What do farmers and researchers in Iowa, Kentucky, and New York think about using new approaches for organic cucurbit-crop production – specifically, mesotunnel production systems and biological controls? Getting this feedback could help other growers who have some interest in trying out these technologies.

The socio-economic team from our USDA-OREI cucurbit project came up with two online surveys—a “Whole Team Survey” and an “Advisory Panel/Cooperator Grower Survey" - to get reactions from the project team and from growers on our Advisory Panel. We asked both groups what they thought were the most important economic and non-economic factors to consider when deciding whether to try mesotunnels and biological controls against cucumber beetles, which transmit the bacterium that causes bacterial wilt, and squash bugs, which transmit the bacterium that causes cucurbit yellow vine disease (CYVD).

The “Whole Team Survey”  got viewpoints from graduate students, project investigators, research technicians, and advisory panel members. Between June 29 and September 8, 2020, the team received 17 responses. According to their answers：

• Economic factors related to profit, yield, and cost structure ranked high. (Figure 1)
• Other priorities included non-economic factors such as plant growth, pollination, and the impact of insecticide/fungicide use.

Most respondents were concerned with mesotunnel profitability, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.

For the “Advisory Panel/Cooperator Grower Survey,” a total of 13 responses were received from cooperators in on-farm trials and university field-trial managers between July 2 and November 11, 2020. All the respondents were deeply experienced in cucurbit-crop management as well as use of breathable row covers, pollination and weed management strategies, and pest management. Here is what they said:

• They were open to possible advantages of the mesotunnels and biocontrol approaches. In addition, they wanted more options  for crop disease management.
• When making decisions to use a pest or disease management system, these growers considered higher marketable yield,  soil quality, and  pesticide runoff or leaching as the most important factors. (Figure 2)
• About 75% were concerned about the effectiveness of biological control products, as well as increased heat stress on crops, high winds, and rising insect and weed pressure.

Take-home points from the 2020 surveys:

• The survey respondents were generally interested in mesotunnels and biological controls.
• If mesotunnels and biological control approaches can be profitable, cost-effective and scalable to commercial-size farms, they felt that they could use these technologies and that they would be of interest to other growers

For more information on the 2020 surveys, please check out our project website: www.cucurbit.plantpath.iastate.edu, and look for “The OREI Cucurbit Crops Project Year 1 Whole Team and Advisory Panel/Cooperative Grower Surveys”.

In early 2022, the OREI cucurbit project will launch a larger-scale survey of cucurbit growers in the Upper Midwest, South, and Northeast to find out how the project’s activities have impacted growers’ awareness of the new approaches and their willingness to try them out.