Using living straw mulch to suppress Colorado potato beetle on potatoes

Eero Ruuttila, Nesenkeag Certified Organic Farm

The use of straw mulch for the suppression of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) on potatoes has been demonstrated (Zehnder and Hough-Goldstein, 1989). It was suggested that to eliminate the cost of purchasing and transporting commercial grain straw, growers could rotate potatoes with a cover crop suitable for mulch such as wheat, rye, vetch, etc.. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using such a cover crop as a source of “living mulch.”

Region

Northeast

Topic

Insect/Pest Management

Category

Vegetables/Fruits

Date Range

2000 and earlier

Funding Amount

$3,280

Funding Year

1993

Location

Litchfield, New Hampshire

Collaborators

James Bowman, University of New Hampshire
M. Campbell, University of New Hampshire