Project Overview
Commodities
- Vegetables: cucurbits
Practices
- Crop Production: intercropping
- Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
- Natural Resources/Environment: habitat enhancement
- Pest Management: biological control, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: organic agriculture
Proposal abstract:
Zucchini squash, Cucurbita pepo L., is a high value vegetable crop in Florida. Damage from aphid and whitefly pests are major problems for many growers around the state. Information on organic pest management, particularly the efficacy of products and strategies available, is very limited and sometimes unavailable for many growers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological control agent Amblyseius swirskii in a diversified planting system to determine their effectiveness in managing aphids and whiteflies in organic squash.
Project objectives from proposal:
The specific objectives were to 1) evaluate the effect of planting multiple varieties of squash together on squash pests and disease incidence compared to pure stands of a single squash variety, and 2) determine the effect of intercropping sweet alyssum with squash on pests and natural enemy populations.