Testing the Efficacy of Insecticides and Fungicides Allowed for Organic Vegetable Production

Abstract

While organic certification standards and practice prescribe an approach to pest management that integrates soil health, rotation, resistant varieties, and other cultural practices, damage from certain pests is still present at levels requiring intervention in many years. Efficacy information on many products allowed for organic production is scarce and difficult for farmers to find. Organic vegetable farmers and those contemplating a transition to organic need reliable information on the effectiveness of the products they are allowed to use. In addition, new products are coming on the market for which objective efficacy information is not available. This project addresses this issue by testing the efficacy of insecticides and fungicides allowed for organic production against high-priority pests identified by organic vegetable farmers in New York.