
Msc. candidate in plant biology
Alternative control methods against the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum, in cucumber greenhouses
The striped cucumber beetle (CRC), Acalymma vittatum, is the pest that causes the most damage in cucurbit crops, both in the field and in greenhouses, since it carries the bacteria responsible for bacterial wilt, Erwinia tracheiphila. Currently, the only control methods available in greenhouses consist of removing manually all individuals or adding mosquito nets to the openings. The objective of this project is to develop an alternative control method against CRC in cucumber greenhouses. For this purpose, a few projects were carried out at the Mirabel Agri-Food Research Center (CRAM) which made it possible to test attractive methods with commercial kairomones and repellent methods with kaolin. Promising results suggest that an attraction-repulsion strategy specific to CRC could be developed and used for optimal control. To achieve this, the following objectives were specified (1) identify and test repellent molecules (essential oils, kaolin) (2) test combined methods of combating CRC in cucumber greenhouses (attraction-repulsion).
Haber, A. I., Wallingford, A. K., Grettenberger, I. M., Ramirez Bonilla, J. P., Vinchesi-Vahl, A. C., & Weber, D. C. (2021). Striped cucumber Beetle and Western Striped Cucumber Beetle (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae). Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 12(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaa026
Labrie, G., Lamothe, S., Laroche, M. & Provost, C. (2023). La chrysomèle rayée du concombre en serre: méthodes de lutte alternatives par attraction et efficacité des biopesticides. Centre de recherche agroalimentaire de Mirabel (CRAM)
Programme de la lutte antiparasitaire Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada (2021), Profil de la culture du concombre de serre au Canada, 2020. Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/aac-aafc/A118-10-15-2020-fra.pdf