stoner pest organic starter

7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter

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Organic Pest ManagementGetting Started

Kimberly Stoner

CT Agricultural Experiment Station

New Haven, CT


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What is a pest?

Pest is a category in our minds, not innature.

We may consider creatures pests because

they:1. Harm some resource we want to protect

2. Cause direct harm to humans (e.g. transmit

disease)3. Annoy us with their presence


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Know Your Potential Pests

For each crop or other resource you need to protect:

What are the important pests? Consider weeds,

wildlife, diseases, and insects.

Which are priority items those that can wipe outa crop?

How often are they present? How often are they

damaging?

How can they be prevented? Monitored?

Managed?


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Sources of information

Records for your farm and maps for weeds

Other farmers in your area

People: CT Ag. Station, UConn Extension

New England Vegetable (or other crop) Guide

Weekly pest messages for your crops:

(UConn, UMass, MOFGA)

Organic Crop Production Guides from Cornell

Meetings: NOFA, New England Vegetable

and Berry Conference


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Planning

Plan for prevention of pest and disease

Plan for how to monitor for problems

Plan for what you will do when problems arise

e.g. when late blight or potato leafhoppersarrive

If your farm will be certified organic, you

need have all this in your Organic SystemsPlan, and then you will need to keep records

of implementation of the plan


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Preventing Plant Disease: Crop rotation

Resistant varieties

Disease-free seed and seed treatment (hot water or

biological treatment not fungicides!)

Sanitation practices

Soil organic matter and health

Good water and air drainage Remove alternate hosts and diseased plant residue

Avoid soil splashing

Growing some crops under cover


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From last years weekly vegetable

pest messages Plant Diseases Cercospora leaf spot on spinach, chard

Downy mildew on crucifers

Downy mildew on basil Downy mildew on cucumbers

Powdery mildew on cucurbits

Early blight and Septoria on tomatoes

Late blight on tomatoes

Phytophthora on pumpkins

Northern corn leaf blight on sweet corn


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Preventing Insect Damage

Good management of crop and soil

Crop diversification and resistant varieties

Insect barriers (row covers, tunnels)

Timing of planting and harvest

Encourage biological control floralresources for beneficial insects and pollinators


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Economic Injury Level and

Economic Threshold

Ed Zabroski, University of Illinois, via eOrganic


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- New England Vegetable Recommendations 2012 - 2013

Life Stage Low High

Adults 15 or fewer 25 or more

Small larvae 75 or fewer 200 or more

Large larvae 30 or fewer 75 or more

Examples of Economic Thresholds

Number of Colorado Potato Beetle per 50 Potato Stalks (mid season)

vs. Potato Leafhoppers Treat if more 1 adult per

sweep or more than 15 nymphs per 50 leaves


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Monitoring Techniques for Insects

eOrganic Geoff Zehnder


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From last years weekly vegetable pest

messages Insects and Nematodes

Flea beetles on Brassicas

Caterpillars on Brassicas

European corn borer (unusually low last year) Striped cucumber beetles on cucurbits

Thrips on onions, garlic, leeks

Potato leafhoppers on bean, potato, eggplant

Corn earworm and fall armyworm in corn

Garlic bloat nematode in seed garlic


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Spun-bondedRow Covers

To exclude flea beetles

and other insect pests,including: imported

cabbageworms, squash

bugs, cucumber beetles

On 200 ft. beds of salad

greens

New Leaf Farm,

Durham, ME

Barriers


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Row covers are used on: Cucurbits: to keep out striped cucumber beetle,

squash bug, squash vine borer. Must removebefore flowering to allow pollination.

Brassica greens and radishes: to keep out fleabeetles, cabbage maggot, caterpillars

Eggplants: to keep out flea beetles

Tomatoes (low tunnels): mostly to extendseason. Also provide protection from rainsplash, may reduce disease


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Timing to avoid insect pests:

Examples

Dont plant cabbage family plants to the field before

May 15 avoid 1st generation cabbage maggot

Plant cabbage family late in summer for fall harvest

to avoid flea beetles (use row cover early in season)

Cut all asparagus during the harvest season to

eliminate sites for egg-laying by asparagus beetle Turn in bush beans immediately after harvest to avoid

multiplying Mexican bean beetle


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Biological Control:

Using natural enemies to reduce

damage from a pest population Predators

Parasitoids Nematodes

Insect pathogens

For plant pathogens competitors, antagonists For weeds - herbivores


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Predators


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Parasitoids


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Insect Parasitic Nematodes


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Four basic approaches:

1. Importation: Bringing in a new natural enemy, notpresent locally, from another part of the world

2. Inoculation: Re-introducing a natural enemy in alocal environment (for example, where it does not

overwinter)3. Inundation: Overwhelming the pest with natural

enemies to bring down the population in the shortterm

4. Conservation: Providing resources or habitats fornatural enemies already present to make them moreabundant or effective


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Whats Worth the Money?

Questions to consider:

What does it cost?

How much damage does the pest do? And what is

the value of the crop that would be lost?

How effective is the natural enemy or organic

pesticide?

What are the other alternatives? What are the specifics I need to know in order to

make it work?


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Conservation: Basic principles

Reduce broad spectrum pesticide use as much aspossible (even pyrethrin, spinosad, and neem can

cause problems)

Learn to recognize the natural enemies of your pests

(and other beneficial insects)

Provide flowers with nectar and pollen throughout the

season

Provide shelter over the winter, during inactivetimes of day. Minimize soil disturbance

Be aware of alternate prey or hosts that may support

natural enemies


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Pollen and nectar sources


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Pollinators in Crisis

Continuing loss of honey bees from mites Beekeepers normally lose 20% of their hiveseach year across the U.S.

Loss of other bees, often poorly understood.Whole species of bumble bees havedisappeared in the last 15 years in the U.S. andEurope.


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Trichogramma


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Trichogramma ostriniae against

European corn borer Begin releases as soon as ECB start laying

eggs (4-6 leaf stage of corn)

At least 2 releases, 7-10 days apart Rate: 30,000 to 60,000 wasps per acre

(depends on level of infestation and control)

Range of cost: $15 to $30 per release peracre. Maximum cost (4 releases at 60,000per acre): $120


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How Do I Know If a Pesticide is

Allowed? Preliminary check - Organic Materials

Review Institute (OMRI). OMRI reviewsmaterials used in organic agriculture forcompliance with the National OrganicStandards.

Final authority your certifier. Always

notify certifier before using new inputs,even if it appears to be allowed. (Also forgrowers who plan to be certified in future)


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A Good Source of Information on

Efficacy of Organic Pest Management

Materials Resource Guide for Organic Insect

and Disease Management

Focus is on vegetable and fruitpests, but this is the bestcompilation of research results onmany organic materials

New edition coming out soon Can download old edition -whole

book is online.http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/


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Organic Materials for Plant Disease

Management

Not my area of expertise see references forefficacy data

Biological materials:

Soil, seed, and in-furrow inoculants Foliar sprays

Oils petroleum, neem, other plant oils

Mineral copper compounds, sulfur, lime-sulfur Kaolin, Potassium bicarbonate

Hydrogen dioxide disinfectants


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Organic Materials for Insect

Management Insecticides based on microbial materials

Soaps and Oils

Botanicals

Kaolin clay and other mined materials


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Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Microbial product Active ingredient is endotoxin produced by

bacteria

Must be ingested by pest

Several subspeciesBtkurstaki: caterpillars

Bt aizawai: caterpillars

Btisraelensis: larvae of flies (including mosquitoes,

fungus gnats)

Bttenebrionis (San Diego): Colorado potato beetles- nolonger available


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Many common

caterpillars,

including importedcabbageworm and

tomato hornworm

caterpillars, areeasily controlled

with Bt


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Some OMRI Listed Bt Products

Used against caterpillars: Many products! Some brand names:

B.t. kurstaki: Biobit, Deliver,Dipel,

Javelin, Thuricide B.t. aizawai: Able, Agree, Xentari

Used against fungus gnats,B.t. israelensis:

Gnatrol WDGUsed against mosquitoes,B.t. israelensis :

VectoBac WDG, Mosquito Dunks


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Chromobacterium subtsugae

Newly discovered bacterium producingseveral compounds with complex modes of

action

OMRI listed products: Grandevo Labeled for use against many caterpillars,

aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, plant-

sucking mites, thrips, some true bugs (chinchbug, azalea lace bug,Lygus) and some beetles

Many crops and sites


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SpinosadMicrobial product (from natural soil microbes)

Fast acting

Broad spectrum. One concern is toxicity to

bees

Affects insect nervous system

Concerns about evolution of insect resistance


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SpinosadEffective against

Caterpillars

Colorado potato beetle Thrips

Flies

Leafminers

Not effective against

True bugs

Aphids Other sucking insects

Mites


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Spinosad Products OMRI List

Examples:

Entrust is labeled for a wide range of

vegetables, fruit, and tree farms

Conserve SC, - labeled for ornamentals and

turf

Monterey Garden Insect Spray

GF 120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait Seduce Insect Bait attracts earwigs and

cutworms


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Efficacy of Insecticidal Soaps

Generally effective against aphids,mealybugs, psyllids, mites

Some good efficacy against caterpillars Some efficacy against powdery mildews

Soaps are also mixed with other materials to

help them spread on the leaf surface


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Examples of OMRI Listed Soap

Products Bayer Advanced Natria Insecticidal Soap

DES-X Insecticidal Soap Concentrate

Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap

M-pede Insecticide Fungicide Miticide

Neudorffs Insecticidal Soap Concentrate Safers Insectidal Soap Concentrate


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Oils

Many different kinds of oils available: Plant oils (includes Neem oil to be listed later)

Golden Pest Spray Oil, Naturl Oil (soybean)

Garlic Barrier AG, BioRepel (garlic)

Petroleum oils Organic JMS Stylet Oil

Pht 440 Supreme Spray Oil

Monterey SAF-T-SIDE Spray Oil

OMNI Oil 6E Summit Year-Round Spray Oil

Mixtures (including mixtures of essential oils of herbs)


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Efficacy of Oils

Good to fair against small, soft-bodied

insects: aphid, scales, mites, psyllids, some

caterpillars Stylet oil traditionally used to interfere with

the ability of aphids to transmit plant

viruses Many oils have efficacy against powdery

mildews and other plant foliar diseases


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Neem Derived from seeds and

oil of the neem tree Broad spectrum

pesticide

Insect growth regulator

Deters feeding, egglaying

Active against fungi and

bacteria Some systemic uptake

by roots


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Efficacy of Neem Products

Azadirachtin-based products generally showgood or fair efficacy against:

aphids, leafhoppers, leafmining flies, fungusgnats, mealybugs, and mites

with mixed results against:

caterpillars, true bugs, and whiteflies

Neem-oil based products: efficacy against

aphids, spider mites, psyllids

Neem-oil also has efficacy against some

powdery mildews


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Neem Products

Many Products. Some examples -

Azadirachtin based: AZA-Direct, Fortune Aza

Azadiractin 3%, Neemix 4.5 Neem oil based: Monterey Neem Oil 70%,Neem

Oil RTU, Triact 70, Trilogy

Some products also combine azadiractin and neem

oil


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Pyrethrum

Derived from powdered, dried flower headsofChrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, C.coccineum andC. marshalli.

Broad spectrum

Toxic to bees

Rapid breakdown in soil and due to sunlight,moisture

Rapid knockdown, but insects may recover Note that pyrethroids are different!

Synthetic, more persistent, and some arecarcinogenic or estrogenic.


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Pyrethrum - Products

Some OMRI Listed Products

Concern Multipurpose Insect Killer Concentrate,Evergreen Pyrethrum Concentrate, PyganicEC 5.0 or ED 1.4

Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is often added topyrethrum products, and is prohibited for organicuse. If PBO is present, it will be listed on thelabel, and it will not be OMRI listed


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SurroundTM (kaolin clay) Looks like a whitewash sprayed on the plants

Interferes with insect host finding and feeding abarrier. Also barrier to some fungi

Mostly tested for fruit pests works well against

plum curculio, leafhoppers, etc. when well-timed Also effective early in the season against

cucumber beetles, flea beetles on eggplant

Surround on apples whitewash isnon-toxic. Washes off apples, but

difficult to wash off many products

(berries, leafy greens)

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