Investigating various tactics of intercropping buckwheat with squash to increase natural enemy populations, reduce pest and disease pressure and increase yield

View the project final report

• 2012 annual report

Commodities

• Vegetables: cucurbits

Practices

• Crop Production: intercropping

The purpose of this study was to evaluate several methods of intercropping buckwheat and squash to find a tactic that reduces pest and disease pressure while increasing marketable yield. The specific objectives were to 1) to compare several tactics of intercropping buckwheat and squash and their effects on pest and natural enemy densities, disease incidence, and marketable yields in field grown squash, and 2) to identify the best intercropping system and incorporate a key natural enemy, Delphastus catalinae, into buckwheat and squash crops to determine the effects on pest populations and marketable yields.