(Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli farmers in the Negev have cut their use of chemical pesticides by about 80%. They use natural predators – bugs that don’t harm the crops – to get rid of the pests. Also they allow the land to rest in the July heat to kill off any remaining insects and fungus diseases in the soil.
http://israel21c.org/environment/pirate-bugs-the-superheroes-of-arava-farms/