Beneficial Insects – Bringing Back the Edges
Source: Practical Farmers of Iowa
Learn how and why two vegetable growers – Mark Quee of West Branch and Jake Kundert of Solon – use beetle banks and pollinator habitat to increase beneficial insect populations on the farm in this episode of Bringing Back the Edges: Creating Wildlife Habitat on Farms.
Length: 06:04
Year Produced: 2021
State: Iowa
Cropping Systems: Vegetables
Tags: marginal land, pest control, pollinators
One reply on “Beneficial Insects – Bringing Back the Edges”
Benlauck farms, Cayuga County NY.
I have been planting Buckwheat strips in my potatoes for 2 years. Have not had to spray any insecticide since planting Buckwheat. To fit my equipment, 15′ Buckwheat, 36′ (10 rows) potatoes, repeat. Cornell trials recommend closer strips, this works for me. I think a bit wider crop strip (50′?) could work, depending on equipment.
Here, I plant potatoes mid May, Buckwheat 2-3 weeks later. Be careful with herbicide drift, Buckwheat is very sensitive.
Happy to discuss further if anyone is interested.