Pesticide Use and Toxicity Down• Conventional pesticide sales down

3% per year between 1999 and 2006. (Crop Life, 2007)

• Use of broad spectrum organophosphate and carbamate pesticides down. (California DPR)

Miles to go…• 94% of fish, 94% of surface water

and 33% of ground water samples collected from 1992 and 2001 showed contamination with one or more pesticides. (2006 U.S. Geological Survey)

• Herbicide-resistant weeds, invasive species, new drift regulations, non-target including pollinator impacts call for more IPM…

Bald eagle nesting pairs increase from 417 to 5,748 after DDT ban.

- Fish & Wildlife Service, 2003

IPM Reduces Pesticide Risk

• IPM is an systems-based approach designed to reduce environmental, health and economic risks. IPM is implemented as an ongoing series of science-based, pest management evaluations, decisions and interventions.

• IPM practitioners use knowledge of pest biology and environmental conditions, and technology to Prevent, Avoid Monitor and Suppress (PAMS) pests.

Basic IPM Practices Scouting (sampling) crops for pests and pest damage, visually or

with devices. Monitoring weather, other conditions. Acting when pests approach economically damaging levels.

Advanced IPM Practices Resolve: Why is the pest there? Pest-resistant crop varieties. Crop rotation, adjust planting times. Reduced-risk pesticides, mating disruption,

companion crops, beneficial insects.

Pest Scouting

Pheromone Disruptor Suction Trap

Presentation Objectives

• Give a Working Definition of IPM• Outline a few key pumpkin pests and related IPM control

strategies• Translate IPM Practices into NRCS EQIP for Specialty

Crop Guidelines• Conclusions

What is IPM?

• The comprehensive and coordinated use of cultural, biological, and chemical tactics to reduce a pest population below an acceptable threshold

• Cultural – non-chemical tactics, host plant resistance, planting date, cover crops, traps, scouting, crop rotation, sanitation, etc.

• Biological – natural enemy conservation & enhancement• Chemical – pesticide selection and spray timing

Multiple Approaches to IPM

• PAMS • Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring, Suppression

VS.• Seasonal

• Pre plant, At plant, In season, Harvest, Post harvest

VS.• Discipline

• Weeds, Insects, Disease, Culture, etc.• Can couch IPM in various combinations or formats

Pre plant, At plant, In season IPMInsect & Disease Management

• Key Pest(s): Striped cucumber beetle, may vector Bacterial wilt

• (PP) Delay direct seeding until after 1st generation of beetles decline

• (PP) Use transplants• (AP) Use systemic insecticides in-furrow or seed

treatments• (IS) Scout emerged seedlings, treat if cuke beetle

threshold is exceeded

Bacterial wilt symptoms on pumpkin

Striped cucumber beetles

Aphid; Virus Fruit and Leaf Symptoms

In season and Post harvest IPMInsect Management

• Key Pest: Squash vine borer• (IS) Use pheromone trap to detect adults end of June to

mid July• (IS) Based on flight activity treat plant crown w/

insecticide• (PH) Destroy vines after harvest, kill SVB larvae & pupae

Squash Vine Borer Adult, Larva, & Trap

Pre plant and In season IPMDisease Management

• Key Disease: Powdery mildew • (PP) Select PM tolerant hybrids when possible• (IS) Scout beginning mid July, treat as soon as PM

colonies found• (IS) Rotate fungicide FRAC #’s to delay PM resistance• (PP thru IS) Keep updated on most effective fungicides,

they do change over time