This presentation was developed for high tunnel crop producers who are regularly plagued by many chewing and sucking insect pests. This presentation ends with a brief discussion of organic insecticides and other pest management methods. For questions, call 251-331-8416 or contact the county Extension office in your state.

1. Organic Integrated Pest
Management
Dr. Ayanava Majumdar (Dr. A)
Ext. Entomologist &
State SARE Coordinator
Auburn, AL 36849
Tel: (251) 331-8416
bugdoctor@auburn.edu
HT Training Workshops, AL, 2013

2. EXTENSION RESOURCES

3. ACES Commercial Horticulture Team –
Vegetable IPM Team Members

4. ACES Home Grounds Team – Vegetable IPM
Team Members
Chris Becker, REA Willie Datcher, REA Mike McQueen, REA
Alfred Jackson, Tuskegee Univ. Extension

5. Publications
• Promotional materials (bookmarks)
• Extension bulletins (packets)
• Websites: www.aces.edu/go/87
• Alabama SARE Website
• IPM newsletter (weekly email)

6. • Small size
• Small food requirement
• Rapid and prolific reproduction
– Parthenogenesis
• Grow by molting (control over
growth rate)
• Life stages feed on different
substrate
Why are INSECTS so successful?

7. Why are INSECTS so successful?

8. High Tunnel Environment
• It gets hot & humid (PASSIVE VENTILATION)
• It is very dry on leaf surface (NO RAINFALL)
• High planting density & diversity (HOST PLANTS)
• Bottom line 1: Prevention is better than cure!
• Bottom line 2: Manage insects when they are
small!

9. Types of Plant Injury by
insects

10. First know the definitions…
INJURY
DAMAGE
Damage = injury + economic loss

11. Plant injury by INSECTS
• Direct injury caused by feeding:
chewing mouthparts VS. sucking
mouth parts

12. • Direct injury caused during oviposition: dimpling on
tomato by thrips egg-laying
Image: UFL IFAS Ext.
Image: UFL IFAS Ext.
Plant injury by INSECTS

13. • Indirect injury from insect products: honeydew
causes sooty mold (aphids, whiteflies)
Image: TopTurf.net
Image: Iowa State
Plant injury by INSECTS

14. • Injury from disease transmission: aphids, thrips
Transmit cucumber mosaic
virus (CMV), potato virus Y
(PVY)
Transmit tomato spotted
wilt virus (TSWV)
Images: U Wisconsin & Queensland Govt., Australia
Plant injury by INSECTS

15. Integrated Pest Management
Tactics
(Organic farming)

16. What is IPM?
• “Integrated pest management (IPM) is a threshold based
decision management system which leads to judicious use
of multiple pest control tactics.”
• IPM is currently insecticide-intensive…
• Major losses occur due to:
• Lack of early detection of insects
• Insecticide resistance by misuse
• Loss of natural control with insecticides

17. Decision making in organic IPM…
• Insect detection & monitoring
• Insect identification
• Population pressure
• Economic threshold
• Make treatment decision >>> 3-tiered
approach

18. USDA Crop Pest Management
Practice Standard
Organic Food Production Act - 1990
National Organic Program
(NOP)
7CFR Section 205
Ref.: OIA North America, Gainesville, FL
Primary focus to prevent insect pests, weeds, & diseases.

19. USDA National Organic Program Standards
(applicable in gardening situation also!)
• Level 1: Systems-based practices (cultural
practices, sanitation, crop rotation, trap crops*)
• Level 2: Mechanical and physical practices
(barriers, lures/traps, repellents, hand-picking, net
house*)
• Level 3: Biorational & other material (OMRI
approved insecticides)
*Discussed later in this presentation

20. Starting Point for IPM…
• Emphasis on Pest Detection & Correct Identification:
– INSECT PHEROMONE TRAPS for improved scouting
– Trap Catch = Pest Density X Pest Activity (Taylor, 1963)
– Insect Monitoring Project in Alabama, 2009-2010
Corn rootworm trapSticky wing trap
Stink bug trap

21. Beet armyworm
2010 2009
13 moths/trap
11 moths/trap
53 moths/trap
46 moths/trap
Traps placed near vegetable fields
10 moths/trap
21 moths/trap
55moths/trap
53 moths/trap

22. Tomato Fruitworm
2010 2009
6 moths/trap
1 moths/trap
21 moths/trap
2 moths/trap
Traps placed near vegetable fields
10 moths/trap
25 moths/trap
11 moths/trap
6 moths/trap

23. LEVEL 1 IPM RESEARCH:
TRAP CROPPING SYSTEMS

24. Major Principle of Trap Cropping
• Insects have differential host preference
• Insect may feed and reproduce in preferred host

25. Managing Yellow margined leaf beetle
(YMLB) Population with Trap crop
 YMLB is a serious pest of cruciferous crops
• Cabbage
• Turnips
• Mustard
• Radish etc.
 Migrates into vegetable field in early October
 Damage: October – May

26. Damage
 Both adults and larvae feed on foliage by first making
small holes; later serious defoliation
Defoliation of larvae on turnip Mass attack of adults on napa cabbage

27. Main crop
Trap crop
Turnip
Napa cabbage
Field Trials-Managing YMLB with Trap crop
Spring 2011
35 ft

28. Trap Crops in
Tomato Production System

29. Perimeter trap crop study
(Brewton, AL, 2011 & 2012)
Tomato main crop
NK300 Sorghum trap crop

30. Perimeter trap crop study (Clanton, AL, 2012)
Sunflower
(Peredovik)
Sorghum
(NK300)
Main crop: Tomato

31. Main crop: Tomato
Perimeter trap crop study (Cullman, AL, 2012)

32. Trap crop study for leaffooted bugs
(Clanton, AL, 2012)
0 0 0 0 0 00
18
4
2
1
4
19
11
2
0 0 0
0
2
2
0
3
Obs. 1 Obs. 2 Obs. 3 Obs. 4 Obs. 5 Obs. 6 Obs. 7
DKB5400 (sorghum trap crop)
NK300 (sorghum trap crop)
Sunflower (trap crop)
Tomato (main crop)
Insecticide treatment and/or
manual removal in organic situation
(21 July) (4 Aug.) (5 Sep.)
Numbers indicate leaffooted bugs (LFBs) on 20 heads of trap crops and 20 tomato plants for comparison
purposes. Trap crops planted on May 16. Main crop planted on June 1. Trap crop treated with Mustang
Max (zeta-cyper. @ 4 oz/A) on Sept. 5, 2012. Result = 78% LFB control in 5DAT. Tomato main crop is
attacked by LFBs after the trap crop is ineffective (in October).
(13 Aug.) (7 Sep.) (20 Sep.) (4 Oct.)
Manual removal in organic situation

33. Trap crop study for leaffooted bugs
(Cullman, AL, 2012)
0 0 0 0 0 00
33 33
0 0 00
56
17
0 0 00
4
2
0
1 5
Obs. 1 Obs. 2 Obs. 3 Obs. 4 Obs. 5 Obs. 6
DKB5400 (sorghum trap crop)
NK300 (sorghum trap crop)
Sunflower (trap crop)
Tomato (main crop)
(24 July) (30 Aug.) (4 Sep.)
Numbers indicate leaffooted bugs (LFBs) on 40 heads of trap crops and 40 tomato plants for
comparison purposes. Trap crops planted on June 18 & 27. Main crop planted on July 3. Trap crop
treated with Mustang Max (zeta-cyper. @ 4 oz/A) on Sept. 7, 2012. Result = 100% LFB control in
7DAT. Tomato main crop is attacked by LFBs after the trap crop is ineffective (in October).
(14 Sep.) (24 Sep.) (4 Oct.)
Insecticide treatment and/or
manual removal in organic situation
Manual removal in organic situation

34. Insect Netting Applications
Insect netting on the
sides of a high tunnel
Use insect netting over the
entire high tunnel frame

35. Biological Control Agents
or Natural Enemies

36. NaturalEnemies
36
Predators: – Ladybugs, Spiders
• General feeders
• Eat several prey
• Larger and stronger than the prey
Parasitoids (=parasites): – Wasps, Flies
• Specialist feeders
• Kill only one host (pest)
• Smaller than the host
Pathogens: – Bacteria, Fungus & Viruses
• Micro-organisms that cause diseases in
insects
Who kills Pests?
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2012/06/parasitic-wasps-beneficial-insects/
extension.entm.purdue.edu
Flicker.com

37. 37
Predators
Green lacewing
Larvae
Larvae
© Rao Balusu
© Rao Balusu
ucanr.edu
Eggs
Lady beetles Hover flies
Abulrfan
Robber flies
www.ipm.ncsu.edu
Bigeyed bugs
Assassin bugs
Minute pirate bugs
Crab spiderWolf spiderOrb weavers
Spinded soldier bug Spiders
farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

38. 38
Parasitoids
Trichogramma wasp
shareourgarden.blogspot.com
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc
Aphidius wasp
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
Mummified aphids
Wasp in action
www.biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu
Trichopoda pennipes
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6647
Tachinid flies

39. 39
Conserving Natural Enemies
 Don’t reach for the pesticide spray
 Limit use of broad spectrum insecticides
 Use pesticides that are compatible with biological control
 Microbials : Bt
 Botanicals: Neem
 Provide foods that adults need
 Flowering plants:
 To attract natural enemies
 To provide shelter/shade
 To produce pollen and nectar
Grow mixture (diversity) of plants
for continuous source of flowers
wildlifetrusts.org
www.scri.ac.ukt

40. Insecticides for Organic
Vegetable Production

41. Insecticide Mode of Action (MoA)
Physical dessicant – kaolin clay, ash
Contact action – vegetable oils, horticultural
oils, neem, pyrethrin, insecticidal
soap, spinosyn, Beauveria, Metarhizium
Stomach action – Bt (Dipel)
Volatile action – Garlic Barrier, Cinnamite

42. Friend of friends –
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
• Bt kurstaki acts on small caterpillars
• Caterpillars in cool-season
crops, tomatoes, pepper
• Bt tenebrionis for beetles
• Frequent appl., thorough coverage
needed
• Prefer the liquid than concentrate
• 0 Pre Harvest Interval (PHI)
• MoA video:
http://www.biorationalapproach.com/video/?vid=453#ooid=ZmY3NzNTrrL7D1OVJOYbt7dX3dkeSkom

43. Mode of Action: Bt
Image: Dr. Jurat-Fuentes, University of Tennessee

44. Pyrethrin/Pyrethrum
• Broad-spectrum insect control
• Pyganic 1.4EC, 5 EC – OMRI approved
•Pyrethrin + piperonyl butoxide (PBO-
synergist) not organic
• Insects may recover
6% AI
6o% PBO
Permethrin – NOT organic insecticide!

45. Neem-based Insecticides
Neem (oil)
OMRI approved
Neem II (oil + pyrethrin)
• Contact action, controls immature
insects!
• Look for azadirachtin on label (Molt-
X, Neemix)
• Target pests:
aphids, armyworms, scales, thrips, WF
• Clarified hydrophobic extract of neem
oil may have no azadirachtin
For
commercial
producers

46. Insecticide Premixes
Azera (MGK):
• OMRI approved
• Mix of azadirachtin + pyrethrin
• Interferes with molting, rapid knock-down
• Contact, stomach action, IGR
• Effective against stink bugs (brown
marmorated stink bug)
Mix of neem + pyrethrin
(Green Light)

47. Common name Product Pesticide
type
Oral
LD50 (mg/kg)
Best against
Spinosyn A, D Entrust (SpinTor
phase out)
In (St) >5000 CPB, ImCW, CEW, FAW,
BAW, CL, DBM
Spinetoram Radiant 1SC In (St) >5000 CPB, CEW, ECB, ImCW,
CL, Thr
MoA: Mimic neurotransmitter, hyperexcite insects
Entrust: for ORGANIC producers
Spinosyn

48. Spinosyn…a good rotation partner
• Excellent for
thrips, leafminers, looper, D
BM, CPB, control
• Monterey product is
OMRI approved
• 1 day PHI

49. Insecticidal Soap
• Potassium salt of fatty acids
• Control soft-bodied insects (aphids, whiteflies)
• Some short-chain fatty acids are herbicides
(household detergent)
• No residual action, not rain fast
OMRI Approved
Not OMRI Approved

50. Kaolin Clay
• Present naturally in soil in tropical countries
• Foliar spray at high rate (25 lb/A)
• OMRI approved – Surround WP (95% clay)
• Natural desiccant, feeding deterrent

51. Vegetable Oils
• Physical poisons
• Short residue
• Effective against soft-bodied insects
• Do not use if temps are >90F
• May not be OMRI approved
Canola oil (96%)
Soybean oil (93%)
Sesame oil 5%
Fish oil 92%
Pyola Insect Spray =
vegetable oil + pyrethrin

52. Insect pathogen: Beauveria bassiana
• Contact action
• Slow acting but effective
• Target pests: nymphs & adults of
whiteflies, thrips, aphids, mealy
bugs, scarab beetles
• Check label for OMRI
OMRI approved

53. Organic Insecticide Research
– Insecticide rotations
– New formulations/delivery systems
Good rotation partners

54. Tomato fruit protection
(Cullman, AL, 2012)
Crop: Tomato, planting date: July 9, insecticides applied using C02 sprayer at 40 GPA. Replications = 4.
Insecticide treatment dates: Sept. 6, 14, 21. Data indicates percent damaged fruits (10 fruits/plot).
Treatments AI Sept. 24 Oct. 4
Range of
damage (%)
Average
damage (%)
Range of
damage (%)
Average
damage (%)
Xentari Bt 20-60 37.5 10-40 20.0
Pyganic Pyrethrum 20-50 35.0 20-40 32.5
Xentari + Pyganic Tank-mix 20-50 30.0 10-60 27.5
Untreated check 90-100 95.0 40-80 55.0
*OMRI-approved for organic vegetable production
Tank mix of approved insecticides may improve control effectiveness.
Research will continue on evaluating further tank mixes and trap crops.

55. Fruit quality with Xentari (Bt aizawai)
(Cullman, 2012)
Untreated crop with 90%
caterpillar damage &
irregular fruit size
Xentari foliar treatment with
<20% caterpillar damage &
uniform fruit size

56. Fruit quality with Pyganic (pyrethrum)
(Cullman, 2012)
Untreated check Pyganic foliar
90% fruit
damage
30% fruit
damage

57. Fruit quality with Xentari (Bta) + Pyganic
(Late season treatment, Cullman, 2012)
Check plots Xentari + Pyganic foliar

58. Mite control in high tunnel
Location: Brannon Farm, Addison, AL, 2012
Crop: Tomato
Pest: Two-spotted spider mite
Treatment: Insecticide rotation in high tunnel tomatoes. Suffoil –X has paraffinic oil. Acramite has
bifenazate. Entire rows treated with untreated plants at the two ends.
Observation: Mites per 20 leaflets on each observation date.
8.2
6.5
1.9
8.2 7.8
9.6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Obs. 1 (July 6) Obs. 2 (July 15) Obs. 3 (July 23)
Treated crop
Untreated Ch. (tunnel ends)
Suffoil-X @
1Ga/100Ga water
Acramite 50WP
@ 1lb/A
Organic +
Conventional
Approach

59. Efficacy of SUFFOIL-X & JMS STYLEY-OIL for
Two-spotted Spider Mite Control 2012
14
35
17
11
56
45
12
34
26
18
23
32
27
27 Sept. 3 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct.
Untreated check
Suffoil-X (0.01%)
JMS Stylet-Oil (3 qt)
Bifenthrin 5 oz/A
Crop was tomatoes. Location: Chilton REC, Clanton, AL.
Numbers indicate spider mites on 40 tomato leaves.
Reduction in mites with JMS Stylet-Oil & Suffoil-
X is good but action could be slow!

60. Spider mite management
ALTERNATIVE MITICIDES:
• Layton et al. (2011): 2 applications of insecticidal
oil, insecticidal soap or neem oil provided good TSM
control
• OMRI approved: Grandevo (extracted from
Chromobacterium subtsugae) – 2 treatments on
strawberry provided 63 to 80% mite suppression

61. Aphid control in Collards: BotaniGard, Molt-
X, Suffoil-X (Brewton, AL, 2010)
Arthropod Management Tests, 2012, Vol. 37