Integrating Pest Management into High Tunnel Production

1
Integrating Pest Management into High Tunnel
Production

• Kathy Demchak
• Penn State University

2

• Some styles could be called a hoophouse
• Low cost, manual control of temperature (venting)
  irrigation
• Different from greenhouse
• No floor
• Plant in soil in ground (usually)

3
Types of Tunnels

• Single bay or multi-bay

4
(No Transcript)
5
20 x 150
6
Primary Sought Benefits

• Extend spring fall growing seasons (esp.
  single-bay)
• Protection from rain (single and multi-bay)
• And wind (single-bay)

7
Environmental Changes Relative to Field

• No moisture on foliage from rain or irrigation
• Placement and amount of water is controlled
• Higher humidity
• Warmer air temperatures
• Mild in winter
• Can be hot in summer
• Warmer soil temperatures
• Lack of soil freezing during winter

8
Effects on Plants

• Longer growing season earlier and later yields
• Generally grow much larger than in field
• Higher yields
• Can grow some crops that we couldnt otherwise
  due to short growing season or cool temps

9
Effects on Pests

• No moisture on foliage from rain or irrigation
• Diseases that need periods of leaf wetness
  decreased or not, if ventilation and
  condensation is a problem, depends on design
• Some insects (greenhouse pests) increase
• Mites, aphids, whiteflies, thrips

10
Effect on Pests

• Placement and amount of water is controlled
• Root rots can be minimized
• Ants do well in dry areas
• Higher humidity
• More powdery mildew

11
Effects on Pests

• Warmer air temperatures
• Rapid increase in some pests, esp. 2-spotted
  spider mites
• Warmer soil temperatures
• Lack of soil freezing during winter
• Some new pests
• Sowbugs, earwigs, ants
• Larger problem with crown-borers (?)

12
Other Effects

• Possibly greater success with biological pest
  control for insect management

13
Background - at PSU

• Pesticide-free if possible
• Emphasis on prevention, biological controls,
  minimizing pesticide use
• Non-restricted pesticides only when necessary

14
Pests that are a problem every year, many crops

• Two-spotted spider mites
• Western flower thrips (and onion)
• Aphids (various species)
• Whiteflies

15
Two-Spotted Spider Mite and Eggs (Leaf Underside)
16
Less consistent

• Sowbugs
• Grasshoppers
• Flea beetles (mustards)
• Cabbage looper
• Tomato hornworm
• Colorado potato beetle (eggplant)
• Earwigs
• Crown borer (blackberries)

17
(No Transcript)
18
Crown Borer on HT Blackberries
19
Most common disease issues

• Powdery mildew
• Viruses (increased numbers of vectors such as
  aphids and thrips)

20
Powdery mildew
Also a big issue with cucurbits
21
Viruses
22
Bottom line

• Pest complexes more similar to those in
  greenhouse production than in field

23
IPM in High Tunnels

• Much information exists on IPM in greenhouses
• Had a leg-up on information
• Many strategies being tried
• Good match with high tunnel production

24
(No Transcript)
25
Strategies

• Knowledge
• Whats there, life cycles
• Cultural methods (avoidance??)
• Physical/mechanical
• Biorational
• Pesticides
• Soft
• Conventional

26
Before You Plant Cultural methods

• Rotations (multiple high tunnels, moveable high
  tunnels)
• Crop choice (avoid eggplant?!)
• Clean plants (reputable supplier, inspect plants
  yours or another source)
• Weed management

27
Weed management (cont.)

• Important both inside and outside
• May be easier inside the tunnel
• Even a few is too many
• Maintain a buffer zone
• Constant dont let pests build theyll look
  for replacement food, maintain

28
Once the crops in

• Monitoring
• Sticky traps insect specific
• Scouting

29
Scouting Plants for Insects

• Weekly
• Where to look?
• Hot Spots
• Learn to recognize damage from a distance
  (hopefully not needed)
• Be quick but thorough
• Record releases, chemical applications
• Take notes keep from year to year

30
Cultural methods

• Continue weed control
• Row covers (lightweight ones for exclusion)
  easy to keep on in a tunnel
• Pruning
• Removal of pest when practical (hornworms, e.g.)

31
Predators/Parasitoids

• Ideal as preemptive strategy start early
• Not so ideal as cure
• Expensive
• May not be able to catch up
• Learn how to care for them
• Assoc. of Natural BioControl Producers
• Some establish in high tunnels or naturally move
  in
• Can manage the most common pests

32
Pesticides and Beneficials

• Impact on predator could be huge
• Depends on pesticide
• May need to completely avoid
• If safe enough, may be of value prior to release
• Location of use
• Hot spots maintain safe areas
• Ask predator supplier

33
Beneficials not just for insects and mites

• Hyperparasites
• Those that compete for same food sources

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
Tomato Hormworm Tachinid Fly Eggs
37
Ladybug eggs vs. Colorado Potato Beetle eggs
38
Rodent Control!
39
Predators that are returning or appearing

• Green Lacewing
• Eggs
• Aphid parasitizers Predatory wasps
• Pearl/bronze shell of aphid
• Aphidoletes Midge (never released)
• Orange midge and aphid skeletons
• Encarsia Formosa
• Black whitefly eggs

40
Beneficial Plants
41
Pesticides

• Questions on breakdown under different plastics
• EPA interpretation of labels for tunnel use
• Check with individual states for restrictions and
  rulings
• Err on side of safety
• Stay out of the news

42
Specific pests
43
Two Spotted Spider Mites

• Scouting
• Oldest leaves get the most attention
• Look for round eggs, besides mites
• Sticky traps dont work (dont fly)
• Watch for stippling (!!)
• Insecticidal soap only temporarily
• Release predators quickly
• We use a Neoseiulus mix (N. fallacis and N.
  californicus), others work too
• Others

44
Aphids

• Scouting for aphids
• Undersides of leaves
• Curled shoot tips, new leaves a problem
• Yellow sticky cards
• Ants (protect aphids), honey dew, sooty mold
• Concern for viral transmission
• Ladybugs, green lacewings and predatory midges
  (Aphidoletes aphidimyza), parasitoid wasps
  (various spp.)
• Soft insecticides when necessary

45
Western Flower Thrips

• Scouting for thrips broad host range
• In blossoms
• Dislodge over white sheet of paper
• Silvering, streaking of leaves
• Blue sticky traps more attractive
• Biological controls if low population
• Predatory mite (Neiseiulus cucumeris)
• Minute pirate bug (Orius insidiosus)
• Soft insecticides

46
Whiteflies

• Scouting need to know species
• Leaf undersides
• Watch for honeydew, sooty mold
• Yellow sticky cards
• Watch for ants (protect whiteflies)
• Also a concern as a vector of viruses
• Parasitoid wasps (Encarsia formosa or Eretmocerus
  eremicus, depending on species of whitefly)

47
Diseases

• Powdery mildew
• Cucurbits
• Dont grow, or resistant cultivars

48
Sources of Information

• State guides
• Assoc. of Natural Biocontrol Producers
  http//www.anbp.org