Trap cropping: A simple, effective, and inexpensive organic IPM approach to manage cucumber beetles and squash bugs in cucurbit crops

Trap cropping is a simple, effective, and affordable pest management tool that functions by concentrating the pest in the border area, while reducing pest numbers on the unsprayed cash crop. For a 3-year period (2011-2013), the Lincoln University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program has been conducting research aimed at assessing the efficacy of Blue Hubbard, Red Kuri Hubbard, and Buttercup squash plants at attracting adult spotted and striped cucumber beetles and squash bugs to those trap crop plants, and the plant’s ability to suppress pest numbers in the cash crop. These insects have consistently been identified as the most damaging insect pest of cucurbits in most areas of the US where cucurbit crops are grown and for which truly effective organic management approaches have nopt been developed. Results indicate that all three squash plants suppressed squash bugs from cash crops, whereas for spotted and striped cucumber beetles Red Kuri squash performed best throughout the growing season and therefore Red Kuri represents an excellent trap crop plant for small and mid-scale farms.