Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Vegetables: cucurbits
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops, intercropping
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity
- Pest Management: biological control, botanical pesticides, disease vectors, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: agroecosystems, organic agriculture
Proposal abstract:
With increased interest in organic vegetable production, growers need reliable information on how to control common pests. Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) inflict serious damage to cucurbits each year and are notoriously difficult to manage. Intercropping vegetables with certain covers crops has proven to increase beneficial insect activity and decrease insect pest populations (McNeil et al 2012). This project will evaluate alternatives for control of squash bugs using organic methods. First, the effect of various covers crops on both squash bugs and beneficial insect populations will be evaluated in field trials. A separate greenhouse experiment will determine the effect of cover crops on attracting or repelling squash bugs. And third, several OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute) approved sprays will evaluated for effect on squash bugs.
Project objectives from proposal:
1) Evaluate cover crops as a strategy to decrease squash bug damage in summer squash
a) Evaluate effectiveness of cover crops as method of attracting beneficial insects
b) Evaluate effectiveness of cover crops as a repellant for squash bugs
2) Evaluate OMRI -approved insecticides for squash bug control