Insect Management It All Started Long Before We Got Here…
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1/23/2017 Why are these herbivores eating MY plants? Organic Insect Management It all started long before we got here…. • Vegetable Pests • Vegetable crops: – Adapted to secondary chemicals – ‘early succession’ – Use chemical cues to – Disturbed habitat locate host plants Ruth Hazzard – Rapid, succulent growth – Can only develop on University of Massachusetts Extension – Protected by secondary specific plant group Vegetable Program chemicals – Colonize & reproduce 2013 Beginning Farmer Professional Develoopment – ‘plant families’ rapidly Insects with wider host range What do these insects have in common? (multiple crop families) Life cycle: clues to management Just a few things to know about your pest…. Photo by Jude Boucher • Where and how does it spend the winter? Large Pupal • What plants does it feed on (‘hosts’)? larvae stage is in • When and how does it find the crop? soil • Are there preferences for some varieties or stages? • Which crop stages are damaged? • How, where and when does it reproduce during the summer? Small • How many generations per year? Larvae Adult • What life stages of the insect cause damage? • What life stages are most vulnerable? • What cultural practices protect the crop & reduce the pest? • Are there natural enemies (wild or released) • Are there effective insecticides? What do we need • How do I scout for it? to know about Eggs this insect? • What is the threshold or cue for action? 1 1/23/2017 Things to know about your farm IPM means prevention first: cultural practices • Plant date • Rotation options • Transplants • Row covers • Fallow & field areas nearby? • Mulches • Floral resources for • Other farms nearby? natural enemies • Resources for row • Crop rotation • Fallow periods, cover cover, pesticides, crops sprayers • Tolerant varieties Photo by M Spellman. IPM means prevention first: Ladybeetles biological control Prey on • Conservation: Aphids, pollen, – Use selective small larvae insecticides Harmonia axyridis 12-spotted ladybeetle Asian multicolored ladybeetle Coleomegilla maculata • Plant floral resources for beneficials – nectar and pollen Aphidius colemani Aphid Parasitoids Insidious flower bug (similar to Minute pirate bug -- Orius spp.) Tiny wasps insert eggs into aphids Larva grow and pupate inside aphid Feed on aphids, mites, Aphid exoskeleton serves as pupal thrips case Frequently observed in Multiple generations per year sweet corn or wherever prey insects are found. Aphid ‘mummies’ before and after wasp emerges Photos by A. Cavanagh 2 1/23/2017 Flea beetle life cycle Flea beetles on Brassicas Above ground, on foliage •Overwinter as adult •Lay eggs in spring ADULT •New adults emerge Photo courtesy of Manitoba midsummer Agriculture and Food •Some may lay more eggs (partial Striped Flea PUP EGG 2nd) Beetle A S LAR Crucifer Flea Beetle Underground, VA near plant roots Flea beetle soil dwelling stages: Types of Flea Beetle Damage: ‘Shot-hole Damage’ Tiny Vulnerable to dessication & disturbance • Non-waxy leaves Well-adapted to survival • Feeding on entire surface • Common on bok choi, arugula, mustard, Chinese cabbage. Types of Flea Beetle Damage: Brassica groups ‘Marginal Damage’ Brassica rapa Brassica oleraceae Bok Choy • Occurs on waxy leaves • Mainly on Brassica oleracea crops (cabbage, Kale broccoli, etc) • These crops become more waxy when older Brassica napa Brassica juncea Mustard Red Russian Kale 3 1/23/2017 Flea beetle preference by species/cultivar, 2004 What Brassica crops and species do flea beetles prefer? 9 8 2004 experiment, UMass Research Farm 7 L_maritima Sweet Alyssum 6 B. oleracea ‘Blue Lagoon’ Cabbage 5 B. oleracea Flash Collards 4 rapa - pac_choirapa - rapa - komatsunarapa - junceagw_mustard - ‘Greasy greens’ 3 B. oleracea* (* non-waxy collard) oleraceagreasy_greens - 2 B. oleracea Gai-lan averagebeetles perplant 1 oleraceacollards - oleraceacabbage - B. rapa Pak Choi allyssum L_maritima- oleraceagai_lan - 0 B. rapa ‘Summerfest’ Komatsuna Total •The waxy B. oleracea, and the alyssum, had by far the fewest beetles. B. napus ‘Green Wave’ mustard •Greasy greens, non-waxy B. oleracea, had an equal number of beetles as B. Juncea, mustard. •The species with by far the highest beetle counts were the B. rapas, komatsuna and pac choi. flea beetles’ favorites 1. Brassica rapa 4. Brassica oleraceae Where do they go in winter? Bok Choy Kale Average Number of Flea Beetles per sample Overwintering Study Winter 2001-2002 3. Brassica 2. Brassica juncea 30 napa 25 20 Mustard 15 10 average # of beetles 5 Red Russian 0 Kale woods shrubby grassy location of sample Crop Rotation: No rotation means early Fall Brassicas where to plant Spring Brassicas and large Year 1 spring Year 2 Fall Brassicas populations of Brassicas? Year 1 flea beetles Overwintering site for beetles Overwintering site for beetles WOODS, ROADS, WOODS, ROADS, HOUSES, FIELDS HOUSES, FIELDS 4 1/23/2017 Rotating spring Mid-season rotation: crop as far as Plant fall Brassicas in a new field to escape newly Fall Brassicas possible from emerged adults Year 1 last fall’s crop Late Brassicas in field 2 delays arrival and reduces Summer adults beetle numbers Very hungry!!! Overwintering site for beetles Stop feeding, Early Brassicas in field 1 leave the field WOODS, ROADS, Overwintered adults HOUSES, FIELDS Spring Brassicas hungry!! Year 2 May June July August September October Bolted Brassica field: incubator for next generation UMass flea beetle insecticide trials, 2003-2004 of flea beetles Caryn Andersen et al Weekly sprays on Komatsuna greens (Brassica rapa) Results: • Spinosad had significantly less feeding damage than control • Pyganic was no different from unsprayed control • Row cover was the most effective treatment Flea beetle on Cabbage Methods, PTC Research Plots, 2004 Abby Seaman, Cornell, 2011 • Crop: Cabbage “Farao F1” • Planting date: 5/23 1 2 4 5 • Application dates: 5/31, 6/7, 6/14 (started as soon as flea beetles arrived) 50’ Sevin 50’ No Spray 50’ Sevin • Evaluation date: 6/20 No Spray Treatment Rate Mean Damage Rating* Entrust 2.5 oz/A 1.7 A Pyganic 5.0 9 oz/A 2.7 B No border (Cabbage only) With border (Komatsuna & Neemix 4.5 10 oz/A 2.5 B Collards around Cabbage) Neemix + Pyganic 10 oz + 9 oz/A 2.7 B Untreated control 2.5 B • Four replications. Plot size: 20’x15’ *Rating 1-5 with 1 = no damage and 5 = plant almost dead • Treatments (insecticides) applied ONLY in the border (randomized). Treatment Mean • Borders and main crop scouted weekly. Control 2.48 a Entrust 1.68 b Neemix 2.48 a Neemix + Pyganic 2.67 a Pyganic 2.73 a 5 1/23/2017 (graph 2) Average Beetle Numbers (graph 1) Average Beetle Numbers 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 Spraye d PTC 4 4 Bordersno Border 3 yes 3 nos 2 yes 2 1 Avg.Beetles perPlant SeasonalAvg. Beetles perPlant 1 0 Border Main 0 Location of Beetles - border or main Border Main crop Location of Beetles - border or main • Unsprayed borders had the highest beetle numbers, regardless of whether or not they crop contained komatsuna. Main crops of plots surrounded by unsprayed borders had the next highest number of beetles. • The komatsuna border had significantly more beetles than anything else. • The sprayed borders and the main crops inside of sprayed borders had the lowest average • There were no differences between main crops, which indicates that the beetle counts. This indicates that spraying the borders alone may be effective at controlling komatsuna did not actually increase the number of beetles in the main crop. flea beetles in the main crop. • It did not, however, lower the number of beetles in the main crop compared with • The presence or absence of komatsuna in the border had no impact on the effectiveness of the border spray. the main crop of the un-bordered plots. Full Bloom farm trap crop study, 2013 Full Bloom farm trap crop study, 2013 • Brassica rapa, B. juncea as Results: trap crop (mixtures) in border bok choy More beetles in border (early) rows (near likely migration) kale 2 lacinato 2 More beetles in bok choy (later) • Main crop: kale, collard, red russian 2 Spray boy choy & border 2X as often lacinato, red russian border mix Reduced sprays in remaining crop • Preferred ‘sink’ crop (bok kale choy) lacinato Product strategy: • Scout weekly: damage, red russian Use Pyganic if control needed but beetles/plant border mix rain expected Use mix if pressure is high • Thresholds: 1 to 2/plant, 10- road Use Entrust to get 5-7 day residual 25% damage last year's brassicas • Use Pyganic, Entrust, or mix Management Strategies for Flea Beetles… 1. Escape them: crop rotation between and during the season 2. Starve them: no host crop for a generation 3. Kill them: tillage after harvest, insecticides 4. Exclude them: row cover 5. Grow healthy plants; use transplants 6. Use trap crops and spray those more often 6 1/23/2017 Soil bags Row cover roller Why has flea beetle grown to be such a serious Eggplant flea beetle pest on organic farms? Feeds only on Solanaceous crops – tomato, potato, eggplant --- NOT the same species as crucifer flea beetle Similar life cycle: one generation per year, but two periods of adult feeding (May/June and late July/early Aug) Which organic insecticides work on flea beetle and Flea beetle numbers on sticky card traps Colorado potato beetle in eggplant? 0.6 0.6 2009 Expt, UMass Crops Research Farm 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 Plant Plant 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0 0 Average Flea Beetle Card Count per no pyganic pyganic Average Flea Beetle Card Count per no entrust entrust 0.6 Eggplant (‘Nadia’) 0.5 3 insecticides: Surround, Entrust, Pyganic 0.4 Alone and in mix of 2 or