TESTING THE EFFICACY OF INSECTICIDES & FUNGICIDES ALLOWED FOR ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1011209
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2016
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2019
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
N Y AGRICULTURAL EXPT STATION
(N/A)
GENEVA,NY 14456

Performing Department
Integrated Pest Management

Non Technical Summary
While organic farmers rely primarily on an approach to pest management that focuses on developing a system of cultural practices including developing a healthy and resilient soil, crop rotation, and the use of resistant crop varieties to reduce insect and disease pests, some pests remain problems most years, reducing crop quality, and profitability if not controlled. Efficacy information on the insecticides and fungicides allowed by the National Organic Program are still relatively scarce and hard for farmers to access. In addition, new products are coming on the market that need to be tested to determine which insect and disease pests they are most effective against. This project addresses these issues by testing the efficacy of insecticides and fungicides allowed for organic production against high-priority pests that have been identified by organic vegetable farmers in NY.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	1499	1130	50%
212	1499	1160	50%

Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1160 - Pathology;

Keywords

organic

vegetable

insecticide

fungicide

insect

disease

Goals / Objectives
Goals:Provide organic vegetable growers and those who advise them with efficacy and cost information that will help them choose allowed insecticides and fungicides that are most effective against their insect and disease pests.Improve crop quality and profitability.Objectives:1) Evaluate the efficacy of allowed insecticides and fungicides againstinsect and disease pests causing economic damage in organicvegetable production. Three insect and three disease managementtrials will be conducted each season.- Insect trials will focus on testing newer products (e.g. Grandevo,Azera, and Veratran) against striped cucumber beetle, squash bug,crucifer flea beetle, potato leafhopper, Colorado potato beetle, and/orLepidopterous pests of sweet corn and dry beans.- Plant disease trials will focus on plant resistance inducers (e.g.Regalia and Actinovate) in combination and/or alternation withprotective materials to determine the optimal timing and productcombinations for specific diseases. Target crops and pests includedowny and powdery mildew of cucurbits, tomato foliar diseases, andfoliar diseases of beets.2) Communicate results with stakeholders via field days, conferencepresentations, newsletter articles, and other avenues.

Project Methods
Three insect and three disease trials will be conducted each season. Trial sites will be selected to maximize pressure for the target pest and, if possible, minimize pressure from pests that would interfere with the trial. Some pests, e.g. swede midge, are not present on the research farms so trials will be conducted on commercial farms. Potato trials will be conducted at a private research farm in Wayne county that has potato planting and harvesting equipment. The set of trials conducted in a given season will be selected to minimize interference from other pests and between trials. Insecticides and fungicides allowed for organic production will be identified using the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) list, and through interactions with R&D representatives at companies producing the products.Insecticide and fungicide trials will be conducted in separate, adjacent plots.Each trial will use a separate set of plants. Plots will consist of six to 11 plants in a single row of sufficient length to accommodate in-row plant spacing, to allow for mortality leaving at least five or ten plants per plot available for evaluation. Plots will be replicated four to ten times per treatment, and treatments will be assigned in randomized complete block design. To maximize the number of trials conducted in a season, the duration of the trials will be relatively short. Generally three or four weeks of applications have been enough to demonstrate differences between treatments. Most trials will not be evaluated for yield. All crops planted at the research farm will be planted on black plastic mulch with annual ryegrass sown or weed cloth laid between rows to suppress weeds. Nutrients will be managed using practices allowed for organic production. Plots for disease trials will either be inoculated using lab cultures, or natural infestations allowed to occur, depending on the pathogen and the season. Treatments will be applied using a CO2 backpack sprayer reserved for products allowed for certified organic production. Treatments will be evaluated using standard disease ratings for fungicide trials, and by assessing insect numbers or rating damage in insecticide trials.Laboratory and Greenhouse TrialsSupplemental trials may be conducted under laboratory and greenhouse conditions during the off-season. These trials will be essential in cases where the field populations of disease pathogens or insects were not sufficient to run reliable field tests, or to follow-up on results in the field. Plants will be grown in the greenhouse and treatments will be applied according to labeled rates. Pathogens or insects will be applied uniformly to all treatments and plants will be rated as for field trials.Economic AnalysisTo help farmers, Extension field staff, and consultants assess the costs and potential benefits of applying the tested products, the costs of the products will be calculated for each treatment. While most trials will not include assessment of yield, we will provide both the amount of reduction of pest damage and the cost per treatment to allow farmers to weigh the potential benefits and costs of the most effective products in their particular situation.EvaluationWe have recruited five organic vegetable farmers from across the state to serve as advisors and help us evaluate the project. We will meet with each of them annually to share our trial results and to interview them about their pest priorities and the impact of the information generated from our trials on their successful management of pests, and their profitability. Trial results are also shared with Extension colleagues at an annual in-service training, and they in turn use them when creating newsletter articles and working one on one with growers. Reports are made available on the NYS IPM web site. Seaman coordinated the development and manages annual updates of production and IPM guides for eight organic vegetable crops (http://nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/organic), which summarize products labeled for particular pests and includes efficacy information from our, and other trials. The vegetable guides were downloaded 2,700 times in 2015 and are also used by colleagues in other states. Trial results are regularly included in presentations at grower meetings, conferences, and workshops. In turn, priority pests for the trials emerge from our and Extension colleagues interactions with farmers.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this project include organic vegetable farmers, farmers contemplating a transition to organic production who want to assess their ability to control insect and disease pests using products allowed for certified organic production, faculty and Cooperative Extension colleagues in NY and other states, field staff for vegetable processors, and consultants who work with organic vegetable farmers on pest management issues. Changes/Problems:We had intended to conduct trials on foliar diseases of beet but a colleague received funding to conduct trials in beet so we did not, focusing on other crops instead. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Published trial reports are linked on the NYS IPM Program web site (https://nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/vegetables/organic-resources-vegetables/) and multiyear summaries are posted. The following presentations included results from the trials conducted with this funding: Nault, B.A., and A. Seaman. 2018. Managing caterpillar pests using conventional and OMRI-listed insecticides in sweet corn. Processing sweet corn, green pea, lima bean, table beet & carrot Advisory Meeting. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Batavia, NY. Nault, B.A. 2018. Colorado potato beetle management strategies for organically and conventionally grown potato. New York Potato Growers Association. Seneca Falls, NY. Nault, B.A., D. Olmstead and A. Seaman. 2018. Managing corn earworm using GMO varieties, conventional and OMRI-approved insecticides in sweet corn. Empire State Producers EXPO. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Syracuse, NY. Seaman, A., and C. Smart. 2018. Bacterial Diseases of Vegetables. Presentation to crop advisors sponsored by Certis USA,Waterloo, NY. Seaman, A. 2018. Biopesticides: What We've Tried and What has Worked. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, Hershey, PA. Smart, C. D. 2017. Understanding and controlling diseases of tomato. Crop Consultant Meeting, Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018. Managing Common Diseases in Tomato and Pepper.Connecticut Vegetable and Small Fruit Growersconference. Smart, C. D. 2018. Fungus or Bacteria: Which is Which in My Vine Crops? Empire State Producers Expo. Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018. Developments in Bacterial Diseases of Tomatoes. Empire State Producers Expo. Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018.Communicating plant science to the general public. Alliance for Science, Ithaca, NY. Science communication workshop talk. Seaman, A.J. 2019. IPM for organic cucurbits. Great Plains Growers Conference, St. Joseph, MO. Seaman, A.J. 2019. IPM for organic tomatoes. Great Plains Growers Conference, St. Joseph, MO. Seaman, A. J. 2019. Insect and disease management in organic vegetables. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY Seaman, A.J. and B.A. Nault. 2019. Insect ID and management: insecticide choices and timing. Sweet Corn School at NYSABA CCA Training, Syracuse, NY Nault, B.A. 2019. Optimizing the performance of insecticides to manage corn earworm in conventional and organic production. Processing sweet corn, green pea, lima bean, table beet & carrot Advisory Meeting. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Batavia, NY. Nault, B.A. and A.J. Seaman. 2019. Evaluating the performance of bioinsecticides for pest management in selected vegetable crops. Empire State Producers Expo. Syracuse NY. Smart, C.D. 2019. Vine crops disease update: What we saw in 2018 and what to expect in 2019. Empire State Producers Expo. Syracuse NY. Iglesias, L., R. Harding, A.J. Seaman and B.A. Nault. 2019. Update on performance of OMRI-Listed products for vegetable insect pest management. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Agriculture, Food & Environmental Systems In-Service. Smart, C.D. 2019. Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Pathogen detection and fungicide resistance in NY. Western Michigan Phytophthora and Downy Mildew Workshop, Hart MI. Smart, C.D. 2019. Addressing bacterial diseases in tomatoes. Eastern NY Winter Vegetable Meeting, Albany NY. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 2017 The project directors and technical staff met to choose trials tp conduct based on our observations of pest issues in the fieldand the observations of colleagues. Six trials were conducted: 1) Target pest: Colorado potato beetle on potato. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Entrust (spinosad),Grandevo (Chromobacterium subtsugae), V-10433 (unknown experimental material), BeetleGONE! (B.t. galleriae Stain SDS502), and Trident (B.t. tenebrionis) at two rates. 2) Target pest: potato leafhopper on snap bean. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Pyganic (pyrethrins),Thyme Guard (thyme oil extract) 3) Target pest: lepidopterous pests of sweet corn. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Entrust (spinosad),Agree (Bt aizaiwi), Javelin (Bt kurstaki), Gemstar (OBs of NPV), mixtures of a reduced rate of Entrust and Agree and Entrustand Javelin. 4) Target pest: bacterial speck on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), DoubleNickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate andRegalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 5) Target pest: bacterial spot on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia,LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 6) Target pest: early blight on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillusamyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard(Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 2018 The project directors and technical staff met to plan trials based on our observations of pest issues in the field and the observations of colleagues. Six trials were conducted: 1) Target pest: Colorado potato beetle on potato. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), two rates of Entrust(spinosad), Grandevo (Chromobacterium subtsugae), V-10433 (unknown experimental material), and Trident (B.t.tenebrionis). 2) Target pest: potato leafhopper on snap bean. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Pyganic Specialty (pyrethrins), and two rates of Venerate (Heat-killed Burkholderia spp. strain A396) 3) Target pest: lepidopterous pests of sweet corn. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), two rates of Entrust (spinosad), Agree (Bt aizaiwi), Javelin (Bt kurstaki), Gemstar (OBs of NPV), and two rates of Majestine (Burkholderia spp.strain A396) 4) Target pest: bacterial speck on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), DoubleNickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate andRegalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 5) Target pest: bacterial spot on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 6) Target pest: downy mildew on cucumber. Products tested: Nordox 75 WG (cuprous oxide), Serifel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MBI60), Champ 30 WG (copper hydroxide), and Zonix (Rhamnolipid biosurfactant) 2019 The project directors and technical staff met to plan trials based on our observations of pest issues in the field and the observations of colleagues. Six trials were planned but only five were conducted because of absence of one of the target pests. 1) Target pest: Lepidopterous pests of sweet corn. Products tested: Aza-Direct (azadirachtin), Mycotrol ESO (Beauveria bassiana), Gemstar (OB of NPV), Javelin (Bt), Mixtures of Mycotrol ESO and Javelin, Aza-Direct and Javelin, and Aza-Direct and Mycotrol, and two rates of Entrust (spinosad) 2) Target pest: potato leafhopper on snap bean. Products tested: Aza-Direct (azadirachtin), Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Pyganic Specialty (pyrethrins), and Venerate XC (Burkholderia spp. #A396) 3) Target pest: Bacterial canker on tomato. Products tested: Super Safe (citric acid), Taegro 2 (Bacillus subtilis var amyloliquefaciens strain FZB24), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Stargus (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D727), Kocide O (copper hydroxide), CS2005 (copper sulphate pentahydrate), Phage 0763 4) Target pest: Alternaria leaf spot on broccoli. Products tested: Regalia (extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, Stargus (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D727), Kocide O (copper hydroxide), LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*), mixtures of Stargus plus Regalia and LifeGard plus Kocide O 5) Target pest: cucurbit powdery mildew on zucchini. Products tested: Super Safe (citric acid), Serifel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MBI60), Microthiol Disperss (sulfur), Trilogy (clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil), Pvent (Gliocladium catenulatum strain J1446),

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Colorado Potato Beetle Control With Insecticides Allowed For Organic Production, 2017 and 2018. Arthropod Management Tests, Volume 44, Issue 1, 2019, tsz081, https://doi.org/10.1093/amt/tsz081

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences for this project include organic vegetable farmers, farmers contemplating a transition to organic production who want to assess risk from insect and disease pests, faculty andCooperative Extension colleagues in NY and other states, field staff for vegetable processors, and consultants who work with organic vegetable farmers on pest management issues. Changes/Problems:As reported last year, a colleague has received grant funding for a project that includes testing products against foliar diseases of beet, so we will not beconducting beet trials as we had planned in our proposal. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project leader met individually with members of the grower advisory group to share trial results and discuss the best way to summarize present the results of multiple trials against the same pest to growers. Grower advisory committee members were asked to estimate the impacts (improved yield or quality, reduced crop loss)on of having access to the trial results. Trial reportsare posted on the NYS IPM Program web site (https://nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/vegetables/organic-resources-vegetables/) The following presentations during this reporting periodincluded results from the trials conducted with this funding: Nault, B.A., and A. Seaman. 2018.Managing caterpillar pests using conventional and OMRI-listed insecticides in sweet corn. Processing sweet corn, green pea, lima bean, table beet & carrot Advisory Meeting. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Batavia, NY. Nault, B.A. 2018.Colorado potato beetle management strategies for organically and conventionally grown potato. New York Potato Growers Association. Seneca Falls, NY. Nault, B.A., D. Olmstead and A. Seaman. 2018.Managing corn earworm using GMO varieties, conventional and OMRI-approved insecticides in sweet corn.Empire State Producers EXPO. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Syracuse, NY. Seaman, A., and C. Smart. 2018.Bacterial Diseases of Vegetables. Presentation to crop advisors sponsored by Certis USA, Waterloo, NY. Seaman, A. 2018.Biopesticides: What We've Tried and What has Worked. Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention,Hershey, PA. Smart, C. D. 2017.Understanding and controlling diseases of tomato.Crop Consultant Meeting,Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018.Managing Common Diseases in Tomato and Pepper.Connecticut Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers conference. Smart, C. D. 2018.Fungus or Bacteria: Which is Which in My Vine Crops?Empire State Producers Expo.Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018.Developments in Bacterial Diseases of Tomatoes.Empire State Producers Expo.Syracuse NY. Smart, C. D. 2018.Communicating plant science to the general public.Alliance for Science, Ithaca, NY.Science communication workshop talk. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Prepare insecticide trial reports from 2017 and 2018 for publication in Arthropod Management Tests. Meet with the grower advisory group to share results and gather estimates of the impacts of the information on their yield and crop quality. Plan and conduct trials during the 2019 growing season. Incorporate data from these trials intoefficacy data previouslycollated by crop and pest, which will then be incorporated into integrated pest management guidelines for organic vegetable production.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project directors and technical staff met to plan trialsbased on our observations of pest issues in the field and the observations of colleagues. Six trials were conducted: 1) Target pest: Colorado potato beetle on potato. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), two rates of Entrust (spinosad), Grandevo (Chromobacterium subtsugae), V-10433 (unknown experimental material), and Trident (B.t. tenebrionis). 2) Target pest: potato leafhopper on snap bean. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Pyganic Specialty (pyrethrins), and two rates of Venerate (Heat-killed Burkholderiaspp. strain A396) 3) Target pest: lepidopterous pests of sweet corn. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), two rates of Entrust (spinosad), Agree (Bt aizaiwi), Javelin (Bt kurstaki), Gemstar (OBs of NPV), and two rates of Majestine (Burkholderiaspp. strain A396) 4) Target pest: bacterial speck on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 5) Target pest: bacterial spot on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 6) Target pest: downy mildew on cucumber. Products tested: Nordox 75 WG (cuprousoxide), Serifel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MBI60), Champ 30 WG (copper hydroxide), and Zonix (Rhamnolipid biosurfactant)

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Evaluation of materials allowed for organic production on downy mildew of cucumber, 2018
• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Evaluation of resistance of ten tomato cultivars to leaf mold of tomato, 2018.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this project include organic vegetable farmers, Cooperative Extension field staff, field staff for vegetable processors, and consultants who work with organic vegetable farmers on pest management issues. Changes/Problems:We indicated that trials against diseases of beet may be included in this project, however a colleague has been funded to work on disease management in beet and will be conducting trials with products allowed for organic production, so we will not. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Communicating results to communities of interest did not occur during this reporting period but is underway in the next reporting period. Additional trials will be conducted in the next reporting period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project directors and technical staff met to choose trials tp conduct based on our observations of pest issues in the field and the observations of colleagues. Six trials were conducted: 1) Target pest: Colorado potato beetle on potato. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Entrust (spinosad), Grandevo (Chromobacterium subtsugae), V-10433 (unknown experimental material), BeetleGONE! (B.t. galleriae Stain SDS 502), and Trident (B.t. tenebrionis) at two rates. 2) Target pest: potato leafhopper on snap bean. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Pyganic (pyrethrins), Thyme Guard (thyme oil extract) 3) Target pest: lepidopterous pests of sweet corn. Products tested: Azera (azadirachtin and pyrethrins), Entrust (spinosad), Agree (Bt aizaiwi), Javelin (Bt kurstaki), Gemstar (OBs of NPV), mixtures of a reduced rate of Entrust and Agree and Entrust and Javelin. 4) Target pest: bacterial speck on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 5) Target pest: bacterial spot on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide). 6) Target pest: early blight on tomato. Products tested: Regalia (Extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis), Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747), Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicusWYEC 108), mixture of Actinovate and Regalia, LifeGard (Bacillus mycoides isolate J*) and Champ (copper hydroxide).

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evaluation of materials allowed for organic production on bacterial speck of tomato, 2017. Plant Disease Management Reports
• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evaluation of materials allowed for organic production on bacterial spot of tomato, 2017. Plant Disease Management Reports
• Type: Other Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Evaluation of materials allowed for organic production on early blight of tomato, 2017. Plant Disease Management Reports