have been fighting against pests. In the past, before pesticides were available, pest control was done using primitive methods, such as catching pests by hand or using crushed leaves of repellent plants mixed with water and sprayed on vegetable leaves.

The invention of pesticides changed people's habits and methods of pest control. Due to their economic, convenient, and effective nature, humans began to use pesticides extensively. As the usage increased, the consequences of pesticides also became apparent.

Pesticide residues in the soil, water, and air of the natural world have expanded their impact through the food chain, even affecting human health. Nowadays, people are gradually moving towards organic farming methods that reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides to ensure the safety of users and consumers.

Southern yellow thrips, spider mites, fine mites; tomato leaf miners, African chrysanthemum leaf miners, and other pests can harm the growth and quality of vegetables. These pests can sometimes be very difficult to deal with.

Using pesticides seems to be the easiest solution, as it is simple and convenient. However, if pesticides are used, the value of these vegetables will drop to the lowest point, which is definitely not in Qi Ping's interest.

Qi Ping knew that organic vegetables do not completely avoid the use of pesticides but try to minimize their use. At this point, using a small amount of pesticides might be an option. However, that was not feasible, as the negative impact would be too great, making it a last resort.

Qi Ping also knew that in organic vegetable farms, mineral and biological pesticides can still be used, but the primary focus should be on comprehensive pest and disease control measures.

Choosing pest and disease-resistant varieties; paying attention to the surrounding environment to create a safe, pest-free environment; cultivation management to enhance pest and disease resistance; manual or natural enemy pest control; and the timely and moderate use of mineral and biological pesticides allowed in organic agriculture for pest control, are the main directions for pest prevention in organic farms.

Organic vegetable pest control mainly uses physical methods, including insect-proof nets, yellow sticky boards, sex pheromone lures, and insect traps. Additionally, biological control methods, such as using natural enemies and restricted biological agents like matrine, pyrethrin, and BT, are used.

Although Qi Ping's vegetable plot was also very careful about these issues and had implemented some pest prevention measures, the effects were not good because the spiritual energy here was too abundant, causing the pests to grow too quickly.

In short, the situation at the forest farm could not be judged by conventional standards. There were too many unique aspects here. Therefore, more unconventional pest control methods might be needed.

Qi Ping started to get busy, looking up information and contacting experts. These were the things he needed to do now. There were already some signs of pest infestation, so Qi Ping could not ignore it. Preventing problems before they occur was what he needed to do now.

The environment of the forest farm was indeed too good, very suitable for the growth of plants and animals. However, it was clear that this good environment and the abundant spiritual energy were not only beneficial to vegetables but also to pests.

Recently, Qi Ping had been reminded by Huang Siqing to pay attention to the surrounding environment to prevent pests from entering the vegetable plot, which was rich in spiritual energy. Qi Ping had done a lot of research, but it still seemed insufficient, as the pests were developing rapidly.

So now, he really needed to get busy. Although he didn't have much money, he was willing to spend it to find better pest prevention methods, as he knew this would bring him more benefits.

"There's no way, I really can't deal with these bugs. I can't just tell them not to come," Qi Ping said, feeling a bit helpless. He had put in a lot of effort, but the feedback was still limited, and he still didn't have many solutions.

"Think of something else, I'll also keep an eye out for you," Luo Yi said, also worried. They had finally found a good opportunity, but now they were facing a significant challenge, which was like a cold shower.

"I know, everyone should think of something. Don't worry about the cost; as long as it can control the pests, it's worth it," Qi Ping reminded him, emphasizing that pest control was the top priority, and everything else was secondary.

Luo Yi naturally understood this, so finding an effective pest control method was the most important thing. Other considerations would come later.

For Qi Ping, the most important thing now was the forest farm, which was the foundation of his livelihood. To continue the rapid development of the forest farm, these vegetables were his best way to make money.

Qi Ping did not want to stumble at this point. He had just made a good start and did not want to suffer a heavy blow just as he was about to achieve great success. That was something he absolutely could not accept. Although the forest farm had many development options, he did not want to make changes for this reason, and that was beyond doubt!