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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Colorado potato & flea beetles

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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Colorado potato & flea beetles
  • Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:40:58 -0500


On Feb 14, 2007, at 2:39 PM, John Drury wrote:

<x-tad-smaller>I just received my Peaceful Valley catalogue and was searching through their chart which shows how to control insects, hoping there was a new miracle tonic that can control Colorado potato beetles and flea beetles using OMRI approved materials. I was wondering if anyone had had success with Pyganic or Agroneem.</x-tad-smaller>
 

I've had some success with spinosad for flea beetles. I had to apply it three times, the first two five days apart. This is certainly not a miracle tonic, it's not great for your beneficials either (I was careful to get it only on the eggplant affected, not on peppers etc. growing in the same field.) (Spinosad is Entrust in large quantities and Monterey Garden Spray in small quantities.)

Rotenone used to work, but that's not allowed any longer . . . and it did have some of the same problems, though my impression is that the Spinosad is actually more toxic.

Spunbonded row covers (Reemay, Agribon, etc.) also sometimes work; but you need to get them on before the flea beetles find the plants. If the beetles are already there, covers won't help a bit.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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