Decision Support Tool to Optimize Establishment and Management of Alfalfa as Trap Crop in Organic Strawberry Production
Project Director
Christian Nansen
Year Funded
2018
Award Number
2018-51106-28771
Funded Institution
University of California Davis
Grant Program
ORG (Organic Transitions)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
Lygus bugs are the leading arthropod pests of strawberries in California, yet this insect’s preferred host is alfalfa. This project utilized perimeter alfalfa trap crop plantings integrated with lygus pest management in the trap crop (vacuuming, strip cutting, natural enemy releases), to prevent reinfestation of the strawberry crop. The overall goal was to develop a user friendly decision support tool for lygus bug management in organic strawberry production.
**Note: This project was never initiated, and funds were returned to NIFA.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) Planting a trap crop more attractive to the target pest than the production crop may allow the pest to proliferate and later spread into the production crop.
(2) Physical (e.g., vacuuming, mowing) or biological (release of predators or parasitoids), controls can be applied to pests in the trap crop before such reinfestation occurs.
(3) The strawberry-alfalfa-lygus trap cropping system merits further on-farm experimentation for organic strawberry production.