Mechanical control means controlling pests and diseases with the help of mechanical measures.
- Keep insects away from the plants. Many flying insects (aphids, butterflies, flies, capsids, thrips, etc.) can be kept away from the crop with the help of insect netting. By covering the soil or substrate with polythene, cloth or with special collars around the stem base it is possible to protect plants against larvae that eat roots or sub-soil stems. These measures also stop the development of larvae and pupae that need soil for completion of their life cycle, and keep them from further spreading.
- Trap insects. With the help of sticky traps, insect-o-cutors, trap plants, pheromone traps etc. it is possible to trap winged insects.
- Use temperature treatments to kill harmful organisms. There are different methods:
Hot waterSeeds, bulbs, tubers and cuttings can be immersed in hot water to kill potential pests such as insects, mites, nematodes, fungi and bacteria.
Hot airA hot air treatment can also kill harmful organisms in plants, bulbs and seeds.
SolarisationIf the soil is covered with transparent polythene for several weeks in summer, temperatures can rise so high through solar radiation that pest organisms are killed.
SteamingTreatments with steam will disinfect soil, substrate, crates, etc. - Use flooding as a technique. If a piece of ground can be flooded for a sufficient period of time, most of the harmful organisms will die due to lack of oxygen.
- Remove infested plant materials. Place them in a bag, and destroy.