By Ayanava Majumdar, Rammohan Balusu and Neil Kelly
Many pests feed on squash from seedling to harvest. They are generally broken down into two groups: the chewing insects and the sucking insects. Chewing insects of squash consist of common pests like cucumber beetle, squash vine borer larva and pickleworm. Sucking insect pests consist of aphids, squash bugs and whiteflies. The pests a squash grower experiences may depend on location.
PREVENTION STRATEGIES Remember that prevention of pests is the No. 1 goal of organic integrated pest management (IPM) systems. Rapid control after pest establishment becomes a difficult aim later in the production season. Cultural control tactics that include selecting virus-resistant varieties, timely planting and harvest (reduces pickleworm buildup), crop rotation and timely removal of crop debris after harvest (reduces squash vine borer buildup), consistent irrigation and trap cropping are some basic preventive approaches, also called Level 1 control.
Perimeter trap cropping with Baby Blue and New England Hubbard squash in a mixed system is effective in reducing cucumber beetle and squash bug damage to yellow squash (main crop).
PEST EXCLUSION FABRIC For Level 2 control, growers should use temporary or permanent pest exclusion fabric to create a barrier between insect pests and the main crop. Two lightweight materials tested in Alabama include the Super-Lite Insect Barrier (Gardens Alive, Inc.) and AgroFabric Pro 19 (Seven Springs Farm, Inc.). Both these materials look like lighter versions of the common row cover used for frost protection, but these materials are much lighter with 85 to 95 percent light and rain penetration.
The trick is to put these light fabrics on low hoops (inverted loops) almost immediately after transplanting or after the seeds have germinated. These materials deflect much of the aphids and squash vine borers that fly early in the season. Squash plants can be grown inside the fabric for several weeks and removed or partially opened when flowering begins. Growers can also release beneficial insects like lacewings and lady beetles under the fabric for controlling accidental pest infestations.
For both trap crops and pest exclusion tactics, check out the short IPM videos on the Beginning Farm Project channel at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkNoAmOtt___MKj6IBxvWzOdWP0btBq4D.
INSECTICIDE USE Growers also have a wide range of organic insecticides to choose from (Level 3 control). See the Organic Materials Review Institute website (www.omri.org) to find hundreds of approved organic products.
Remember to scout squash crops for timely pest detection and identification, then use insecticides per the label with equipment that gives good coverage. For example, highly mobile squash bug adults are difficult to control with natural pyrethrin and spinosad, but the flightless small nymphs are far better targets for organic spray applications.
Several premix insecticides are available commercially today in a variety of packaging, making them affordable for farmers. Squash vine borer and pickleworm larvae are internal pests, which are difficult to manage with topical spray applications. Initiate timely sprays with targeted placement where insect pests are hidden.
Don’t quit spraying too soon since weather patterns can reduce insecticide persistence. Always spray in the evening hours when bees are not around and so that the solution can dry out overnight. Stop spray applications of organic materials when pests become inactive. You can save on the cost of insecticides and protect natural enemies this way.
Finally, it is recommended that growers get in touch with Extension personnel in their state to develop an IPM strategy suitable for their farm. Producers in Alabama can download the Farming Basics mobile app to keep in touch with Alabama Extension. Subscribe to the Alabama IPM Communicator e-newsletter (www.aces.edu/ipmcommunicator) to stay informed throughout the season.
Ayanava Majumdar is an Extension professor and Rammohan Balusu is a research fellow, both at Auburn University. Neil Kelly is a regional Extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Washington, D.C. – May 8, 2020 —The National Organic Coalition (NOC) and Organic Farmers Association (OFA) called on Congress yesterday to include provisions in the next coronavirus relief package to help organic farmers, farmworkers, retailers, certifiers, and other businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all sectors of agriculture, organic operations are in crisis.
In a five-page letter, NOC and OFA detailed their recommendations to ensure that organic farms and businesses have the support they need to withstand the challenges they face during this difficult period. Organic farms and businesses are on the front lines and face major disruptions, including loss of critically important markets and labor challenges. These operations are adapting, but in some cases face skyrocketing expenses as they invest in equipment, technology, sanitation, staffing, and transportation to keep employees safe, to access markets, and to provide safe and nutritious food to communities.
NOC and OFA are seeking funding and technical assistance to help operations protect the health and safety of all who are involved in organic agriculture, certification and compliance. In addition, NOC and OFA are advocating for actions that will prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal during the crisis.
“Despite the challenges we face, the USDA must move forward without delay on the Strengthening Organic Enforcement and Origin of Livestock rules to provide a level playing field for organic operations,” said Abby Youngblood, Executive Director of the National Organic Coalition. “NOC is calling on Congress to ensure that USDA moves forward in closing loopholes to prevent fraud and to protect organic dairy operations. These regulations are critical to the economic viability of organic farms and businesses and are needed to ensure consumers are getting what they expect when they purchase organic products.”
In addition, the letter conveys concerns that the direct payment mechanism announced by USDA to implement the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will not reach organic and diversified farms and those serving local markets.
“We are concerned that the payment formulas used by USDA to distribute payments will shortchange organic farmers, particularly small-and-medium-scale diversified operations that have been economically impacted by the pandemic,” said Kate Mendenhall, Director of the Organic Farmers Association. “We are asking Congress, in the next coronavirus response package, to be more explicit about providing direct assistance to organic and diversified farms and to establish oversight procedures to ensure USDA compliance with the requirements.”
As an emergency measure, NOC and OFA are requesting that Congress authorize USDA to reimburse certification agencies directly for organic certification costs during the pandemic, rather than requiring organic operations to pay these costs and then seek partial reimbursement through the organic certification cost-share program.
Farms and food-related businesses have been designated as essential by the Department of Homeland Security and by most states. NOC and OFA agree with that designation, but are seeking federally funded pay bonuses for front line food system and grocery workers and emergency grants to reimburse these businesses for expenses related to personal protection equipment (PPE) and pandemic-related facility, infrastructure, technology, and staffing modifications.
We urge Congress to increase funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to allow SNAP payments to be made online directly to farms, CSAs, and cooperative and independent grocery stores, and to provide waivers and direction to States to broaden their WIC-approved food lists to allow WIC participants to purchase organic foods.
Funding for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs has proven critical to organic farms and businesses. This funding should be replenished, and Congress should direct SBA to expand farmers’ access to both the PPP and EIDL program.
The full letter from NOC and OFA with detailed recommendations is available online:
Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS
“Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.”
Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with officials. (Long read but may shed some light on how COVID-19 is impacting agriculture in our area.)
Markets
On Tuesday, March 24, a local broker says, everything changed. From brokers, orders stopped and everything got quiet. On Wednesday, March 25, it got super quiet.
Since then tomato volumes are down 85%, green beans are like 50% and cabbage is like 50%.
R.C. Hatton has plowed under 100 acres of green beans, around 2 million pounds, and 60 acres of cabbage, or 5 million pounds.
Florida’s tomato growers target 80% of their production to restaurants and other food service companies, rather than to supermarkets. In this sector, growers are walking away from big portions of their crop.
Tony DiMare estimates that by the end of the growing season, about 10 million pounds of his tomatoes will go unpicked.
Some crops like potatoes and oranges are faring well, whileother produce isn’t selling like it used to.
With a lot of people staying home and buying mostly comfort foods, products like peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers have actually slowed down incrementally,” said Chuck Weisinger, president of Weis-Buy Farms, Inc.
“The biggest challenge we have right now is getting the stores to start buying,” said John Stanford, farm manager at Frey Farms.
As you know. produce is highly perishable and three weeks into this, many companies around Immokalee, Florida have already had to empty their coolers and dump produce. One dumped 20,000 pounds a day last week, let that sink in… 20,000 pounds of tomatoes a day. They dumped a total of 100,000 pounds so far. This is from one farm.
Three weeks in, most farms have exercised triage dumping and emptying coolers and are terminating fields for which they have no foreseeable markets. They are concentrating on maintaining fields that they still have demand for, unfortunately, depending on the crop – this is only 20-50% of the total planted.
Impacts on Ranchers
The cash market and futures prices are lower than anyone can remember. One local rancher sold calves this week and averaged $250 per head at the Arcadia auction barn. A few weeks ago he would have received $450 per head average, and that constitutes below breakeven.
In normal times, strategy would be to hold calves until the crisis is over, and hope prices will take an upswing. But there is huge uncertainty about how long this will last. A major compounding problem is the dry conditions, and lack of reserve forage. These weather patterns would normally dictate early weaning of calves. Hay costs, when available, and low market prices are a formula for hardship.
The extended impact on ranchers will be the cows not breeding back on schedule. Holding calves longer in hot and dry conditions puts a strain on a cow’s reproductive system. This has been well-documented by University of Florida researchers.
Many growers are exploring alternative methods of moving product.
Sam S. Accursio and Sons Farms’ in Homestead packing house opened direct sales to consumers, selling boxes at $10 in each of the past two weekends. They had cars stretched for half a mile in front of the packing house and were able to move 120,000 pounds of Redland-raised squash, tomatoes, beans and cukes. They also partnered with a farmer out of Mount Dora, Florida who had 30,000 flats of unsold blueberries and sold these at 12 pints for $20. Similar efforts were conducted by Alderman Farms in Bonita Beach, Florida, Farmers Alliance in Immokalee and others.
Martin County, Florida opened a pop-up drive-thru market that saw 500 cars in one day. Traditional commercial farms in South Florida have been overwhelmed by the support for the sales at their packinghouses – all fruit that would have otherwise gone unsold if waiting on traditional markets to purchase.
Growers are still concerned that a large amount of produce seen in the supermarket comes from Mexico.
According to Bill Braswell, since March 1, the start of the Florida blueberry season, Florida has produced 6.1 million pounds through last Thursday April 2. In that same time period, Mexico has imported 17.4 million pounds into the U.S., according to a USDA report. Mexico market price is $12 for a 6-ounce flat delivered to Chicago which translates to $2.60 per pound.
Labor
Growers are taking aggressive steps to protect workers from COVID-19, including keeping truckers separate from on-farm labor.
They have been taking advantage of training resources and posters supplied by IFAS Extension and others.
Agents have also shared information on essential services exemption and supplying growers with template essential services exemption letters to facilitate movement of their essential staff and labor.
Labor shortages – reports indicate that COVID-19 has delayed the U.S. government’s processing of H-2A work visas. This will impact growers in central and north Florida and up the coast.
Food banks
Last week, growers in Immokalee alone donated more than 3 million pounds of vegetables to Harry Chapin food bank, overwhelming their ability to store, transport and distribute the produce – they had to call a halt.
Farm Share, which partners with more than 2,000 food pantries, churches, schools and other nonprofits throughout Florida, is running at maximum capacity, despite having 25 refrigerated trucks, six warehouses of between 10,000 to 35,000 square feet and 40 to 50 drop sites from Jacksonville, Florida to Florida City, Florida. They usually help more than seven million pounds of food reach the hungry and now are faced with moving a lot more.
Over the past two weeks, Wish Farms has donated 220,000 pounds of fresh strawberries — equivalent to 241 pallets or nine semi-trailer loads — to feeding Tampa Bay.
Growers are having a tough time adapting because everything is happening so quick. Faced with a highly perishable product, growers are struggling to survive right now, with picking, packing and shipping everything that they can. Because of the coronavirus, things have changed. Buyers are demanding tight security, heavier sanitation, distancing and more.
We have heard many ideas and suggestions from the public and even local officials – what many people fail to realize is that picking, packing, cooling, storing and transporting vegetables costs money, and growers who have already lost millions of dollars are understandably reluctant to throw good money after bad. It also costs money to maintain fields with no hope of sales in sight. Growers are disking up fields and maintaining just what they feel they have markets for. Unfortunately, this is only about 20% to 30% of the total acreage. Each acre of tomatoes costs $10,000 to $12,000 to grow and $5,000 to $6,000 to pick and pack. Unmaintained fields rapidly succumb to pests and diseases and soon become a breeding ground threatening the health of nearby fields that growers are trying to save for their remaining markets.
It is not only veggies, as of yesterday about 7.7 pounds of milk has been dumped by one Central Florida co-op (there are a few in Florida). Milk is sold by the pound so that is 900,000 gallons.
While I don’t have the exact amount from the other co-op I would expect their numbers to match ours in north Central Florida and South Georgia. Unfortunately, we can easily say that 10 million pounds of milk has been dumped throughout Florida.
There are efforts to help farmers all over our state. In the dairy industry, there is a grassroots group of passionate producers, processors, promotion people, school representatives and Extension agents trying to get more milk moving. This group includes people from Florida and Georgia, that in normal times might view each other as the competition (different co-ops and different promotion boards). These efforts range from delivering school lunches, buying and delivering milk to food banks and those in need; contacting schools to increase their milk in each meal, contacting legislators to allow whole milk in school lunches (we need help with this), and asking stores to stop limiting the purchase of milk.
People really have no concept of the amount of food we are taking about – Immokalee alone ships approximately 400 to 500 semis of vegetables a day from March through mid-May. This is 15,750,000 pounds of vegetables headed to market every day. Add to this Belle Glade, Palm Beach Co, Homestead and the amounts are staggering. I know of one grower in Belle Glade who is disking up 1 million pounds of green beans every three days.
South Florida vegetable growers supply more than 150 million people in the eastern U.S., from Miami to Chicago, from late October to mid-May.
Here is a resource a producer may be interested in sharing – this is a clearing house for finding food – donating food etc.
(HCCGA) — FDACS has created the attached form for producers to fill out with their product availability. Once submitted, FDACS will utilize to forward to their Fresh From Florida contacts, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, food banks and make connections with other State Departments of Agriculture in hopes of providing market opportunities to move product during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Hoop houses help protect vegetables from rain-induced diseases while providing organic growers the opportunity to produce a crop throughout the year, according to Elizabeth Little, University of Georgia associate professor and Extension plant pathologist.
BETTER QUALITY, LESS SPACE Hoop houses, also known as high tunnels, are types of greenhouses that help organic growers produce high-quality crops if managed appropriately.
“These growers are producing all winter in tunnels and selling direct to customers and restaurants,” Little said. “The houses are also useful in the summer to avoid foliar diseases, which are very difficult to control in the field when conditions are wet. Hoop houses give you a controlled environment so you can grow a better-quality crop.”
Hoop houses are used extensively in the Georgia Piedmont and further north. A variety of vegetables and flowers are produced, including lettuce and other greens during the winter months, and tomatoes and peppers in the warm season. Hoop houses are a valuable production tool, but the growing space is often the limiting factor.
Hoop houses vary in size but typically average 40 feet wide and 100 feet in length. They are unheated plastic-covered houses with roll-up sides that allow for ventilation to control temperature and humidity.
“There’s more demand for local organic produce than there is supply. The local organic produce is high quality … The problem is we have a challenging hot and humid climate which leads to more disease and pests,” Little said.
BEWARE OF ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES Little stresses that root-knot nematodes are a potential problem for both home and organic vegetable growers across the state. Root-knot nematodes are tiny parasitic worms that feed on roots of many plants and cause a loss in productivity. Most vegetables are highly susceptible to nematode damage.
A University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Survey of 431 vegetable fields found that more than 60 percent contained root-knot nematodes. These pests enter plant roots and feed on nutrients. They quickly produce eggs and eventually, as more nematodes infect, the roots swell into characteristic galls. The damaged roots result in reduced plant growth and lower yield potential.
Root-knot nematodes can increase to high numbers in hoop houses due to warm temperatures, loose soils and intensive production of susceptible crops year-round. Cover crops are usually grown in fields part of each year, which can keep root-knot nematode numbers low, but hoop houses are often kept in production longer due to economics.
“Root-knot nematode damage in organic high tunnels is becoming more of a problem in Georgia,” Little said. “We’re approaching the problem with the mindset that you’ve got to balance the use of organic best management practices to keep numbers low with the economics. After a highly susceptible summer crop, such as tomato, you try to grow a fall crop like carrots and end up with damage on the root crop from the nematodes.
“We’re looking at ways to break that cycle. I have been working with growers on optimizing the length of time for summer cover cropping and solarization, as well as incorporating different rotations and organic amendments to lower nematode numbers. The goal is to get root-knot nematode numbers low enough so you can successfully produce the next crop, which is the same goal in both conventional and organic soils when managing nematodes. The nematodes never disappear entirely.”
