Transcript Judson Reid Cornell Vegetable Program [email protected] Integrated Pest Management for High Tunnels  Cultural  Prevention  Sanitation  Exclusion   Plant resistance Beneficials  Predators ○ specialists vs.

Judson Reid
Cornell Vegetable Program
[email protected]
Integrated Pest Management for High
Tunnels

Cultural
 Prevention
 Sanitation
 Exclusion


Plant resistance
Beneficials
 Predators
○ specialists vs. generalists
 Parasitoids


Grafting
Sprays
Tunnel production
is neither field nor
greenhouse.
No rain
• Favors thrips and
mites
Passive ventilation
• Some field pests
will enter the
structure
Thrips





Tiny
Wide range of hosts
 Cukes, Tomatoes,
Eggplant, Peppers…
Transmit Virus
Look for yellow flecking,
black dots.
Most often found on the
underside of leaves and
inside flowers.
Two Spotted Spider Mites
Not insects, they are
arachnids.
 Prefer dry, hot
conditions.
 Over-winter inside
high tunnels
 Many hosts.

Aphids
Several species
which are not easy to
ID
 Many hosts
 Prolific reproducers

Other arthropod pests
Tomato fruit worm (European corn
borer)
 Tomato horn worm
 Cutworms
 Whiteflies
 ‘Other’ mites (russet, broad)
 Cucumber beetle
 Ants

Cultural Control





Sanitation
Physical Exclusion
Pruning
Temperature
Moisture
Sanitation

Weeds harbor:
 Mites
 Thrips
 Aphids

Excess water
promotes:
 Shore flies
 Fungus Gnats
Exclusion
Mulch to prevent mite problems.
Insect Screening
Pruning
Plant Resistance

Insect resistance:
 Some varieties are less attractive.
 Some varieties are more tolerant.

Cucurbits
 Striped cucumber beetle are less attracted
to plants with low levels of cucurbitacin (nonbitter types).
Tomato Varieties: Trust vs Boa
Two Spotted Spider Mites
Spider Mite Susceptibility
Trust
Boa
0
0.5
1
1.5
mite damage rating
2
2.5
Biological Control

Beneficial Insects
 Predators
○ Specialists vs.
generalists
 Parasitoids
Well-researched in
greenhouse settings
 Require time to work.
 Must be used
preventatively.

Why Biological Control?
Enclosed environment is the best for
retaining introduced beneficials.
 Pesticides don’t fit well in enclosed
settings:

 Degradation has not been well researched
 Short harvest intervals
 Some field materials are prohibited from
greenhouse use
Why use Biologicals?
 They
work when you rest.
 Less labor than repeated
application of oils, soaps,etc.
 They don’t ‘burn’ plants.
 No Re-entry Interval
 No Pre-Harvest Interval.
 They work!
Environmental Management
The most aggressive beneficial insects
need specific temperature and relative
humidities.
 High tunnels have wide swings in temp
and RH.
 This requires selecting less sensitive
beneficials, repeat releases, creating
habitat (banker plants).

Aphids




ID of aphid species is
essential as different
beneficials control
different aphid species.
Aphidius colemani (a
parasitoid) controls
peach aphids.
Aphelinus abdominalis
controls potato aphids.
Aphidius ervi controls
pea aphids.
A. Colemani

It is a parasitoid
 Lays eggs inside
aphids
 These become
‘mummies’

Progress is visible.
On Farm Trials
14
Aphidius colemani
released 6/10/08
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
6/
9/
20
08
6/
16
/2
00
8
6/
23
/2
00
8
6/
30
/2
00
8
7/
7/
20
08
7/
14
/2
00
8
7/
22
/2
00
8
7/
28
/2
00
8
8/
4/
20
08
8/
11
/2
00
8
8/
25
/2
00
8
Number Aphids per Leaf
Trumansburg, NY: Biologial Control of Aphids on
High Tunnel Eggplant
PYGANIC
Date
Thrips control in high tunnel
cukes
Amblyseius cucumeris
I like this one!
 It is a generalist
predator.
 Can survive on pollen
if prey become
unavailable.
 Cost effective.

Biological control in high tunnel cukes
THRIPS ON CUCUMBER PLANTS
Thrips Numbers
(Four plants per replication, Three leaves per plant)
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
07
0
/2
6
2
6/
MEAN THRIPS PER
REPLICATION
07
0
2
3/
/
7
07
0
/2
0
1
7/
07
0
/2
7
1
7/
07
0
/2
4
2
7/
07
0
/2
1
3
7/
DATE
Released 500 Released 10,000
cucumeris
Orius
Released 10,000
cucumeris
Released 10,000
cucumeris
8/
20
09
5/
25
/2
00
9
6/
1/
20
09
6/
8/
20
09
6/
15
/2
00
9
6/
22
/2
00
9
6/
29
/2
00
9
7/
6/
20
09
7/
13
/2
00
9
7/
20
/2
00
9
5/
1
Average Number of Thrips per Leaf
Gaining efficiency
Biological Control of Thrips on Cucumbers
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Cucumeris
released June
2 & 26
Date
Spider Mite Control

Phytoseiulis persimilis
 aggressive predator
 needs RH over 75% and
temperature of 68F
 only eats Spider Mites

Amblyseius californicus
 Also a predator, but not as
aggressive
 eats mites, thrips and
pollen
 needs RH over 75% and
temperature of 68F
date
P. Persimilis released
7/1/2008
6/24/2008
6/17/2008
6/10/2008
6/3/2008
5/27/2008
5/20/2008
5/13/2008
5/6/2008
4/29/2008
rating (0-9)
We don’t win every time.
Spider Mites in GH Cukes
(Hilton, NY)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Do Beneficals Pay?
At one site our total
bill for biological
control was $479.
 This could be
somewhere between
5-10% of our gross
for 3000 sq ft.

Beneficial Insect Lessons
Scout often.
 Order beneficials prior to, or immediately
after finding a pest outbreak.
 Know your suppliers delivery schedules
and deadlines.
 Effects will not be immediate, continue
scouting.
 Plan ahead for pest intensive crops
(Vine Crops, Berries and Eggplant)

Conclusions

Biocontrol works well in greenhouses
 Release early in production cycle
 Pest ID is essential
 Know the supplier’s deadlines!

High tunnels are not greenhouses
 Swings in temperature and relative humidity
○ Generalist predators
○ Repeat releases
Grafting
We graft a desirable fruiting variety onto
a vigorous rootstock.
 Generally used to confer:

 Vigor
 Disease resistance
May also be a tool for insect/mite
management.
 Grafting is allowable for Certified
Organic.

Average Pounds of Tomatoes per
Plant, Grafts vs. Un-Grafted
Pounds per Plant
30.0
27.0
25.0
18.0
lbs
20.0
15.0
15.0
10.0
9.2
5.0
0.0
Ungrafted
Grafted+1sucker
Grafted-Pinched
GraftedUnpinched
Insecticides
Regulations vary
from state to state.
 Check with your
local extension on
what is allowed.
 Consider applicator
and worker safety
before spraying in
tunnels.

Organic Insect Sprays





Oils
Bts
Entrust (Spinosid)
Surround
Garlic and other
repellants…
Organic Sprays

Coverage essential
 Oils kill via suffocation
 Mites and Thrips are usually on the under
side of the leaf.

Bts and Entrust are best for worm
control.
 Entrust has good action against thrips

Overhead application is required for
some tunnel crops.
Winter greens…




Off-season markets
creates unique pest
scenarios.
Aphids can ruin fall
and winter greens
crops.
Beneficials inactive in
during this time period.
Come back on
November 8 for details!
High Tunnel IPM
Cultural control
 Resistant plants
 Beneficial Insects
 Grafting
 Sprays

Thank you!