As we have discussed in previous blogs, cucurbit growers, especially organic growers, can find it difficult to control pest populations. Pest control is important to reduce the risk to insect-transmitted pathogens that cause important cucurbit diseases. The main insect pests being evaluated in our trials were: (i) Cucumber beetles that transmit the bacterium, Erwinia tracheiphila, that causes Bacterial Wilt (BW); and (ii) Squash bugs that transmit the bacterium, Serratia marcescens that causes Cucurbit Yellow Vine Disease (CYVD). We also evaluated the impact of the mesotunnel treatments on powdery and downy mildew, and Alternaria leaf spot (ALS).
How did it stack up in 2022?