7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
1/48
Organic Pest ManagementGetting Started
Kimberly Stoner
CT Agricultural Experiment Station
New Haven, CT
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
2/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
3/48
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?
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
4/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
5/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
6/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
7/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
8/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
9/48
Economic Injury Level and
Economic Threshold
Ed Zabroski, University of Illinois, via eOrganic
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
10/48
- 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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
11/48
Monitoring Techniques for Insects
eOrganic Geoff Zehnder
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
12/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
13/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
14/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
15/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
16/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
17/48
Predators
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
18/48
Parasitoids
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
19/48
Insect Parasitic Nematodes
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
20/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
21/48
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?
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
22/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
23/48
Pollen and nectar sources
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
24/48
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.
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
25/48
Trichogramma
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
26/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
27/48
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)
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
28/48
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/
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
29/48
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
30/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
31/48
Organic Materials for Insect
Management Insecticides based on microbial materials
Soaps and Oils
Botanicals
Kaolin clay and other mined materials
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
32/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
33/48
Many common
caterpillars,
including importedcabbageworm and
tomato hornworm
caterpillars, areeasily controlled
with Bt
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
34/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
35/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
36/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
37/48
SpinosadEffective against
Caterpillars
Colorado potato beetle Thrips
Flies
Leafminers
Not effective against
True bugs
Aphids Other sucking insects
Mites
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
38/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
39/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
40/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
41/48
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)
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
42/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
43/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
44/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
45/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
46/48
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.
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
47/48
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
7/27/2019 Stoner Pest Organic Starter
48/48
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)
Recommended