Incorporating buckwheat as a living mulch with zucchini squash to reduce pest and disease pressure, increase natural enemy populations, and increase yield

The use of buckwheat as a living mulch intercropped with squash has shown promise to reduce pest and disease pressure while increasing the abundance of beneficial insects. This study evaluated several methods of intercropping buckwheat and squash, as well as introducing the natural enemy Delphastus catalinae, to find a tactic that reduces pest and disease pressure while increasing marketable yield. The five treatments evaluated include A) alternating buckwheat on either side of each squash bed; B) arranging buckwheat and squash in the same manner as treatment A, however, releasing D. catalinae into the plot; C) planting buckwheat in the center of the bed with squash planted on both sides; D) arranging buckwheat and squash plants in the same manner as treatment C, however, releasing D. catalinae into the plot; and E) planting buckwheat on both sides of the squash (control). We found aphid densities were highest in treatment C, however there was no significant difference in whitefly densities among treatments. Virus incidence was highest in treatments A and E, however marketable yields were also highest in treatments A and E. There was no significant difference in parameters among treatments when considering the influence of D. catalinae.