This video shows a step-by-step explanation of how to set up a mesotunnel, which are structures that pose a physical barrier for insect pests. The mesotunnels are part of our research project's core, where we're assessing their role as an IPM tool, especially for organic farmers. Note: we installed this mesotunnel in an onion field just as an example of setting up a mesotunnel; our research is focused only on mesotunnels for cucurbit crops.

Dr. Ajay Nair gives a presentation about the three on-farm trial experiments that took place in Iowa during 2020 as part of the USDA-NIFA-OREI project "Resilient Systems for Sustainable Management of Cucurbit Crops".

As part of the organic muskmelon pollination trial in the ISU-Horticulture Research Station, lead by graduate students Kephas Mphande and Sharon Badilla, insect pests and bee visitation scouting is being done for further correlation analysis with yield.

Sharon Badilla Arias is a master’s student in Dr. Gleason’s lab at Iowa State University in the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a Licentiateship from Universidad de Costa Rica. Her research focuses on pollination and weed control optimization under mesotunnel systems, in addition to a study of biological control of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen, Erwinia tracheiphila.

Jose is an Agronomist with a B.Sc. and Licentiateship from University of Costa Rica, with an emphasis on plant pathology, IPM, organic farming, biological control, and business management. He's a Research Associate at Gleason Lab, and his main role is to oversee the progress of the project's goals and objectives. He likes to be out in the field, learn from both academia and farmers, and to participate in projects focused on improving sustainable food-production systems.

Sharon Badilla Arias is a master’s student in Dr. Gleason’s lab at Iowa State University in the Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a Licentiateship from Universidad de Costa Rica. Her research focuses on pollination and weed control optimization under mesotunnel systems, in addition to a study of biological control of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen, Erwinia tracheiphila.

Dr. Ajay Nair interviews Mark Quee, farm manager at the Scattergood Friends School (West Branch, Iowa). This year, Mark hosted one of our 3 on-farm demonstration experiments trialing mesotunnels as an organic-IPM strategy for cucurbit crops. What does Mark think about the mesotunnel system? Find out in this video!

A few tips on how to identify powdery mildew and ways to mitigate the severity on your cucurbit crops, by Kellie Damann.

Citation: Fiske K, Cheng N, Kuesel R, Zhang W, Bessin R, Williams MA, Gonthier D. (2024). Row covers limit pests and disease and increase profit in organic acorn squash. Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 8:1347924. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1347924

Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1347924/full

Abstract
Organic cucurbit growers face many challenges to production including insect pests, insect-vectored diseases, and non-vectored diseases. While Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) -listed pesticides underperform at suppressing pests and diseases, some alternative pest management strategies hold promise, but little research exists on their cost-effectiveness. We compared the efficacy of mesotunnel systems (nylon-mesh netting row covers deployed over bent metal hoops) and OMRI-listed pesticides (fungicides and insecticides) on acorn squash across 2 years. During the early part of the season, before row covers were removed for pollination, we found 1.7 (2020) and 0.3 (2021) times more cucumber beetles in the uncovered plots compared to the mesotunnels. Powdery mildew incidence was 36 and 25% lower under the mesotunnels compared to the uncovered plots in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Marketable yield of acorn squash was 46–54% higher in the mesotunnels compared to the uncovered treatments. OMRI-listed pesticide treatments reduced powdery mildew incidence compared to untreated control treatments. However, for pest presence, OMRI-listed pesticide treatments did not differ from untreated control treatments in either year, nor did it differ in marketable yield in 2020. Finally, the mesotunnel-only system was 47% more profitable compared to the OMRI-listed pesticide treatment and 47% more profitable compared to the uncovered plots. These results highlight mesotunnels as an economically viable pest management strategy for organic cucurbit growers in the U.S.

Keywords: cucurbits, row cover, cucumber beetles, powdery mildew, organic, profitability, mesotunnel

Citation: Clark, S., Bessin, R., Gonthier, D., & Larson, J. (2024). Evaluation of Ten Alternative Treatments for the Management of Harlequin Bug (Murgantia histrionica) on Brassica Crops. Plants, 13(12), 1618. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121618

Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/12/1618

Abstract
Harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) poses a significant threat to cruciferous vegetable crops, leading to economic losses and challenges in sustainable agriculture. This 2-year field study evaluated the efficacy of exclusion netting and selected biopesticides in controlling harlequin bug populations in a field-grown broccoli crop. Treatments included an untreated control, industry standards Azera and Entrust, and ProtekNet mesh netting. Additionally, three commercial essential oil treatments including Essentria IC-3, Nature-Cide, and Zero Tolerance were tested along with two bokashi fermented composting products BrewKashi and Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN). During both the first and second year of the study, none of the commercially produced essential oil products or bokashi products were effective in controlling harlequin bug or preventing leaf scars. Conversely, ProtekNet consistently provided the highest level of protection against harlequin bugs of all stages as well as leaf damage scars; it also provided the largest broccoli head width and highest yield. Entrust showed similar results compared to ProtekNet, both with the control of harlequin bug life stages and with leaf scars. These findings indicate that both ProtekNet and Entrust are effective organic alternatives for managing harlequin bug on broccoli, while the selected essential oil and bokashi products do not appear to be effective.

Keywords: harlequin bug; sustainable agriculture; Brassica row crops; biopesticides; essential oils; bokashi; pesticide alternatives

Citation: Kuesel R, Avery C, Jones S, Gauger A, Scott D, Gonthier D. Fine-mesh exclusion netting reduces Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) infestation and improves organic fall-bearing raspberry yields. J Econ Entomol. 2023 Oct 10;116(5):1727-1736. doi: 10.1093/jee/toad151. PMID: 37548438.

Link: https://academic.oup.com/jee/article-abstract/116/5/1727/7238153

Abstract
The economical production of small fruits has been significantly complicated by the spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, throughout its invaded rage. Fall-bearing red raspberries are especially susceptible to D. suzukii, and significant efforts to mitigate their damage are undertaken by growers. Exclusion barriers made from fine-mesh netting has emerged as an organic compliant strategy to mitigate damage from D. suzukii. Identifying less susceptible raspberry cultivars may also alleviate D. suzukii damage. Key pollination complications arise from exclusion-based tactics, but properly timing exclusion establishment may provide a remedy. In a 2-yr-old fall-bearing raspberry planting containing 3 cultivars, exclusion barriers were erected at 2 phenological timings. Spinosad- and pyrethrin-based pesticides were also applied to separate rows throughout harvest and a fourth treatment group matured without management. A subsection of raspberries was harvested and examined for marketability or damage, and D. suzukii adult populations were sampled with baited traps. An exclusion barrier applied early in fruit development was the most effective pest management strategy of those we tested. Its use decreased D. suzukii captures by 75%, decreased D. suzukii-infested fruit weights by 48%, and increased marketable yield by 63% compared to the no management control; however, it also increased pollination deficient fruit weights. Exclusion netting applied later in fruit maturation also decreased D. suzukii captures, infested fruit weights, and the weight of fruits damaged by other arthropod pests but did not significantly increase marketable yield. Our results indicate that netting exclusions may hold promise for the economical production of fall-bearing raspberries.

Keywords: spotted-wing drosophila, Rubus idaeus, exclusion netting, organic production, integrated pest management

Citation: Nelson, H. M., González-Acuña, J. F., Nair, A., Cheng, N., Mphande, K., Badilla-Arias, S., Zhang, W., & Gleason, M. L. (2023). Comparison of Row Cover Systems for Pest Management in Organic Muskmelon in Iowa. HortTechnology, 33(1), 103-110, https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05096-22

Link: https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/33/1/article-p103.xml

Abstract
Organic growers of cucurbit (Cucurbitaceae) crops in the midwestern United States have difficulty managing bacterial wilt—a fatal disease with a pathogen (Erwinia tracheiphila) that is transmitted by striped and spotted cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi, respectively). Registered organic insecticides lack effectiveness, and host plant resistance is rare in commercial cultivars of many cucurbit crops. Row covers are widely used as barriers to minimize pest access, but the spunbonded polypropylene fabric covering traditional low tunnels must be removed at bloom to prevent overheating and facilitate pollination, thereby exposing the crop for the rest of the season. “Mesotunnels”—nylon mesh fabric covering 3.5-ft-high hoops—provide more space than low tunnels and mitigate overheating. In field experiments at Iowa State University (Ames, IA, USA) during 2016–18, two variations of mesotunnels—full-season tunnels [with purchased bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) added for pollination] and part-season tunnels (with covers removed for 2 weeks during bloom to provide pollinator access)—were compared with low tunnels and a noncovered treatment for organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon (Cucumis melo) production. Based on scouting results, full-season mesotunnels required no insecticides and part-season mesotunnels averaged 0.6 spray per season compared with 1.0 and 5.0 sprays per season for the low-tunnel and noncovered treatments, respectively. Incidence of pest and disease damage was zero for the full-season mesotunnels, 5% to 22% for the part-season mesotunnels, and 37% to 70% for both of the other treatments. Marketable yield for the full-season mesotunnel treatment exceeded the noncovered treatment significantly each year, and mean marketable yields were greater numerically than for the other treatments. Both mesotunnel treatments had a marketable yield that averaged more than twice that of the noncovered treatment in each year. Economic analysis (partial budget and cost-efficiency ratio) indicated that mesotunnels were likely to be more profitable in Iowa, USA, than either the low-tunnel or noncovered systems, but also that the year-to-year differential among treatments in profitability could be substantial. Additional experiments are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these integrated pest management practices and their profitability at spatial scales representative of commercial farms.

Keywords: cucumber beetles; Cucumis melo, cucurbit bacterial wilt; cucurbit crops; integrated pest management

Citation: Rutz T, Coolong T, Srinivasan R, Sparks A, Dutta B, Codod C, Simmons AM, da Silva ALBR. Use of Insect Exclusion Row Cover and Reflective Silver Plastic Mulching to Manage Whitefly in Zucchini Production. Insects. 2023 Nov 9;14(11):863. doi: 10.3390/insects14110863. PMID: 37999062; PMCID: PMC10672264.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10672264/

Abstract
The challenges that sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) creates for vegetable production have increased in the southeastern U.S. Growers must use intensive insecticide spray programs to suppress extremely high populations during the fall growing season. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a reflective plastic mulch and an insect row cover as alternative methods to the current grower practices to manage whiteflies in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) production. Field experiments were conducted with a two-level factorial experimental design of cover and plastic mulch treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design, with four replications in Georgia in 2020 and 2021, and in Alabama in 2021. Cover treatments consisted of an insect row cover installed on zucchini beds at transplanting and removed at flowering and a no-cover treatment, while plastic mulch treatments consisted of reflective silver plastic mulching and white plastic mulching. During all growing seasons, weather conditions were monitored, whitefly populations were sampled weekly, zucchini biomass accumulation was measured at five stages of crop development, and fruit yield was determined at harvesting. Warm and dry weather conditions early in the growing season resulted in increased whitefly populations, regardless of location and year. In general, the reflective silver plastic mulching reduced whitefly populations compared to the conventional white plastic by 87% in Georgia in 2020, 33% in Georgia in 2021, and 30% in Alabama in 2021. The insect row cover treatment reduced whitefly populations to zero until its removal. Consequently, zucchini plants grown with the insect row cover and reflective silver plastic mulching had an increased rate of biomass accumulation due to the lower insect pressure in all locations. Zucchini grown using silver reflective plastic mulch and row covers had an overall increase of 17% and 14% in total yield compared to white plastic mulch and no-cover treatments, respectively. Significant differences in yield among locations were likely due to severe whitefly pressure early in the fall season, and total yields in Georgia in 2020 (11,451 kg ha⁻¹) were 25% lower than in Georgia in 2021 (15,177 kg ha⁻¹) and in Alabama in 2021 (15,248 kg ha⁻¹). In conclusion, silver plastic mulching and row covers reduced the whitefly population and increased biomass accumulation and total yield. These treatments can be considered ready-to-use integrated pest management practices for growers.

Keywords: Bemisia tabaci, biomass accumulation, Cucurbita pepo, pest management, total yield

Citation: Böckmann, E. Effects of insect net coverage in field vegetables on pests, diseases, natural enemies, and yield. J Plant Dis Prot, 129, 1401–1415 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-022-00644-1

Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361917629

Abstract
With the reduced availability of effective plant protection products, alternative control measures gain importance. Insect net covers are a promising tool in this regard, because they can reduce pest damage on crop by exclusion of pests. However, as under practical conditions, most crop net covers need to be removed several times during a crop cycle to manage weeds and apply fertilizers, a complete exclusion of pests is not always feasible. In addition, net covers also have an impact on natural enemies, on microclimate, and may cause direct crop damage due to their tracking weight. Therefore, effects of net applications have to be assessed accordingly, depending on the specific crops and pests. In the current paper, effects on pests, on yield, and on the occurrence of diseases are assessed in Chinese cabbage, carrot, and leek. Whereas control of Delia radicum, Phyllotreta spp. and thrips was enhanced, aphids and mining flies showed increased population build ups and caused higher damages under net cover once they had been able to invade. Some plant diseases such as Puccinia spp. and Alternaria spp. did increase under the net covers. Pitfall trap catches in carrots and Chinese cabbage were lower in almost all natural enemy groups monitored under net covers as compared to open field plots. Yield was higher with net coverage in case of Chinese cabbage and leek, but not in carrot. Results are discussed and take into account the exclusion of natural enemies and measured changes in microclimate and photosynthetically active radiation.

Citation: Athey KJ, Peterson JA, Dreyer J, Harwood JD, Williams MA. Effect of Breathable Row Covers and Ground Cover on Pest Insect Levels and Cucurbit Yield. J Econ Entomol. 2022 Feb 9;115(1):193-200. doi: 10.1093/jee/toab212. PMID: 35139217.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35139217/

Abstract
Organic control measures in muskmelon and squash production are part of an integrated pest management approach that can include using floating row covers, generalist predators, and ground cover. These are used in Kentucky, allowing for a reduction in insecticide use and diminished virus incidence while increasing yield. Commonly used row covers are made from spunbonded fabric that retains heat and must be removed at anthesis and kept off until the end of the season. Thus, a new farming regime containing breathable mesh covers which can be replaced after anthesis was tested for longer season insect exclusion across two growing seasons. Additionally, ground cover treatments, consisting of mulch or bare ground were tested for their effect on pest insect abundance and fruit yield. Pest insect numbers were usually lower in plots with mesh row covers and in some cases, mulch ground cover also contributed to lower pest numbers. A stronger impact on pest numbers was observed in melon than squash. Melon yield was always significantly higher in plots with mesh row covers and mulch ground cover. This trend was not observed with squash in 2014 but was true in 2015. In 2015, most plants under the fabric row covers died because of high temperatures immediately after transplanting highlighting the need for breathable mesh row covers.

Keywords: cultural control; insect exclusion; organic production

Citation: Chouinard, G., Pelletier, F., Larose, M. et al. Insect netting: effect of mesh size and shape on exclusion of some fruit pests and natural enemies under laboratory and orchard conditions. J Pest Sci 96, 857–869 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-022-01582-5

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10340-022-01582-5

Abstract
To improve exclusion systems for fruit trees, insect nets of various types were evaluated for their permeability to different beneficial and pest species, under laboratory and field conditions. Pests studied were the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Beneficials were Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Aphidius matricariae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Aphelinus abdominalis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Mesh nets with five different apertures (square, rectangle, triangle, rhombus and hexagon) and six different sizes (from 0.4 to 2.8 mm) were 3D-printed from strands of polylactic acid and tested in the laboratory along with two commercially available nets made of polyethylene. The physical and behavioral characteristics of the six studied species affected their ability to cross the nets. For an equal size (open area), the intrusion rate was generally greater through the square- and/or hexagonal-shaped meshes. Rectangular-shaped apertures totally excluded the apple maggot in both laboratory and field trials, provided their shortest side did not exceed 1.9 mm. For the spotted wing drosophila, a maximum of 1.0 mm was similarly required for exclusion in the laboratory. The shape factor (length/width ratio) of the apertures appeared to affect net selectivity. Field trials confirmed that more aphid predators and leafroller parasitoids colonized trees covered with larger mesh nets (2.3 × 3.4 mm), while still excluding the apple maggot. Thus, for a similar aperture size (area), an elongated rectangular-shaped mesh appears to facilitate access for beneficials, while continuing to provide effective protection against apple pests.

Citation: Brockman, R., Kuesel, R., Archer, K., O'Hearn, K., Wilson, N., Scott, D., Williams, M., Bessin, R., & Gonthier, D. (2020). The Impact of Plant Essential Oils and Fine Mesh Row Covers on Flea Beetle (Chrysomelidae) Management in Brassicaceous Greens Production. Insects, 11(10), 714. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11100714

Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/10/714

Abstract
Brassicaceous leafy greens are an important crop for small growers but are difficult to produce due to damage by flea beetles. Flea beetles are problematic for growers as they chew many small holes through leaves rendering produce unmarketable. We tested the efficacy of several essential oils, the woven-mesh row cover ProtekNet, and the spunbonded row cover Agribon, compared to organic and conventional insecticides and no spray controls in the spring and fall of 2019. We found that the two row cover treatments (Agribon and ProtekNet) provided the best control of flea beetles and associated damage. Thyme oil was highly phytotoxic and killed the crop entirely and rosemary and neem essential oils caused mild phytotoxic burns. Organic insecticides rarely performed better than the no spray control. While conventional insecticides controlled most flea beetles, the crop was often still too highly damaged to sell. The results of our study suggest row covers offer producers an effective method of flea beetle control that reduces their dependence on insecticides for conventional and organic production.

Keywords: organic agriculture, arugula, mizuna mustard, row cover, ProtekNet, Agribon, flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata, Phyllotreta bipustulata, Phyllotreta cruciferae, Chaetocnema concinna

Citation: Nordey, T., Ochieng, J., Ernest, Z., Mlowe, N., Mosha, I., Fernandes, P. (2020). Is vegetable cultivation under low tunnels a profitable alternative to pesticide use? The case of cabbage cultivation in northern Tanzania, Crop Protection, 34, 105169, ISSN 0261-2194, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105169

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219420301022

Abstract
The health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption can be jeopardized by pesticide residues, especially in developing countries, due to their misuse. While vegetable growing under cover is growing in popularity worldwide as an effective technique for improving yields while reducing pesticide use, these protected cultivation techniques often remain underutilized by smallholder farmers. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted with fifty smallholder farmers in northern Tanzania over two seasons to compare the profitability of growing cabbage in open plots and under inexpensive low tunnels. Although all farmers significantly improved their yields under nets over the two seasons (9.85, as opposed to 6.80 kg m⁻² and 10.09, as opposed to 8.63 kg m⁻², in each season respectively) and reduced their pesticide use (by 3.5 and 2.8 times), the large variations in market prices observed between seasons called into question the profitability of this cultivation technique. With the conducive market conditions of the second season, it would have taken 5.3 crops cycle on average, i.e. less than 2 years, to recoup the investment costs of low tunnels, whereas with the poor market conditions observed in the first season, the investment in tunnels compounded the negative economic results obtained from growing cabbages in an open field. Consequently, our results showed that using low tunnels could be a suitable alternative for reducing pesticide use, but this technique was not economically viable with the existing marketing systems used by the farmers. For this technique to be adopted, further work is needed to identify changes in vegetable marketing systems that would promote the use of cultivation techniques that reduce pesticide use.

Keywords: Africa, economics, profitability, protected, cultivation, small-scale farmer

Citation: Acharya TP, Welbaum GE, Arancibia RA. Low Tunnels Reduce Insect Populations, Insecticide Application, and Chewing Insect Damage on Brussels Sprouts. J Econ Entomol. 2020 Oct 16;113(5):2553-2557. doi: 10.1093/jee/toaa154. PMID: 32696955.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32696955/

Abstract
Low tunnels covered with spun-bonded fabric (row covers) provide season extension for vegetable production and also afford a physical barrier against airborne insects and other non-soil pests. Brussels sprouts, Brassica oleracea L. group Gemmifera (Brassicaceae), is a popular vegetable in local markets in Virginia; however, unprotected field production is severely affected by insect pest infestation. This study's objective was to determine the level of protection low tunnels provide against insect infestation and leaf herbivory injury. The experiment was conducted at the Virginia Tech Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Painter, Virginia. The experimental design was split-plot with polyethylene soil mulches (white or black) as whole plot factors and production systems (low tunnel or open field) as subplot factors. In this study, low tunnels reduced insect infestation and chewing herbivory leaf injury to Brussels sprouts. Compared to an unprotected open field, infestations of lepidopteran insects and harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were reduced on plants under low tunnels. However, aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidae) infestation occurred under low tunnels in fall. There was no effect of color mulches (white or black) and no interaction between tunnel and mulch color on insect infestation and chewing injury. Fewer insect infestations and feeding injury indicate that low tunnels can be an effective management tool for sustainable vegetable production.

Keywords: aphid; feeding injury index; harlequin bug; lepidopteran; row cover

Citation: Sánchez, E. S., Hernández, E., Gleason, M. L., Batzer, J. C., Williams, M. A., Coolong, T., & Bessin, R. (2015). Optimizing Rowcover Deployment for Managing Bacterial Wilt and Using Compost for Organic Muskmelon Production. HortTechnology hortte, 25(6), 762-768, https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.25.6.762

Link: https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/25/6/article-p762.xml

Abstract
The goal of this study was to develop a systems-based strategy for organic muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) in Pennsylvania (PA), Iowa (IA), and Kentucky (KY) to manage bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) and nutrients while safeguarding yield and enhancing early harvest. Spunbond polypropylene rowcovers deployed for different timings during the growing season were evaluated for suppressing bacterial wilt and locally available compost was applied based on two different estimated rates of mineralization of organic nitrogen (N) to manage nutrients. In KY only, the use of rowcovers suppressed bacterial wilt incidence compared with not using rowcovers. However, the timing of rowcover removal did not impact wilt incidence. Under lower cucumber beetle [striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum) and spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)] pressure in PA and IA, rowcovers did not consistently suppress season-long incidence of bacterial wilt. In four of five site-years in PA and IA, more marketable fruit were produced when rowcovers were removed 10 days after an action threshold (the date the first flower opened in PA; the date when ≥50% of plants in a subplot had developed perfect flowers in IA and KY) than when no 10-day delay was made or when no rowcovers were used. In addition, the no-rowcover treatment consistently had lower weight per marketable fruit. In KY, the same action threshold without the 10-day delay, followed by insecticide applications, resulted in the largest number of marketable fruit, but did not affect marketable fruit weight. In PA, marketable yield was higher using compost compared with the organic fertilizer in 1 year. No yield differences were observed by nutrient treatments in 2 years. In IA, marketable yield was lower with the low amount of compost compared with the organic fertilizer and yields with the high amount of compost were not different from the low amount or the organic fertilizer in the year it was evaluated. In KY, marketable yield was unaffected by the nutrient treatments in the year it was evaluated. Given these results, muskmelon growers in PA, IA, and KY who use compost may choose the lower compost rate to minimize production costs. Overall, these findings suggest that rowcover-based strategies for organic management of bacterial wilt need to be optimized on a regional basis, and that fertilization with compost is compatible with these strategies.

Keywords: bacterial wilt; cucumber beetles; yield; cantaloupe; earliness; conventional control

Citation: Roger G. Adams, Richard A. Ashley, Melanye J. Brennan, Row Covers for Excluding Insect Pests from Broccoli and Summer Squash Plantings, Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 83, Issue 3, 1 June 1990, Pages 948–954, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/83.3.948

Link: https://academic.oup.com/jee/article-abstract/83/3/948/868813

Abstract
Tests were conducted to determine the effectiveness of various row covers for excluding certain insect pests from broccoli, Brassica oleracea L. Italica group, and summer squash, Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo (L.) Alef., plantings. Kimberley Farms (Kimberley- Clark Corporation) and Agronet (CDK International Corporation) fabric row covers effectively excluded Lepidoptera from broccoli, as well as several species of flea beetles and striped cucumber beetles, Acalymma vittata (F.) from summer squash. Aslit, clear-plastic row cover was also effective in excluding pests of squash, but allowed more lepidopterous insects to reach broccoli plants than the fabric row covers. None of the row covers was initially successful in excluding Delia spp. from broccoli plantings. The presence of Delia spp. adults under row covers was most likely the result of life stages in the soil before the placement of the row covers and the subsequent development and emergence of the adults. Once in place, however, row covers appeared to be successful in preventing the entrance of the adults from the outside into the covered plantings. Delays in maturation of broccoli and summer squash were detected during one year for plants under row covers. No significant differences, however, were found in the total harvest means for head or fruit numbers and weights.

Keywords: Insecta, Lepidoptera, row covers, insect exclusion

Citation: Millar, Katherine & Isman, Murray. (1988). The effects of a spunbonded polyester row coyer on cauliflower yield loss caused by insects. The Canadian Entomologist. 120. 10.4039/Ent12045-1. 

Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259422120

Abstract
A field trial was conducted to evaluate a spunbonded polyester row cover (Reemay) as a means of protecting cauliflower plants from insect pests. Total yield variables (curd weight, size, and color) did not differ significantly between plants under the row covers and those treated with insecticides, although plants under the row covers did produce a greater yield at an early harvest date. Plants in control plots failed to produce any marketable heads, owing to attack by cabbage maggots, Delia radicum (L.). Row covers may be a useful alternative to insecticides for pest control via physical exclusion of the key pest(s) from the crop plant.