Organic crop producers practice crop rotation (rotating the crops they grow in a field or planting bed over time) to interrupt insect life cycles, suppress soil borne plant diseases, prevent soil erosion, build organic matter, fix nitrogen and increase farm biodiversity.

Pest management on organic farms relies on the ‘PAMS’ strategy: prevention, avoidance, monitoring, and suppression. Prevention and avoidance are the first line of defense against pests, weeds, and diseases. If pest or weed suppression becomes necessary, producers often use mechanical and physical practices, such as releasing predatory insects to reduce pest populations or laying down a thick layer of mulch to smother weeds. As a last resort, producers may work with their organic certifier to use an approved pesticide, such as naturally occurring microorganisms, insecticides naturally derived from plants or one of a few approved synthetic substances.

Additionally, organic crop producers use cover crops to protect the soil from wind and water erosion. Soil-conserving practices include the use of cover crops, mulches, conservation tillage, contour plowing and strip cropping.

Source: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Organic%20Practices%20Factsheet.pdf