Farmscaping and EPM

Or:Or:

Integrated Parasite, Pathogen & Integrated Parasite, Pathogen & Predator Management; Or:Predator Management; Or:

Plant It and They Will Come.Plant It and They Will Come.

Richard C. McDonald, Ph.D.Richard C. McDonald, Ph.D.

Symbiont Biological Pest Symbiont Biological Pest ManagementManagement

Farmscaping

Definition: Dr. Robert Bugg - Definition: Dr. Robert Bugg - Deliberate use of specific plants and landscaping techniques to attract and conserve “Beneficials”.

All Trophic levels (soil, plants, insects) must be All Trophic levels (soil, plants, insects) must be healthy & balanced; especially soil!healthy & balanced; especially soil!

Once these levels are set, then “Governing Forces” Once these levels are set, then “Governing Forces” can take control - Balance of Nature - tip it in our can take control - Balance of Nature - tip it in our favor slightlyfavor slightly

View pests as messengers - what are they saying - View pests as messengers - what are they saying - Rome - kill the bearer of bad news.Rome - kill the bearer of bad news.

4 Basic Ecological Principles:

1. Increase Plant Diversity.1. Increase Plant Diversity. 2. Increase Plant Structural Diversity - food, 2. Increase Plant Structural Diversity - food,

overwintering sites, mating sites, etc.overwintering sites, mating sites, etc. 3. Increase the time these are available.3. Increase the time these are available. 4. Decrease the distance beneficials have to 4. Decrease the distance beneficials have to

travel.travel.

Farmscaping

EPM - Integrated Parasite, Pathogen and Predator EPM - Integrated Parasite, Pathogen and Predator Management (IPPPM)Management (IPPPM)

1969 - Everett Dietrich’s Paper on IPPM - read 1969 - Everett Dietrich’s Paper on IPPM - read and know his principles.and know his principles.

Shift focus away from ‘pest’ to Shift focus away from ‘pest’ to having a healthy having a healthy population of beneficials as the primary focuspopulation of beneficials as the primary focus. . Prevention is primary.Prevention is primary.

BB50 - beneficial insect seed blends - See BB50 - beneficial insect seed blends - See Handout on Virginia Tech’s Farmscaping.Handout on Virginia Tech’s Farmscaping.

Farmscaping My EPM goal: When sampling, I want to My EPM goal: When sampling, I want to

see 1/4 to 1/3 of the plants with beneficial see 1/4 to 1/3 of the plants with beneficial insectinsect(adult wasps, beetles, larvae, cocoons, pupae, mummies, partially eaten egg masses, etc.) activity or plants should be activity or plants should be fairly pest free - economic threshold.fairly pest free - economic threshold.

Sample size power analysis to determine Sample size power analysis to determine how many plants to sample.how many plants to sample.

Farmscaping is Proactive! These two systems are These two systems are

totally different in the totally different in the amount and kinds of amount and kinds of beneficials that are beneficials that are present, based on the present, based on the biodiversity of plants biodiversity of plants present. present. Rebuilding Rebuilding clock:clock: how long it how long it takes to create a takes to create a healthy farmscape.healthy farmscape.

Farmscaping: Applied Principles1) Build Guilds - Multiple Redundant Systems

BB50 - 1) BB50 - 1) Multiple Multiple Redundant SystemsRedundant Systems - - both plants and both plants and beneficials - beneficials - GuildsGuilds

Goal - Bracketing - Goal - Bracketing - having a natural having a natural enemy(s) present for enemy(s) present for every life stage of the every life stage of the pest(s).pest(s).

Farmscaping Principles: 2) Bracketing - Natural Enemies for every life stage of the pest.

⇒

Pest Stage Egg Larva 1 Larva2 Larva3 Larva4 Larva5 Pupa Adult

ImportedCabbage-Worm

LadybugsSyrphidsLacewingsTrichogramma

BraconidsLadybugsSyrphidsLacewing

SameAsLarva1

AssassinBugs,CarabidStinkBug

SameAsLarva3

PaperWaspsBugs,CarabidBeetles

Pteromalus

puparum,Bugs,Carabids

DragonflyRobberFlySpiders

JapaneseBeetle

CarabidsNematodes

Nematodes(Hb),Milkyspore

TiphiavernalisNemasMilkySpore

Tiphia,Nemas,MilkySpore

NoSuchStage

NoSuchStage

None Tachinid-Istochetaaldrichi

Farmscaping Principles3) Anticipate Pest Problems

Think Ahead - encourage the right beneficial insects to be there when needed them to attack the pests. Timing of ladybugs/Trichogramma wasps to attack the eggs of caterpillars.

Work Backwards from the PEST to the Beneficials to the plants/requisites that attract the beneficials.

Farmscaping Principles4) Specific Plants Can Attract Specific Beneficials.

Fennel is great for attracting parasitic wasps, syrphid flies, and ladybugs. So one plant can bring in a guild of beneficials.

FS Principles - 5) How much Farmscaping?

1 to 5% of crop area should be planted in farmscaping plants- “lots of clumps of food plants spread out over an area is much better than one big clump”. Or, incorporate farmscaping into borders, ditches, and fencerows.

FS Principles 6) Dispersion indices for beneficials

Low Low DispersionDispersion

(Stay in field)(Stay in field)

Medium Medium Dispersion Dispersion (forage 1/4 (forage 1/4 mile)mile)

High High Dispersion Dispersion (forage > 1/4 (forage > 1/4 mile)mile)

Ground Beetles (Carabids)

Ladybeetles (when happy)

Smaller Parasitic Wasps

Most Parasitic wasps

Predatory Wasps – Paper

Predatory Bugs

Syrphids – Hover Flies

Dragonflies, Tachinid Flies

Larger Parasitic Wasps

FS Principles: 7) Have something blooming all the time

Flowers are prime food & mating sites for wasps. Important to have a well fed, mated female beneficial! Green House – use to Jump-start garden areas.

FS Principles: 8) Nectar!

Nectar – liquid sugar food + vitamins for beneficials. Nectar is critical for optimum performance of many beneficials. Many beneficials will lay over 3-10 fold more eggs if properly fed.

FS Principles: 9) Extra-Floral Nectaries

Nectar glands that are not associated with flowers. Peonies, Sweet potatoes, bachelor buttons, kenafe, all have extrafloral nectaries. Parasitic insects use these extrafloral nectaries as important food sources.

FS Principles: 10) Pollen

Is an alternative form of protein. Once again, many plants in the wild carrot family can provide pollen. Another good pollen producer is the corn plant. Syrphid flies need pollen to lay eggs.

FS Principles- 11) Overwintering

It turns out that many beneficials make cocoons and hibernate in or very near the plants where they find their hosts. Recent research has shown that yarrow and comfrey are also excellent overwintering plants for parasitic wasps.

FS Principles: 12) Entrainment

Entomologists have discovered that insects (especially parasitic wasps and flies) can perform associative learning, so if you get insects (especially young ones) happy in their environment, they will “tune in” to a particular pest.

FS Principles:13)Drought/Stress

These systems can also fail! In drought years insects from all over will come to your area and can overwhelm a system. Be ready with backups additional insects, ladybugs/lacewings, Bt, soaps, diatomaceous earth.

FS Principles: 14) Hold Yer Fire! ““I didn’t know what is I didn’t know what is

was….. So I killed it.”was….. So I killed it.” Remember you need some

pests around in order to feed your beneficials. If you have to spray, use materials that are biorationals (like Bt) and won’t kill your beneficials. Realize that broad-spectrum pesticides kill everything and you are resetting your beneficial clock back to zero.

FS Principles:15) Lastly -Encourage Diversity!

Remember that insects are part of the web of life in your garden or farm. The beneficial insect complex is not only composed of parasitic wasps and flies, predatory beetles, lacewing larvae, ladybugs and so on, but ALSO the pollinators, antagonists/competitors that occupy and compete for space and food with potential pests, and finally the saprophytes and decomposing insects that help complete the food cycle back to the soil so the cycle can start again.