There’s a growing understanding among organic farmers of ways to harness natural systems as part of integrated pest management — including beneficial insects.

And there’s a small burst of new research into organic farming techniques as a result of the 2008 farm bill. For years such research was financed at $3 million a year, and though the funds are still minuscule compared with conventional agricultural research, it’s now $20 million annually for the next few years, and may increase further. Instead of five to seven research grants per year, there are now two dozen.

See Jim Robbins' NYT article: Farmers Find Organic Arsenal to Wage War on Pests