Project Overview
FNE08-644
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2008: $5,110.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2009
Region: Northeast
State: Maine
Project Leader:
Megan Patterson
Green Thumb Farms
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: potatoes
Practices
- Education and Training: farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research
- Farm Business Management: whole farm planning, budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study
- Pest Management: chemical control, cultural control, genetic resistance, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: agroecosystems, holistic management, organic agriculture, transitioning to organic
Proposal summary:
Colorado potato beetles can develop a tolerance for Imidacloprid, making them expensive to control and requiring repeated applications of more toxic pesticides. The farmer will explore the economics and effectiveness of an integrated pest management program geared toward this pest in both conventional and organic production systems on a split-production farm. The goal is to improve stewardship and gather data useful to farmers transitioning to organic or using split production; outreach will be through extension publications, a university web site, and conferences.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.