Project Overview
Commodities
- Fruits: berries (strawberries)
Practices
- Crop Production: intercropping, strip tillage
- Education and Training: demonstration, on-farm/ranch research
- Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
- Natural Resources/Environment: hedgerows
- Pest Management: biological control, trap crops
Proposal abstract:
In 2003, a randomized complete block design trapping experiment with three treatments (n= 4 replicates) was established on the row edges of an organic strawberry field. Treatments consisted of a culinary radish, alfalfa, or strawberry planting. When given this choice during the spring, the lygus or western tarnished plant bug (WTPB) was significantly more attracted to alfalfa than to either culinary radish or strawberry. An in-harvest season, completely randomized block design with four treatments (n= 4 replicates) was established on an organic strawberry farm at Eagle Tree/Pacific Gold Farm in Prunedale, California. Treatments included: (1) planting of a field edge alfalfa trap crop, vacuumed twice weekly with a tractor-mounted vacuum device (2) un-vacuumed field edge alfalfa trap crop (3) no trap crop, whole field vacuuming once a week (grower’s program) (4) no trap crop, un-vacuumed (untreated) control. Results indicate that in June the vacuumed trap crop treatment significantly reduced damage due to WTPB bug feeding in the associated strawberry rows, compared with a whole-field vacuuming program and an untreated control. This is an important result because a trap crop vacuuming program constitutes a 75% reduction in machine energy/effort usually expended by organic strawberry growers in whole-field vacuuming programs. Our results show that vacuumed trap crop treatment significance continues in July, however the untreated control treatment WTPB counts and damage could be compromised by the farm-wide grower’s vacuuming program around the test plots.
Our specific objectives include:
1) Establish on-farm trap crop plantings in strawberry field edge beds by planting, irrigating, weeding and maintenance of replicated culinary radish and alfalfa on strawberry beds directly adjacent to commercial strawberry beds.
2) Beginning in April, use tractor-mounted vacuum devices in a replicated experiment including treatments that: a) vacuum only the trap crop vegetation b) vacuum the whole strawberry field in the absence of the trap crop vegetation c) leave trap crop vegetation and the field un-vacuumed, and d) leave an untreated (unvacuumed ) control without trap crop vegetation.
3) Monitor the seasonal densities of WTPB and associated natural enemies in strawberries and trap crops as a function of distance from the trap crop.
4) Monitor seasonal damage caused to strawberry fruit as a function of treatment and distance from the trap crop.
5) Calculate the relative economic costs and benefits of the treatments.
6) Partner with other experts in the field of on-farm habitat conservation
and farmscaping to hold and evaluate two informational meetings for
farmers and agricultural professionals concerning use of trap crops.
Project objectives from proposal:
Our specific objectives include:
1) Establish on-farm trap crop plantings in strawberry field edge beds by planting, irrigating, weeding and maintenance of replicated culinary radish and alfalfa on strawberry beds directly adjacent to commercial strawberry beds.
2) Beginning in April, use tractor-mounted vacuum devices in a replicated experiment including treatments that: a) vacuum only the trap crop vegetation, b) vacuum the whole strawberry field in the absence of the trap crop vegetation, c) leave trap crop vegetation and the field un-vacuumed, and d) leave an untreated (unvacuumed ) control without trap crop vegetation.
3) Monitor the seasonal densities of WTPB and associated natural enemies in strawberries and trap crops as a function of distance from the trap crop.
4) Monitor seasonal damage caused to strawberry fruit as a function of treatment and distance from the trap crop.
5) Calculate the relative economic costs and benefits of the treatments.
6) Partner with other experts in the field of on-farm habitat conservation and farmscaping to hold and evaluate two informational meetings for farmers and agricultural professionals concerning use of trap crops.