Why organic apple farmers spray their trees with insecticides 32 times on average during each growing season

px Discovery apples
(Credit: Bob Balmer, via Wikimedia Commons)

A lot of people buy organic foods because they believe organic means free from chemicals and pesticides. But the truth is much different! There are 5,500 different chemical substances and pesticides for use in organic farming.

Why, might you ask? Pests don’t discriminate. There are some things farmers and growers can do to mitigate pest pressure, but at the end of the day, there are 30,000 species of weeds and 10,000 species of insects that they have to compete with. Bugs don’t just fly into a field and say, “Woah, guys, this field is organic! We can’t go in here!” They’ll do whatever they please to invade your flavorful honeycrisp apple. We think they’re delicious, and those little critters think so, too!

Do we want to eliminate or reduce pest pressure and chemical use in orchards? Of course we do! And the growers do especially. Every time they spray, it’s money out of their pocket. It is exposure, it is stress. But currently, the pest pressure makes it to where the average organic apple orchard must spray their fields 32 times in a growing season, according to the experts …. Thirty-two! This is primarily due to the fact that organic pesticides are naturally derived, so they’re often not as effective.

Read full, original article: What are you really getting from organic apples?

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Picture1
Hiroshima at 81: America’s new nuclear bomb, a buried Iranian target, and a question no one wants to ask
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-31-2026-07_35_35-AM
Wikipedia has assembled an informative list of fake news websites from across the ideological spectrum
png livestock cow cattle a
Consumer skepticism about gene-edited milk is neither fixed nor particularly high—and falls even more if it’s priced lower
Screenshot-2026-08-03-at-2.15.16-PM
Viewpoint: Trump’s relaxed controls on supplying China with microchips could undermine U.S. AI dominance
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpoint—“Miracle molecule” debunked: Why acemannan supplements don’t work
Screenshot-2026-08-03-at-2.25.49-PM
As measles vaccination rates collapse, scientists push for treatments long considered unnecessary
Screenshot-2026-07-31-at-10.52.03-AM
Love sweets and fatty foods? You can blame your genes, but there are ways to quell the obsessions
ChatGPT Image Jul 29, 2026, 09_08_15 AM 2
The retreat of environmental extremism: Why activist NGOs are losing favor
Screenshot-2026-07-17-at-1.34.59-PM
Poll: Vaccine hesitancy soars when patients distrust health providers and turn to social media
ChatGPT Image Jul 29, 2026, 10_17_59 AM
Viewpoint: What does it mean when critics of conventional agriculture say many fruits and vegetables are “linked” to pesticide poisoning?
Screenshot-2026-08-03-at-2.06.39-PM
Viewpoint: Green energy supporters ‘fight back’ against conservative foundations backing  fossil fuel industry
ChatGPT Image Jul 31, 2026, 08_05_37 AM
With trust in RFK, Jr.'s CDC vaccine advice collapsing, physicians scramble to fill the information gap
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.