“The Best Defense is a Good Offense”

IPM for the Community Gardener

Something to think about……..

What is IPM?

•Integrated

•Pest

•Management

What is IPM

IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests through biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes risks to the community.

www.ipminstitute.org

Advantages that Community Gardens have:

• Less wind

• Less predators

• More diversity in cropping systems

• Smaller areas to control

Disadvantages

• Limited on pest control options

• Limited space to rotate crops

Nature always Wins……

©University of Maine

INSECT MANAGEMENT USING IPM

Scout and Scout Again!!!!!

• Look under the leaves

• Around the soil line

• Net sweep

• Traps

• Degree Days

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Preventive (Cultural) Control Measures

• Appropriate seed variety

• Maintain sanitation

• Mulches

• Rotation, Rotation, Rotation

Mechanical or Exclusion Techniques Controls

• Row covers

• Trap crops

• Ring Barriers

Biological Controls

• Maintain natural predators & encourage natural to visit you

• Release of biologicals is not

highly recommended

• Maintain or enhance natural enemy population

Pollen and

Nectar

Winter Cover

Prey Nesting

and Retreats

Responsible Pesticide Use

4 R’s

Right product

Right time

Right place

Right applicator

KNOW YOUR PEST

FRIEND FOE

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Important Definitions

VECTOR-An insect or any living creature that can transmit a disease

HOST A plant which aids, shelters, or protects another plant in its growth, as those which are used for nurse crops

The BAD Guys

Aphids

• Affect many crops particularly cole crops

• Sucking insects

• Many generations/year

• Reproduce very rapidly

• Hand removal

• Spray with high pressure water

• Insecticidal soaps*

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Thrips

Sucking insects Vector some viruses Often see damage before the insect

entomology.wsu.edu/insectoftheweek/thrips.html

Photo Credit: Utah State University

Cabbage Looper

• Affects many brassicas, including Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, mustard, etc.

• Overwinters as pupa, emerges in the

spring, lays eggs, larvae feed for 2-4 weeks • Multiple generations

• Hand pick or Bt

© John Van Dyer

© Utah State University

Diamond Back Moth

• Overwinter as adult moths • Lay eggs singly • Chew underside of leaves • Many generations per year • Hand pick or Bt

© Ryan Skype

© Utah State University

Imported Cabbage Worm

• Moths emerge in spring

• Lay hundred

• Many generations per year

• Remove and kill eggs

Bt

Photo Credit: Sarfo

©Utah State University

Cucumber Beetle (Affects cucurbits, bean and corn)

Spotted Striped

Less active during cool, rainy weather Vector bacterial wilt Plant rotation, eggs are near host plant Host plant Plant late Row covers, take off for pollinator

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Photo Credit: Lawrence Ralph Berg

Squash Bugs

• Affect squash and pumpkins

• Over winter as adults • Lay eggs under leaves, in patterns of about 12

• Emerge and suck sap from leaves stems • One generation per year

• Plant early or late • Collect and destroy eggs and nymphs

• Trap with piece of shingle or cardboard during heat of day and destroy

Photo Credit (both): Debbie Roos

Squash Vine Borer

• Overwinter as pupa and emerge as moths

• Lay eggs and larvae bore into stems

• Get rid of infected plants

• Rotate

• Can kill larvae

• Plant late (after June 24th)

• Plant a couple of early trap crops and remove when infected

Photo Credit (both): Jeff Hahn UMN

Cucumber Beetle (Affects cucurbits, bean and corn)

Spotted Striped

Less active during cool, rainy weather Vector bacterial wilt Plant rotation, eggs are near host plant Host plant Plant late Row covers, take off for pollinator

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Photo Credit: Lawrence Ralph Berg

Colorado Potato Beetle

• Destructive at larval and adult stages

• Overwinters as adults

• Emerges in spring and lays eggs in clusters of 10-30

• Handpick

Photo Credit: Scott Bauer

Photo Credit: “Pollinator”

Japanese Beetle

• Common Lawn Pest

• Feeds on many types of vegetable

• Larva feeds on roots

• Adult feeds on foliage, will skeletonize a plant

• Hand pick in the morning hours

Photo credit: Bruce Martin

Photo credit: USDA-Aphis

Mexican Bean Beetle

Affects beans (all kinds) Adults overwinter in plant debris, Eggs are yellow Adults and larvae feed on underside of leaves Handpick and destroy. Remove debris

Leaf hoppers

• Sucking

• Several generations/year

• Transmit disease

• Very difficult to control

• Potato leaf hopper walks sideways

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/youth/bug/bug043.html

White fly

• Vector for 70+ viruses

• Yellow sticky traps to monitor

• Wash the leaves

• Insecticidal soaps

• Remove leaf litter

• Yellow sticky traps with

mineral oil

Tomato Hornworm

• Seem to appear out of nowhere

• Heavy feeder

• Leave large feces

• Pick them off

Photo credit: George Bredenhoft

Photo credit: Shawn Harahan

Cutworms

• Destructive to all garden vegetables

• May never see them, feed at night

• Look under debris

• Put collar of newspaper, aluminum foil around base of transplants

• Turn to the soil over

Photo credit: John Obermyer

Spider Mite

• Not technically an insect

• Problem during hot, dry weather

• Spread easily and reproduce rapidly

• Can be sprayed off

• Keep plants well watered

Leaf Miner

Affects many vegetable types

Hibernate in cocoons on the soil surface

Several generations per year

Larvae feed inside of leaves

Turn soil

Pick off and dispose of infected leaves

© Texas A & M University

IPM in your Garden Begins the Fall

REMOVE ALL

Diseased & insect infested plant material

Dispose of off site

Remove any weeds particular those gone to seed

Remove any fruits that have fallen to prevent volunteers

http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/ photos/lateblight_tomato.htmell.edu

Game Changers

Brown Mamorated Stink Bugs Spotted wing drosphila

The Good Guys

Minute Pirate Bugs

• Eats eggs, nymphs

• Very small

• Biting

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

Praying Mantis

• Feeds on aphids, beetle, bugs, caterpillars

• Not selective in attacking good or bad

Photo credit: Adamantios

Lace Wing

• Larvae feeds on aphids, mealy bugs, scales, mites

• Will eat each other © Edward S. Ross

Syrphid Fly

• Larvae feed on aphids, small caterpillars and thrips

• Adults feed on pollen and nectar

© Oregon State University

Braconid Wasp

• Parasite Pupa

• Parasitize aphids, larvae of moths and butterflies, and some beetles

Photo Credit: Debbie Roos

How to Keep the Good Guys

• Use pesticides wisely

• Flower strips and borders

• Provide nectar, pollen and shelter

Purchasing & Releasing Beneficial Insects

• Very difficult to time properly

• Make sure that beneficial matches the pest problem

• Best used in greenhouses and on islands

Other Friends

• Assassin Bug

• Ground Beetles

• Tachinid Fly

• Wolf spiders

• Some Stink Bugs

• Many more

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Using IPM

Powdery Mildew

• Affects cucurbits and okra

• Prevalent during rainy and high humidity weather

• Spread by rain, wind and insects

• Water in the morning

• Practice rotation

• Copper or sulfur fungicide as preventative

Downy Mildew

Formation during cool, wet weather, usually after July 1

Photo credit: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture

Early blight

• Fungal disease, Affects tomatoes and potatoes

• Use resistant varieties

• Begins on lower leaves

• Can be spread by infected seeds, wind, equipment and can survive in the soil

• Keep your plants healthy

• NEVER and I mean never plant tomatoes in the same place the following year

• Copper sprays are only preventative

• Destroy all infected material

© University of Minnesota

Late blight

• Fungal disease, can only survive on live tissue. Problem in tomatoes and potatoes

• Whitish grown on edge of lesion. Once dead the area around the lesion will be greyish-whitish on potato. First symptom will be a greasy-looking lesion on a leaf

• Spread through seed and planting material

• Rotation, rotation © Cornell University

Septoria Leaf Spot

• Fungal Disease which affects Solanaceous crops

• Spread by splashing water, old plant debris, infected seeds and seedlings

• Water soaked lesions will appear on the underside of older

leaves

• Rouge out infected plants

• Rotation

Bacteria Spot

• Affects tomatoes and peppers

• Spread through infected seeds and seedlings, splashing water. Prevalent during wetter seasons

• Spots are water –soaked lesions, leaves will be deformed and drop off

• Prevention by sterilizing seeds, using resistant cultivars, mulching and rotation

• Copper sprays only preventative

© University of Massachusetts

Bacterial Wilt

• Affects cucurbits

• Vectored by cucumber beetles (3%-5%) are carriers

• Prevent beetles

• Infected plants cannot be saved, get rid of them

• Trap crops only work if managed with proper chemical controls

The Other Phytophthora

• “Damping off” in seedlings

• 100 species described

• Fungus (water molds)

• Wet weather, lack of air movement in the soils

• Produce seedlings in pathogen-free media

© Michigan State University

Virus

• TMV

• TLCY

• TS

• CMV

• All spread by insects-whiteflies, thrips, leaf-hoppers or mechanical means.

• Control insects and sanitize tools, resistant varieties

© Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center

Photo Credit: William Brown Jr.

Slugs and Snails

• Remove debris where they can hide

• Pick them after dark

• Trap

© Texas A & M University

Other friends

©Canal Photos

Products

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)

• Narrow Spectrum

• Low residual

• Safe for beneficials

• Resistance Reported

• Takes insects a day or two to die

• Should be rotated

• Young larvae most greatly affected

Spinosad

• Broad spectrum; including Colorado potato beetle

• Should be rotated

• Degrades quickly

Products

Horticultural Soaps

• Works on soft-bodied insects

• Can be phytotoxic to plants

• Must be soaps-not detergents

Horticultural Oil

• Smothers target insect (and beneficials)

• Short-term

• Must be applied at right time, can burn plants

Common Mistakes

• Pesticides are the line of first defense

• If it works on one thing, it must work on all

• More is better