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Brassica Pest Collaborative

Cabbage

Brassica Pest Collaborative Partners

Umass Extension logo

Cornell Cooperative Extension

University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension

SARE Northeast

University of Connecticut

The Brassica Pest Collaborative (BPC) is a project funded by Northeast-SARE that brings together Extension educators and researchers from UMass, UConn, UNH and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County to collaborate on research and education to improve management of this suite of insect pests. Our educational efforts will help growers increase their knowledge of brassica pest biology and confidence to implement best management practices by 1) participating in web and phone based educational opportunities with experts from around the region and 2) attending field day demonstrations where key individuals will share their experiences implementing new and alternative control strategies. The proposed research will evaluate the efficacy of tactics like mulches, netting, and conservation biocontrol to combat multiple pests, reduce overall pest damage, and increase yield. Constraints like labor and time will be addressed by using cost to benefit analyses to help growers to identify new ways to increase profits growing brassicas. By coordinating research efforts, we are able to tackle a wide range of topics with a high degree of rigor, as treatments and protocols can be standardized and results can be considered together across site-years.

Our project goal is to work with brassica growers to adopt ecological pest control strategies including scouting, cultural practices, conservation biocontrol, and use of reduced-risk pesticides and that at least 50 growers are successful in reducing crop damage by 10% or more, increasing marketable yield and therefore revenue by $500,000.

Very clean Lacinato kale produced using a push-pull system with Surround (kaolin clay) and a trap crop.
Reduced-risk insecticide Verimark (cyantraniliprole) protects plants from flea beetles AND cabbage root maggot
Very clean bok choy produced using insect netting to protect from flea beetles.
Practical Recommendations for Managing Brassica Insect Pests
Cabbage Looper and Diamondback Moth Biology, Management and Research Update
Imported Cabbageworm and Cross-Striped Cabbageworm Biology, Management and Research Update
Cabbage Aphid Biology, Management and Research Update
Flea Beetle Biology, Management and Research Update
Cabbage Root Maggot Biology, Management and Research Update

The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension are equal opportunity providers and employers, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Contact the State Center Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 413-545-4800 or see ag.umass.edu/civil-rights-information.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number LNE18-365