Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2023 - 195

INSECT CONTROL
TABLE 2-30. ALTERNATIVE IPM & BIOINSECTICIDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN VEGETABLE CROPS (CONT'D)
NOTE: Many organic insecticides have not been tested thoroughly in the commercial vegetable production systems. Use systems-based and pest
exclusion practices to reduce the overall infestation levels before using approved insecticides in organic farming systems. Targeted insecticide
applications at correct rate can protect natural enemies. Always read the insecticide label before application and purchase bioinsecticides from reliable
sources.
Target Pest
Leafhopper
Leafminer
Onion maggot,
seed corn
maggot
Pepper & vegetable
weevil
Cropping
System
Systems-based Practices
(for pest prevention)
Multiple crops Use varieties tolerant to the insect feeding
Multiple crops
Multiple crops
Pepper
Select vigorous hybrid plant varieties
Use well-composted manure, soil tillage
exposes maggots to natural enemies,
field preparation ahead of planting
Crop rotation, sanitation
Spider mite
Multiple crops
Plant and harvest timely; provide irrigation
to plants; problem could be severe in
drought years; excessive use of pyrethroid
insecticides can cause spider mite
outbreak; release predatory mites before
an outbreak
Squash vine
borer (SVB),
Pickleworms
(PW)
Squash bug
Harlequin bug
Thrips
Pumpkin,
squash
Pumpkin,
squash
Multiple crops
Multiple crops
Plant & harvest cucurbit crops timely, trap
cropping with Hubbard squash (Baby
Blue and New England) may reduce SVB
but not PW, sanitation or removing crop
debris reduces build-up of pests
Trap cropping with Hubbard squash;
planting tolerant varieties, sanitation
(remove crop debris), use of plastic mulch
may increase pest pressure
These are type of stink bugs with sucking
mouthparts. Timely planting and harvest
of crops
Timely planting, avoid planting ornamental
close to vegetable crops, use blue
sticky cards for monitoring and trap out in
small areas
Whitefly
Multiple crops
Crop rotation, avoid planting ornamental
close to vegetable crops, problem
intensifies in drought; release parasitoids
in greenhouses
Yellowmargined
leaf beetle
(YMLB)
Brassica crops
Turnips and Napa Cabbage are defoliated
rapidly compared to other brassicas. Trap
cropping with turnips and insecticidal
treatment can reduce build up. Note the
occurrence of caterpillar infestations
distinct from YMLB. Remove crop debris
after harvest to prevent pest buildup
Snails & Slugs Brassica crops
Frequent rainfall and high organic matter
in soil increases snails & slugs. Do not
over-irrigate. Soil tillage may destroy
eggs. Remove crop debris to reduce
buildup
Mechanical tactics
(for pest prevention)
Row cover or pest exclusion system
(Super Light Insect Barrier, AgroFabric)
Pick
and destroy mined leaves
Soil tillage may expose maggots to
predators
Hand-pick insects, Insect netting
(Super Light Insect Barrier) for small
areas
Biorational Insecticides#
Insecticidal soap, Pyrethrins (single a.i. or premix),
Neem
Neem with azadirachtin, Spinosad
Spinosad-based insecticides (Seduce, Bug-NSluggo)
may help reduce maggot buildup
Pyrethrins (single a.i. or premix), Parasitic nematodes
(drench in soil weekly). Bacillus thuringiensis
subsp. galleriae (beetleJUS!).
Diatomaceous earth (DE) as abrasive & deterrent
Reduce traffic in infested crops to
prevent spreading to new areas
Temporary pest exclusion system with
Super Light Insect Barrier may help
reduce early infestation. High tunnel
pest exclusion with 50% shade cloth
can significantly reduce moth numbers
Insect netting for gardens*, High
tunnel pest exclusion for commercial
producers can slow down pest
migration^
Insect netting for garden crops. High
tunnel pest exclusion for commercial
producers^
Thrips exclusion netting material is
available for greenhouse producers
Thrips exclusion netting may also
reduce whiteflies
Paraffinic oil, Neem oil, Sulfur dust or spray (check
label before use), Chenopodium Terpene Extract
(Requiem), Isaria fumosoroseus (PFR97), Soluble
silica (Sil-Matrix). Many oil blends are available in
the market; use with caution to avoid crop burn in
hot dry weather. Do not use pyrethrins to protect
beneficial mites
Pyrethrins and Spinosad may provide limited control;
perform repeated spraying (every 3 d) on fruits
with Bt-based products to stop small PW caterpillars
Pyrethrins (single a.i. or premix) and Spinosad may
provide control of nymphs better than the adults on
trap crops or main crop
Pyrethrins and Spinosad may reduce infestation, but
thorough coverage is needed
Spinosad, Insecticidal soap, Paraffinic oil,
Chenopodium Terpene Extract (Requiem Prime)
Metarhizium anisopliae (Met 52, Met Master),
Insecticidal soap, Neem oil, Beauveria bassiana,
Chenopodium Terpene Extract (products work well
for nymphs, adults are difficult to kill in outbreak
conditions)
Insect netting (temporary exclusion
methods) for blocking migratory
adults*, soil tillage may reduce eggs
in soil
Spinosad, Chromobacterium (Grandevo), Pyrethrins
(use in rotation with frequent foliar applications),
Azera (premix) for preventing YMLB outbreaks. If
caterpillars are of primary concern, then use Bt first
and then rotate to other bioinsecticides
-
Iron phosphate (e.g., Sluggo by Monterey, OMRIcertified.
Bonide Slug Magic for Gardens), Volatile
oil blend (Monterey All-Natural Snail & Slug Spray),
Diatomaceous earth with amorphous silica (PermaGuard
Crawling Insect Control), Bait premix of iron
phosphate and spinosad (Bug- N-Sluggo by Certis,
Monterey Sluggo Plus), Sulfur (Bug-Geta by Ortho),
Metaldehyde (Southern Ag Snail & Slug Bait,
Deadline Mini-Pellets), Nemaslug (endoparasitic
nematode formulation)
^ High tunnel pest exclusion using 50 percent woven shade cloth on side- and end-walls can exclude large moths and reduce caterpillar pressure.
Details at https://southern.sare.org/resources/high-tunnel-pest-exclusion-system/
# Organic insecticides are currently available as single active ingredient (AI) or in the form of premixes, such as Azera (neem + pyrethrins), Leap (BT + methyl salicylate),
and BotaniGard Maxx (pyrethrins + Beauveria bassiana).
* Relatively low-cost, temporary insect netting products include the Super-Light Insect Barrier (GardensAlive.com), AgroFabric Pro (https://www.7springsfarm.com) or other
lightweight exclusion material are suitable for early season pest prevention.
2023 Vegetable Crop Handbook for Southeastern United States
195
https://southern.sare.org/resources/high-tunnel-pest-exclusion-system/ http://www.GardensAlive.com https://www.7springsfarm.com
Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2023

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