Let’s talk about crop protection!  I know the first thing on growers' minds throughout the summer is keeping their plants healthy and green, so they are able to have a good harvest at the end of the season.  For many organic growers, the worry of losing your plants to insects, diseases, or weeds could give them nightmares during the season.  For the organic growers, there are not as many tools in the box as one would like.  Iowa State University and the University of Kentucky have been researching a new mesotunnel row cover system for a few years now and this year in collaboration, New York (Cornell University) has begun research with the same system.

 

The mesotunnel system offers some great advantages, as noted in our last blog, and at the same time allows the grower to not worry as much about their crops in the tunnels.  This system has been shown to keep the plants inside healthy all season long and provide protection against pests such as cucumber beetles, and the elements. 

 

This is the first year that the mesotunnel system has been observed in New York and is already demonstrating positive impacts on cucurbit production. We are trialing mesotunnels at four locations around the state including three on-farm trials with our collaborators.   Most noticeable are the benefits from exclusion of insect pests and pathogens. 

 

Typically around early to mid-July, growers across New York see an influx of striped cucumber beetles, Acalymma vittatum (pictured below).  The insect itself is more of a nuisance than anything, but the bacteria carried in their gut can spread into the plant via feces, causing severe dieback in the field after feeding.  The bacterium, Erwinia tracheiphila causes bacterial wilt, for which currently there are no treatments once plants are infected.  Another common pest of cucurbits is the squash bug, Anasa tristis (pictured below) which spreads cucumber yellow vine disease (CYVD), caused by the bacterium Serratia marcescens.  There are currently no methods to cure plants with bacterial wilt or CYVD, so prevention is extremely important.

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In our first year in New York with the mesotunnel system, we are noticing substantial differences in incidence of these two diseases.  To date, the system has proven to reduce and/or prevent the insects from getting through the netting.   We will be sure to follow up in a future post letting you know just how much of a difference there has been!

 

Another positive benefit observed this year is protection from high winds. New York can get fairly windy and when you are growing crops such as squash or pumpkin that grow 4 ft. tall or more, wind damage could be a serious threat to plant health. Generally, a plant can bounce back from this event even if some stems break.  However, this damage often provides entry for fungal or bacterial pathogens and causes disease in already stressed plants.  Since the tunnels are breathable, the wind flows right through, just rocking the plants slightly.

 

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This form of season-long netting does seem to have value in protection on many levels, and allows for the plants to grow stronger, larger and hopefully produce better yields.  The magnitude of this benefit including a cost-benefit analysis will be determined in New York in just a few short weeks as harvest is approaching.  We will also be listening to our on-farm collaborators to hear their thoughts and suggestions for practicality. So be sure to tune back in to see how the yields held up in the mesotunnel system versus the uncovered cucurbits!

 

 

Blog by: Sarah Pethybridge and Kellie Damman.