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
1993Location
Litchfield, New Hampshire
Collaborators
James Bowman, University of New Hampshire
M. Campbell, University of New Hampshire