Beneficial organism

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In agriculture and gardening, a beneficial organism is any organism that benefits the growing process, including insects, arachnids, other animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes. Benefits include pest control, pollination, and maintenance of soil health. The opposite of beneficial organisms are pests, which are organisms deemed detrimental to the growing process. The distinction between beneficial and pest is arbitrary, subjectively determined by examining the effect of a particular organsim in a specific growing situation.

Beneficial insects are probably the most common reference. These are insects that are predators of pest insects, also, pollinators, such as bees, that are an integral part of the growth cycle of many crops.

Many different soil microorganisms are responsible for nutrient recycling (for one, through decomposing plant residues) and other soil building and maintaining activities.

Birds and other animals may by their actions improve conditions in various growing situations, and in such cases are also beneficials.

Plants that perform positive functions can also be considered beneficials (companion planting is one technique based on principle of beneficial plants).

Increasingly certain species of insects are managed and used to intervene where natural pollination or biological control is insufficient, usually due to human disturbance of the balance of nature.

[edit] Issues

In agriculture, controversy surrounds the concept of beneficial insects. Much of this has to do with the effect of agrichemicals, like insecticides, herbicides and large quantities of synthetic fertilizers, on what are considered beneficials. Citing the reduction or elimination of various organisms as a side effect of agrichemical-based farming, some argue that critical damage is being done to the ecosystem, to the point where conventional agriculture is unsustainable. For example, if bee populations are reduced by insecticides aimed at other pests, pollination is inhibited and crops don't appear. If soil microorgansims are killed off, natural soil regeneration is inhibited, and reliance on mechanical and chemical inputs to keep the soil viable is increased. The longer term impact of these conditions has not been determined. Commercial ventures currently exist to provide pollinators and biological pest control.