2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Knowing which pests are present, and when and where they occur is a vital component to any integrated pest management (IPM) program. Oregon State University’s VegNet program has been operating in the Willamette Valley, OR for more than 20 years and has a subscriber base that includes researchers, consultants, and vegetable growers from across the nation. This monitoring and reporting system relays information regarding insect pests of snap bean, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet corn. When pheromone traps detect an increased level of adult moths compared to historical averages, it is considered a significant egg-laying event, and depending on the reproductive biology of the specific insect, we can predict that larval damage may be evident in the days or weeks that follow. Weekly data reports are published online and available as an email newsletter. Reports provide a basis to maintain or intensify field scouting efforts and make informed spray decisions. Processing plants utilize the information as well, and have collaborated with VegNet to make direct comparisons between trap count numbers seen in the field and actual pest loads received. The regional nature of the service provides landscape-level comparisons, and allows producers to determine if the concern affects their crop or location. Over the past 20 years, and especially since 2014, we have seen notable shifts in pest activity patterns. Relative abundance of western spotted cucumber beetles (Diabrotica undecimpunctata u.; 12S) in 2016 was higher than any other year on record. Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon; BCW) numbers have been steadily increasing since 2012, and moths arrive earlier each year. Recent additions to the VegNet program include GIS mapping, insecticide efficacy trials, and monitoring for new invasives like Japanese beetle, European pepper moth, and brown marmorated stink bug.