Is it possible to buy the leeks without spraying insecticide?

The leeks in spring are tender and produce a special fresh taste. However…compared with other vegetables harvested in spring, the leeks are [No. 1] in terms of pesticide residue!

Essential cause for excessive pesticide residue: The Chinese chive maggots attract insects easily. The Chinese chive maggots prefer to gnaw on the roots of leeks so the common pesticide spraying method could hardly work. Instead, they can be killed by pouring a large quantity of pesticides at their roots for many times. Besides the problems, white spots also occur to leek leaves easily. Leek is a kind of crop harvested continuously. To maintain its high yield and avoid diseases, farmers generally have to increase the quantity of pesticides and the leeks will be launched on the market before the “safe period” expires. As a result, the leek has high pesticide residue, which cannot be removed once absorbed by leeks. China loosened the pesticide residue standard of leek last year: From 0.2mg/kg to 5mg/kg, 25 times of increase totally! Experts said the standard above was still within a safe range. Consumers still feel anxious about the leeks with high pesticide residue when choosing them.

To ensure the health of food, the leek without pesticide residue, in other words, the leek without spraying pesticide, is definitely the best choice. It is surely difficult to get rid of pesticide totally when growing leek, after considering its growth characteristics. To solve the problem, the workers from SUNRISE Organic Agriculture racked their brains during the whole growth process. The first hard nut is about the environment where leek grows. Leek can grow better if a layer of 4-5mm thick sand is paved at the root. Then from the bottom on, soil can be paved layer by layer. The second issue is that a 30cm wide gap is required between two lines of leeks (the gap is about 15cm in conventional practice). Despite the relatively low output per unit area, a permeable and dry environment can be fostered for the growth. To physically kill the insects, the workers used many different methods, including sticky trap (sticking the insects physically), pepper powder (keeping them away by the odor), and even biological agents, which were formulated using Chinese herbal medicine and do no harm to human body. The measures above can reduce the quantity of insects but are not a fundamental solution! Another ultimate skill by SUNRISE: Land change! It will change the leek planting land for every other 2~3 years. Part of the insects in the original leek soil was killed in summer by sealing the greenhouse at a high temperature. For those that survive, Chinese chive maggots will starve to death as there is nothing to eat after being hatched in winter. Therefore, pesticide is no longer necessary.

The workers in SUNRISE HARVEST believe that they can cultivate the leek without spraying insecticide (0 insecticide residue) through efforts! SUNRISE HARVEST endeavors to “kill” plant diseases and insect pests of leek by focusing on each link, including greenhouse building, sand burying, culture of seedling, transplanting… To improve the nutrition of organic leek, SUNRISE HARVEST cuts leek for 5 times per year on average (compared with the 10 times of cutting in conventional practice). The leek must pass “214 0-pesticide residue tests” after cut each time, which is stricter than the requirements from Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. In consideration of its strict requirements, the farm was reported by two columns in the public channel of Yantai TV, Social Report and Economic Report. With no “high pesticide residue” and with green and nourishing leaves, SUNRISE organic leek stands out among all kinds of vegetables in spring! The vicious circle of high pesticide residue leads to the contamination of food, land, water source as well as our humans! SUNRISE HARVEST’s organic planting ensures healthy food for residents and protects our environment. Here in SUNRISE HARVEST, you can get access to the leeks with 0 pesticide residue all year round!