East Lansing, Michigan, USA
May 2, 2011

New model predicts insect populations, will help Michigan vegetable growers make insect control decisions

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have developed a handy, new tool for vegetable growers that provides them with information about insect pests in order to help control damage before it even starts.

Utilizing Enviro-weather – a system of 64 weather stations throughout Michigan that collect a variety of weather-based data including soil moisture, air temperature, soil temperature and precipitation, just to name a few – researchers from across the university have put their heads together to tie weather data to information about several insect pests that commonly affect vegetable growers in the state. Thanks to funding from Project GREEEN, Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative based at MSU, the group was able to develop a model that can predict when pest populations are likely to be high or low.

“There were already models in the literature,” said Beth Bishop, Enviro-weather program coordinator. “What our team had to do was go out and collect pest occurrence data for two years and see if our data matched the published models.”

Using their information, which is based on degree days, Bishop’s group was able to create predictive models for cabbage maggot, seed corn maggot, variegated cutworm and squash vine borer. The latter two pests alone can cost growers a minimum of $100 per acre in insecticides and can result in as much as a 10 to 20 percent yield loss – or $800 to $1,600 per acre – if no control measures are taken. The researchers are also continuing to work on models for asparagus beetle and onion maggot. Find the models on the MSU Enviro-weather website at www.enviroweather.msu.edu.

Bishop explained how predictive tools like these provide growers with information that can help them make better decisions about when to take control action. This could include when to scout for pests, what pests to scout for and which integrated pest management tools to put into effect. She also described how information from the model can help growers adjust certain cultural practices.

“For example, if you’re planting cabbage, knowing when the adult cabbage maggot is present versus when it is between generations is important. If you know which you have, you can possibly adjust planting accordingly and prevent pest damage later on,” Bishop said. “Timing is a critical issue during the growing season.”

By knowing insect populations, growers will be able to make more educated decisions about which control method is applicable to their situation – spraying insecticides, releasing beneficial insects or setting pheromone traps, for example – and will be more accurate in when they decide to utilize control methods, both of which should ultimately lead to cost-savings.

Bishop predicts that the model will make a large impact in the 2011 growing season – the first season that it will be available prior to planting. She’s seen what other Enviro-weather crop-specific predictive models have done for growers and anticipates that the findings from this study will lend themselves to future research. Using Enviro-weather, researchers will continue to provide growers from all sectors with valuable weather-based information to support their on-farm decisions.

“This is just the first step – getting these predictive models out, having the growers use them and seeing how they work. There is still plenty more to be done,” she said.

Project GREEEN is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses together with AgBioResearch at MSU, MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to advance the state’s economy through its plant-based agriculture. Its mission is to develop research and educational programs in response to industry needs, ensure and improve food safety, and protect and preserve the quality of the environment.

To learn more about Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU, visit www.greeen.msu.edu.
 

Website: http://www.msu.edu

Published: May 2, 2011