Search

Since its introduction to North America in the 1990s, the invasive swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii) has become an important pest of cruciferous (Brassicaceae) vegetables in the northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States and the Canadian provinces of Québec and Ontario. Swede midge reduces yield in cruciferous vegetables through larval feeding that distorts growth. Overlapping generations, cryptic larval feeding, and lack of effective biopesticides pose challenges for managing swede midge effectively using current tools. In 2018, we distributed an online survey for commercial vegetable growers in the United States and Canada to measure farm-level economic impacts of swede midge and grower perspectives on new management strategies for this pest. Growers reported losing $3808 US ($4890 Canadian) on average per acre per year due to swede midge–related vegetable crop losses. Both organic and conventional growers expressed an interest in paying more for nonchemical swede midge management vs. insecticides and were interested in trying new management strategies, particularly biological control.

In 2000, the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) conducted a comprehensive survey of pest management decision-making and pest control practices of cotton growers in the 11 major cotton-?producing counties of California. The results indicate progress in growers’ knowledge and implementation of IPM principles and techniques, although the use of certain aspects, such as treatment thresholds for insects, often fell short of researchers’ recommendations. The survey also confirmed the central role of pest control advisers (PCAs) in IPM decision-making. Although independent PCAs communicate more with growers than do PCAs who are affiliated with product suppliers, PCA affiliation did not affect most on-the-ground pest treatment actions measured by this survey. The results indicate a need to expand IPM adoption surveys to include PCAs and to develop more effective ways of measuring IPM decision-making beyond counting the techniques used or not used.