BAIT and SWITCH: Novel Systems for IPM in High Tunnels

BAIT and SWITCH: Novel Systems
for IPM in High Tunnels
Margaret Skinner
Cheryl Frank
Bruce L. Parker
Univ. of Vermont
Entomology Research Laboratory
UVM Entomology Research Lab
Team of 5 senior scientists and several technicians
Addressing growers’ practical pest problems
Primary Areas of Effort:
Insect Pests of Greenhouse Ornamentals
Western Flower Thrips
Insect-Killing Fungi:
Beauveria bassiana
Metarhizium anisopliae
Why Western Flower Thrips?
#1 Insect Pest of Greenhouse Ornamentals
• Populations increase
quickly
• Hard to detect
• Wide host range
• Transmit viruses
• Pesticide Resistant
What are Insect-Killing Fungi?
• Fungi that infect insects, NOT plants
• Several fungal products available
Botanigard: Beauveria bassiana
No Fly wp: Paecilomyces fumoseroseus
Met52: Metarhizium anisopliae
Mycotol: Lecanicillium lecanii
Note: Trichoderma is a fungus that suppresses
plant pathogens, NOT insects.
Milky spore disease (Bacillus popillae) is a bacteria,
Not a fungus.
Why Insect-Killing Fungi?
• Low cost of mass-production
• Potential to persist
• Naturally occurring
• Low impact on the environment and
human health
• No need for ingestion
• Compatible with parasites, predators & pesticides
• Easy to apply
BAIT & SWITCH Tactics for IPM
Use of non-crop plants to fool
the pest for detecting or
managing pests
•
•
•
•
Indicator plants
Trap plants
Banker plants
Guardian plants
Indicator Plants
Attract pests for quick & easy detection
What do you do?
Grow the plants
Position them in crop
Check them regularly for pests
Remove them when too infested
What kind of plant works?
Highly attractive to pest/s
Easy & cheap to grow to flowering stage
Not susceptible to other pests??
Not a virus carrier??
Trap Plants
Attract pest away from crop
What do you do?
• Grow plants and position in/around crop
• Check regularly for pests
• Remove from crop or treat to kill pest
What kind of plant works?
High attractiveness to pest
Easy & cheap to grow
Not susceptible to other pests
Not a carrier of virus
Trap Plants
2012 results with Hero yellow marigolds in
greenhouse-grown bedding plants
Examples of
Indicator/Trap Plants
Setting/crop
Greenhouse
ornamentals
Plant type
Yellow/white mums, gerbera daisy,
verbena, ornamental pepper, sunflower
Target Pest
Thrips
"
Petunia (Calypso, Summer madness,
Super blue magic, Red cloud, fava bean)
INSV/TSWV
"
Tomato, eggplant, beans
Whitefly
Spider mite
Field crops
Collars
"
Hubbard squash
"
Radishes
"
Cherry pepper
Diamond back moth
Cucumber beetles
Striped cucumber
beetle & spider mite
Pepper weevil
Banker Plants
Support reproduction of a natural enemy
What do you do?
• Grow plant and infest with non-pest species
• Release natural enemy and allow to multiply
• Check regularly for pests and hyperparasites, etc.
Why bother?
• Low cost source of natural enemies
• Sustained source of natural enemies
• Higher quality natural enemies
Increased temp. range, searching ability,
effectiveness, survivorship, health, sex ratios
Examples of Banker Plants
Setting/crop
Banker Plant
Type
Biocontrol Agent
N. cucumeris predatory mite
Target Pest
Greenhouse
ornamentals
Marigolds
"
Wheat/Oat grass
Aphidius parasite
Green peach &
melon aphid
"
Alyssum, verbena
marigolds
Orius predator
Thrips
Poinsettia
Papaya
Field grown
peppers
Sunflower
Insect-killing fungus
Encarsia & Eretmocerus
parasites
Orius predator
Thrips
Whitefly
Thrips
Guardian/Habitat Plants
Attracts pest, supports natural enemy
reproduction & manages pest
What do you do?
• Grow plant attractive to pest and distribute
around crop
• Release biocontrols on plant to multiply for
managing pest on plant and dispersing into
crop
• Check regularly for pests and biocontrols
Thrips Life Cycle
Know the life cycle of your pest to manage it!
Marigold Guardian Plants
Attracts pest, supports biocontrols & manages pest
Marigold attracts
WFT from crop
Fungus applied to soil to
infect pupating WFT
Predatory mites released
on flowers to reproduce
and feed on WFT larvae
Marigold Habitat Plants
2012 results in greenhouse-grown bedding plants
Aphid Banker Plants
Mini parasite rearing system for aphid IPM
What do you do?
• Grow cereal grass and infest with bird-cherry
oat aphid (a non-pest species)
• Release natural enemy and allow to multiply
• Distribute plants around greenhouse
• Check regularly for pests and hyperparasites
Why bother?
• Low cost source of parasites
• Available parasites when needed
• Higher quality parasites
Aphid Banker Plants
Mini parasite rearing system for aphid IPM
What else to Do and NOT Do?
• Don’t use if you grow other monocots: corn,
Easter lilies, ornamental grasses, onions, garlic
• Water them regularly
• Replace them with fresh pots of aphids
• Remove them at the end of the season or if you see
hyperparasites
• Don’t expect them to work for all aphid species, they work best
for green peach & cotton/melon aphid.
NOT for POTATO or FOXGLOVE Aphid
Aphid Banker Plant How do you do it?
Start 6 weeks before opening the greenhouse
Get the materials:
•Hair nets/cages
•Plant pots and soil
•Seeds of wheat/oats/barley
•Order Bird cherry oat aphid starter colony
(BCOA) for 3-4 wk starting Wk 2
•Identify place to produce banker plants
(~70-75°F)
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 1
When BCOA kit comes:
• Fill 4 pots with soil and water
(Wk 1 pots)
• Scatter grain on soil
• Plant one BCOA cube per pot
• Cover with hairnet QUICK
• Check on order for 500 Aphidius
colemani parasites (Ac) for Wk 2.
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 2
• Fill 4 pots with soil & water (Wk 2 pots)
• Scatter grain on soil
• Trim grass blades from Wk 1 pots with
BCOA and place on seeds
• Cover pots with net Quick
• Release parasites into Wk 1 pots if
there’s enough BCOA (after transferring
BCOA). Cover with net.
• Check on next week’s order for Ac
parasites
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 3
• Fill 4 pots with soil and water (Wk 3 pots)
• Scatter seed on soil
• Clip grass with BCOA from Wk 2 pots on seed and
cover with net
• Place ~100 Ac parasites into Wk 2 pots and cover
with net
REMEMBER: Don’t add parasites to banker plants until
BCOA population is well established
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 4
• Set up Wk 4 pots as before
• Clip grass infested with BCOA from
Wk 3 pots and cover with net
• Check Wk 1 pots (with Ac parasites)
for mummies
• Move Wk 1 pots to greenhouse and
remove net
• Release Ac parasites on Wk 3 pots
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 5
• Set up Wk 5 pots as before
• Clip grass infested with BCOA from
Wk 4 pots and cover with net
• Check Wk 2 pots (with Ac parasites)
for mummies
• Move Wk 2 pots to greenhouse and
remove net
Aphid Banker Plant
Week 6
• Set up Wk 6 pots as before
• Clip grass infested with BCOA from
Wk 5 pots and cover with net
• Check Wk 3 pots (with Ac parasites)
for mummies
• Move Wk 3 pots to greenhouse and
remove net
Aphid Banker Plant
Future weeks
•
Continue to set up pots as before
•
Clip grass from last weeks pots and cover
with net
•
Move to greenhouse beside a pot with Ac
when BCOA colony is established
•
Place old pots under bench to let Ac
emerge.
•
Check plants for hyperparasites
•
Destroy plants at the end of the season
Thank You!
Thanks!
• USDA Agricultural Research Service
• USDA Extension IPM
• VT Extension System
• USDA Hatch Program
• American Floral Endowment