Organic Pest Management Getting Started

Kimberly Stoner CT Agricultural Experiment Station New Haven, CT

What is a pest?
Pest is a category in our minds, not in nature.
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

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 out a crop? How often are they present? How often are they damaging? How can they be prevented? Monitored? Managed?

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

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 leafhoppers arrive If your farm will be certified organic, you need have all this in your Organic Systems Plan, and then you will need to keep records of implementation of the plan

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

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

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 floral resources for beneficial insects and pollinators

Economic Injury Level and Economic Threshold

Ed Zabroski, University of Illinois, via eOrganic

Examples of Economic Thresholds

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

Life Stage
Adults Small larvae Large larvae

Low
15 or fewer 75 or fewer 30 or fewer

High
25 or more 200 or more 75 or more

vs. Potato Leafhoppers Treat if more 1 adult per sweep or more than 15 nymphs per 50 leaves
- New England Vegetable Recommendations 2012 - 2013

Monitoring Techniques for Insects eOrganic Geoff Zehnder

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

Barriers
Spun-bonded Row 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

Row covers are used on:

Cucurbits: to keep out striped cucumber beetle, squash bug, squash vine borer. Must remove before flowering to allow pollination. Brassica greens and radishes: to keep out flea beetles, cabbage maggot, caterpillars Eggplants: to keep out flea beetles Tomatoes (low tunnels): mostly to extend season. Also provide protection from rain splash, may reduce disease

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

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

Predators

Parasitoids

Insect Parasitic Nematodes

Four basic approaches:

1. Importation: Bringing in a new natural enemy, not present locally, from another part of the world 2. Inoculation: Re-introducing a natural enemy in a local environment (for example, where it does not overwinter) 3. Inundation: Overwhelming the pest with natural enemies to bring down the population in the short term 4. Conservation: Providing resources or habitats for natural enemies already present to make them more abundant or effective

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?

Conservation: Basic principles

Reduce broad spectrum pesticide use as much as possible (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 inactive times of day. Minimize soil disturbance Be aware of alternate prey or hosts that may support natural enemies

Pollen and nectar sources

Pollinators in Crisis
Continuing loss of honey bees from mites Beekeepers normally lose 20% of their hives each year across the U.S. Loss of other bees, often poorly understood. Whole species of bumble bees have disappeared in the last 15 years in the U.S. and Europe.

Trichogramma

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 per acre. Maximum cost (4 releases at 60,000 per acre): $120

How Do I Know If a Pesticide is Allowed?

Preliminary check - Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). OMRI reviews materials used in organic agriculture for compliance with the National Organic Standards. Final authority your certifier. Always notify certifier before using new inputs, even if it appears to be allowed. (Also for growers who plan to be certified in future)

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 fruit pests, but this is the best compilation of research results on many organic materials New edition coming out soon Can download old edition -whole book is online. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/

Organic Materials for Plant Disease Management Not my area of expertise see references for efficacy 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

Organic Materials for Insect Management

Insecticides based on microbial materials Soaps and Oils Botanicals Kaolin clay and other mined materials

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Microbial product Active ingredient is endotoxin produced by bacteria Must be ingested by pest Several subspecies
Bt kurstaki: caterpillars Bt aizawai: caterpillars Bt israelensis: larvae of flies (including mosquitoes, fungus gnats) Bt tenebrionis (San Diego): Colorado potato beetles- no longer available

Many common caterpillars, including imported cabbageworm and tomato hornworm caterpillars, are easily controlled with Bt

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 WDG Used against mosquitoes, B.t. israelensis : VectoBac WDG, Mosquito Dunks

Chromobacterium subtsugae
Newly discovered bacterium producing several compounds with complex modes of action OMRI listed products: Grandevo Labeled for use against many caterpillars, aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, plantsucking mites, thrips, some true bugs (chinch bug, azalea lace bug, Lygus) and some beetles Many crops and sites

Spinosad
Microbial 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

Spinosad
Effective against Caterpillars Colorado potato beetle Thrips Flies Leafminers Not effective against True bugs Aphids Other sucking insects Mites

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

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

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

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)

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

Neem
Derived from seeds and oil of the neem tree Broad spectrum pesticide Insect growth regulator Deters feeding, egg laying Active against fungi and bacteria Some systemic uptake by roots

Efficacy of Neem Products

Azadirachtin-based products generally show good or fair efficacy against: aphids, leafhoppers, leafmining flies, fungus gnats, 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

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

Pyrethrum
Derived from powdered, dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, C. coccineum and C. 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 are carcinogenic or estrogenic.

Pyrethrum - Products
Some OMRI Listed Products Concern Multipurpose Insect Killer Concentrate, Evergreen Pyrethrum Concentrate, Pyganic EC 5.0 or ED 1.4 Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is often added to pyrethrum products, and is prohibited for organic use. If PBO is present, it will be listed on the label, and it will not be OMRI listed

Surround (kaolin clay)

TM

Looks like a whitewash sprayed on the plants Interferes with insect host finding and feeding a barrier. 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 is non-toxic. Washes off apples, but difficult to wash off many products (berries, leafy greens)