Final Report for FNE09-659
Project Information
This experiment was conducted to determine if the addition of interior trap crops to a perimeter trap crop system would be an improved technique for control of cucumber beetle in organic winter squash. We planted experimental plots with Buttercup squash as both perimeter and internal trap crops in a main crop of Butternut squash. We found that the internal trap crops did act as a sink for cucumber beetle and decreased numbers in the main crop when perimeter trap crops were breeched. Based on these results, we can say that the use of internal trap crops improves control of cucumber beetles in winter squash. Because of the increased expense of spraying both perimeter trap crops and interior trap crops we recommend further work to look for control materials less expensive that Entrust.
Final report in full is attached below.
Here we propose to try spacing internal traps more widely within a single large PTC field so that we may see more clearly how internal traps might affect CB variation in the main crops near vs. far from the trap crops. As before, CB will be scouted and controls applied as needed and CB numbers in all plants mapped to show CB distributions. Our results will be presented on a workshop tour during the 2009 NOFA summer conference and published in farm periodicals such as the UMass Vegetable News Notes.