Organic and Sustainable Pest Control: Based on Chpt 8 from Vegetable Production/Practices

Types of Pests:

* Weeds * Insects ( and other Arthropods) * Diseases * Nematodes * Vertebrate Pests (rabbits, birds, deer, etc) * Others???

Flaming Technique:

* Propane torch used to burn weeds, typically at seedling stage * Not an effective control for established perennials * Can be performed after direct seeding crops * Timing is critical-effective when weeds germinate faster than seeded crop * Especially useful for use on beds with slow germinating vegetable crops

Organic Vegetable Production:

* " A natural approach that does not use synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetically engineered organisms." * " Fundamental principles include biodiversity, integration, sustainability, natural plant nutrition, natural pest management, and integrity."

Organic Pest Control:

* "The use of biological controls, crop rotations, and other techniques to manage weeds, insects & diseases." * Approved pesticides are typically derived from " natural" sources/processes * Incorporates " holistic" farm/garden management practices aimed at preventing the need for significant traditional pest control treatments or measures. * Diversified Farming systems vs. mono-cropping systems

" Organic " Herbicides:

* 15-20% Vinegar (used as contact herbicide) * Others??? * Can be useful against young, tender annual weeds * Not effective on most tough weeds, especially perennials * Very expensive compared to synthetic herbicides

Weed Biology:

* Annual vs. Perennial * Warm Season vs. Cool Season * Grass vs. Broadleaf * Flowering/Seed Production * Vegetative Structures(rhizomes, tubers, etc)

Plant Diseases:

* Bacteria * Fungi * Nematodes * Viruses

Bt-Bacillus thuringiensis (Biological Insecticide)

* Bacterium that is toxic to specific insect pests, mostly Lepidotera (caterpillars). * Contains a protein that when ingested by target insects causes digestive toxicity leading to death * Considered very/non-toxic * Also used in GMO crops (e.g. BT cotton, Bt eggplant, etc)

Spinosad (Biological Insecticide)

* Bacterium that is toxic to specific pests, mostly Lepidoptera/Coleoptera (beetles) * Many other biologicals available/currently being developed

Vertebrate Pests:

* Birds * Rabbits * Deer * People- kids * Can be numerous different organisms!! squirrels, gophers, feral hogs, armadillos, dogs, cats, etc. * Not all vertebrate pests are actually feeding on vegetable crops but can cause damage in many other ways

Mowing:

* Controls weed growth * Prevents/suppresses seed production * Very important in walkways, paths, waterways, drainage ditches/vegetative areas near crop fields or gardens * Weed seed production un-checked weed growth can create severe weed problems for years to come!!!

Weed Control Strategies:

* Crop Competition * Crop rotation/cover crops * Mechanical control (tillage, removal by hand, etc) * Mulching * Mowing * Solarization * Herbicides (Organic) * Flaming * Others???

Disease Control Strategies:

* Crop Rotation * Site Selection * Water/Nutrient Management * Santitation * Weed Control * Resistant Varieties * Seed Protection * Insect Control (vector) * Pesticide application (fungicide/nematicides)

Insect Repellents:

* Dust application of DE or Kaolin clay to plant surfaces. * Diatomaceous Earth * Marigolds??? * Rosemary???

Insect Control Strategies:

* Exclusion - (e.g. floating row covers * Crop Rotation - (for soil borne insects) * Reflective mulches - (silver plastic mulch) * Insect Repellents - (Diatomaceous earth, Kaolin clay, Marigolds?, Rosemary? etc) * Trap Crops * Destruction of weed hosts * Insecticides * Others???

Controls for Vertebrate Pests:

* Fencing * Row cover * Bird netting * chemical Repellents * Visual Repellents * Habitat Management * Transplanting

Organic Pest Control "Holistic" Practices:

* Healthy plants * Composts * Sanitation * Biodiversity- encouraging beneficial insects * Natural Plant Nutrition * Animal Manures * Diversified Crop Production * Crop Rotation * Cover Crops/Green Manures * Building Soil Health (O.M. & microbes) * Integrated Pest Management (scouting for pests, resistant varieties, selective treatments, etc)

Biological Insect Control Predators:

* Ladybugs (technically a "beetle"/not a true bug- a nerdy side note) * Trichogramma Wasps * Tachinid Flies * Preying Mantis * Spiders * Assassin Bugs * Many others!!! Picture to the right- The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a major predator of soybean aphids.

"Organic" Insecticides:

* Mineral-sulfur,copper,D.E., kaolin clays, etc * Botanicals-neem, pyrethrum, hot pepper/garlic based spray? Soaps- made from salts of Fatty acids * Pheromones-hormones used to attract insects for the purpose of monitoring pest populations/timing proper pesticide application(s) * Biologicals- uses a certain type of biological organism to control another * Others???

Mechanical Control/Tillage:

* Most commonly used technique for "organic" weed control * Hand tools or mechanized cultivating equipment * Timing is critical * Must fully uproot weeds * Beware of perennials!!! (Bermuda, Johnson grass, bind weed, etc). * " Cultivated Fallow"

Botanical Insecticides:

* Neem oil * Pyrethrin oil

Pyrethrin (Botanical Insecticide)

* Oil derived from Chrysanthemum or "mum" flowers that acts as a contact insecticide. * Can be toxic to animals/humans in large amounts * Most potent/potentially toxic of organic insecticides * Others...

Neem Oil (Botanical insecticide)

* Oil derived from the neem tree which is lethal to many insect pests after ingestion. * Primary identified active ingredient is called "azidirachtin" * However, there are many other compounds in neem oil which are believed to have insecticidal properties as well * Also has fungicidal properties

Insects (and other Arthropods):

* Pests vs. Beneficial * Field Identification * Insect Damage * Feeding Types * Insects as " vectors" for disease

" Cultivated Fallow":

A period of time in the crop rotation where weed control is achieved through multiple acts of tillage. Especially useful in organic production to control perennial weeds that will not be killed through a single tillage event.

Annual:

Annuals experience their entire life cycle within a single growing season. Every part of the plant dies annually, including leaves, roots and stems. Before the plant dies, it goes to seed. While the seed may grow on its own and start a new cycle, the originally plant is gone in an annual time frame. Examples: many grasses, marigolds, petunias, zinnias, corn, wheat, peas, beans, lettuce, rice

Fungus:

Anthracnose fruit rot is a soil-borne disease that affects ripe tomato fruit. Infections go unnoticed on green fruit and as fruit ripens depressed circular water-soaked spots appear on red fruit. These spots may slowly enlarge to about 1/4-inch in diameter and produce black fungal structures (microsclerotia) in the center of the lesion just below the skin surface. Microsclerotia can overwinter in the soil and serve as a source of inoculum for the next growing season.

Image of Piercing/sucking mouthpart

Aphids

Image of Biting/chewing mouthpart

Beetles

Biennials:

Biennial plants have a two-year lifespan. They behave like a perennial for the first season, dying back and regrowing from the root. During the second season, the plant flowers and goes to seed. At the end of the second season, the entire plant dies. Examples: carrots, celery, parsley

Tomato Hornworm:

Biting/Chewing mouthparts

Insect Feeding/Mouthparts:

Biting/chewing * Tomato hornworm * Colorado Potato Beetle Piercing/Sucking * Aphids * Cucumber Beetle Rasping * Thrips

Colorado Potato Beetle:

Biting/chewing mouthparts

Transplanting

Certain vegetables in place of direct seeding. Can be effective when pests feed on young, tender plant growth in seedling stage (rabbit/sugar snap peas)

Sanitation:

Dispose of infected plant residue by removal, burning, burying, composting, etc...

Visual repellents:

Eye spot balloons to scare off birds, reflective tape, decoy owls, etc Varying success/if successful is often not sustained long term

Diatomaceous Earth (DE): Dust application to plant surfaces

Fossilized skeletal remains of a certain type of algae known as diatoms

Pesticide Application

Fungicides/nematicides

Site Selection:

Good aeration/drainage, air flow, healthy soil, etc

Reflective Mulches:

Silver reflective plastic mulch will help repel aphids/a few other insects. In particular, they are very important for cucurbit crops since aphids act as a "vector" for certain viral diseases that can be devastating to commercial curcurbit crops.

Fencing (control for vertebrate pests)

Height requirement based on specific pest. Can be buried to prevent digging/burrowing Woven wire fence usually preferred

Crops Rotation (disease control strategies):

Importance of knowing plant families!!!

Perennial:

Perennial plants live for several growing seasons. Generally the leaves and stems die at the end of the season and the root remains alive through the winter. In spring, the root system produces new flowers or fruit. Many perennial plants keep their leaves all year and make attractive landscape plants. When planting perennial plants from seed, keep in mind that they will not bloom until the second year. Examples: asparagus, artichokes, rhubarb, leeks, eggplants, most fruit trees, most herbs Examples: Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, Bind weed

Trap Crops:

Is the planting of an attractive host plant to lure insect pests away from main crop, it may or may not be harvestable

Seed Protection:

Make sure you know where you are buying your seeds from

Weed Control:

Manage weeds that serve as hosts for plant pathogens

Water/Nutrient Management:

Minimize conditions that encourage disease

Bird netting:

Must be placed on crop properly to prevent access Many birds will feed on fruiting crops but usually only migratory birds will eat foliage/other plant parts

Aphids:

Piercing/Sucking mouthparts

Cucumber Beetle:

Piercing/Sucking mouthparts

Virus:

Plant viruses can be transmitted by a vector, most often by insects. The chosen insect vector of a plant virus will often be the determining factor in that virus's host range: it can only infect plants that the insect vector feeds upon.

Thrips:

Rasping

Habitat Management:

Remove any possible nesting or hiding spots near crop production

Resistant Varieties:

Resistant/tolerant varieties developed/available commercially

Bacteria:

The bacteria that cause black rot in cabbage spread through the plant's veins in the field and in storage.

Kaolin Clay: Dust application to plant surfaces:

The use of Kaolin clay in the garden has been found to control insect pests and disease as well as protecting against sunburn or heat stress and may enhance fruit color too.

Image of Rasping mouthpart

Thrips

Row cover:

Used to prevent crops from deer feeding, other pests

Chemical repellents:

Usually applied around perimeter Predator urine based repellents common (coyote, fox etc... ) can become ineffective soon after application depending on the weather

Insect Control:

Vector

Nematode:

most nematodes are beneficial, a few species of these translucent, unsegmented worms are plant parasites. Pest species are only about 1/50 inch long and cause root knots or galls, injured root tips, excessive root branching, leaf galls, lesions or dying tissue, and twisted, distorted leaves. Plants most commonly attacked at the roots include cherry tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, lettuce, corn, and carrots. Plants that sustain leaf and stem system injury include chrysanthemums, onions, rye, and alfalfa.