• Pests and diseases are merely there to eat or infect an uhealthy plant which is weak.
• We see them as nuisance, but they perform an important ecological role.
• Unhealthy plants would not be optimal for consumption by humans or animals.
• Pests and diseases are doing us a favour by preventing us from eating inferior produce.
• Modern agriculture kills the pests and diseases using chemicals and makes us eat the inferior produce anyway.
• Insects, pests and diseases cannot attack healthy plants just like in humans and animals.
• Stressed plants may not be able to to produce their normal resistance chemicals and may even look and smell different from healthy plants. This is how the pests and germs locate the sick plants.
• A healthy plant that is growing and respiring normally will have good temperature control and give off a different infrared wavelength.
• Using tiny hairs on their antenna, insects can detect and track down suitable food sources.
• Natural mechanisms to prevent attacks on pastures and crops-

1. Soil organisms: directly or indirectly protect from pests and diseases. Beneficial organisms provide a proper balance of essential nutrients and growth factors and make the plant more resilient to the environmental stresses. Certain bacteria and fungi attack or compete with the disease pathogens by releasing natural antibiotics or directly eat them.
2. Soil nutrients: need to be in balance to ensure strong root system, for growth and health.
3. Certain Proteins and amino acids: these are known as secondary metabolites, and are a complex communication molecules created in a healthy plant to help respond to environmental stresses. Only proper balance of protein breakup and build up results in balanced levels of amino acids, vitamins and trace elements necessary to feed the microbes and the host plant.

A Holistic program, to balance soil mineral levels and boost the soil microbe communities will provide the best form of Crop protection.