Natural pest management in New York high tunnel and greenhouse vegetables

Project Overview

LNE07-262
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2007: $108,905.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2010
Region: Northeast
State: New York
Project Leader:
Judson Reid
Cornell Vegetable Program

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Fruits: berries (strawberries), melons
  • Vegetables: cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), tomatoes

Practices

  • Pest Management: general pest management

    Proposal abstract:

    High tunnel and greenhouse vegetable production (protected culture) offer high returns and season-long market capture for Northeast vegetable farmers. Alternatives to chemical pest control are sought. Biological methods such as predatory insects, resistant varieties and microbial fungicides are needed for several reasons: · Persistence, degradation and proper rates of field pesticides in protected culture have not been well researched or documented. · A growing number of small operations that depend on family labor are using greenhouse and high tunnel technology. This means children are often working within the structures and have a much lower chemical exposure tolerance than adults. · Unless biological methods are employed, the unique set of pests and diseases in these settings would require small-scale growers to apply highly specific, unfamiliar chemical pesticides with high cost for relatively low acreage. Although the project team is very familiar with the pest complexes of protected culture, growers will determine top priority pests/diseases to be addressed by the project by completing a survey in year 1. We will then expose growers to the principles behind biological pest/disease control in various educational formats. Winter meetings detailing the complete biology of target pests and natural enemies will begin this effort. Then 4 growers will host on-farm demonstration trials of the biological methods most likely to succeed. Of the 80 farmers who attend demonstration farms and educational meetings as part of this project, 15 will adopt biological control of pests and diseases in greenhouse/high tunnel vegetable production within 3 years. These controls could include predatory insects, resistant varieties and microbial fungicides.

    Performance targets from proposal:

    Thirty greenhouse/high tunnel vegetable growers will complete pest/disease surveys, ranking issues of greatest relevance. Eighty growers will attend winter meetings and/or one of four on-farm demonstration farms for biological control. Of the 80 farmers who attend demonstration farms and educational meetings as part of this project, 15 will adopt biological control of pests and diseases in greenhouse/high tunnel vegetable production within three years.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.