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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Cover crop -- not grain -- before garlic

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  • From: Steve Diver <steved AT ipa.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cover crop -- not grain -- before garlic
  • Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2013 14:15:06 -0500

Passing this along from 1940:

Preliminary Report on Wireworm Investigations in the Everglades
J. W. Wilson
The Florida Entomologist, 23(1): 1-6 (Feb., 1940)

Table 30 - Increase or Decrease in Wireworm Populations After Summer Cover Crop and Fallow Treatment

Grass and Weeds::: + 19,221
Soybeans:::::::::::::: + 1,960
Cowpeas:::::::::::::: - 1,252
Velvet Beans::::::::: - 1,742
Fallow::::::::::::::::: - 1,961

One of the Florida guys had a theory that velvet beans suppressed wireworm, so they put out this trial.   It shows that folks have been thinking about wireworm damage to vegetable crops for a long time.  Research continues, there's a ton of literature to sift through looking for clues. 

Normally I view cowpeas as tougher than forage soybeans (germinate fast, thick growth, drought tolerant).

This table suggests cowpeas would be more suppressive than soybeans to wireworms.

But this is just one old study.

You'll have to experiment on your own.

Since you rotated out of sod last year, then will have broadleaf cover crops this year, I think you'll see less wireworm damage anyways.

You can always project your consciousness into the mind of the wireworm and consider the weak point of its life cycle, per Ron Prokopy the late ecological entomologist.

Thus, another management tool could be a biological control agent such as Metarhizium to infect adults and larvae. 

Steve Diver



On 12/27/2013 3:35 PM, garlicgrower AT green-logic.com wrote:

Hi, Folks!

I’m converting grasslands to cropland and had wireworms in my garlic last year.  So, for the 2014 planting, I’ve put down hairy vetch which I will mow down when it flowers (April?).  I’ll be planting garlic in October.  What type of cover crop do I put down between April and October? 

 

I’ve been told to avoid grains as wireworms like them.  I was thinking of doing continuous buckwheat, but every 4 to 6 weeks seems a bit much if there is an alternative.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks for the input!

 

Dorene Pasekoff

Hill Creek Farm

Pottstown, PA (Zone 6)






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