Squash Pests and Diseases​ Biological Control Treatment and Strategies

The problem of squash pests and diseases​ is a serious one because various pests and diseases are a threat to the productivity and quality of fruits as well as the sustainability of farms in the long term. This is because the overall knowledge of common squash pests and diseases allows farmers to take early management measures against the diseases in squash plants​ that protect crops without breaching the organic certification and environmental stewardship. The pests against the squash plants include several forms: piercing-sucking insects like aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips are known to weaken the plants directly by sucking their sap; chewing insects such as the squash bugs, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, etc. defoliate the plants, and are said to carry the bacterial wilt disease as well as indirectly through larval insects like the squash vine borers, the pickleworms, and the leafminers, the armyworms.

These are all combined with pest problems, such as squash disease problems (foliage and fruit rot, loss of seedlings due to fungus) ( powdery mildew squash diseases, downy mildew, anthracnose, Fusarium crown rot, Pythium root rot, Phytophthora blight), vascular discoloration and vascular death due to bacteria (bacterial wilt, bacterial leaf spot), and root galls due to nematodes (root-knot nematodes). The conventional methods of squash pest control based solely on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides are increasingly challenged: the pest populations developing resistance to insecticides due to repeated exposure, the interference of the beneficial insect populations, which aids in pollination and natural pest control, the problem of pesticide residues in the food, and the environmental pollution of the soil and water.

Common Squash Pests

Squash Bug	Flea Beetles	Squash Vine Borer	Pickleworm	Leafminers	Armyworms
Aphids	Spider Mites	Thrips	Cutworm	Cucumber Beetles	Root-knot Nematodes

 

Common Squash Diseases

Downy Mildew	Downy Mildew	Pythium Root Rot	Phytophthora Blight	Anthracnose	Alternaria Leaf Blight
Gummy Stem Blight	Fusarium Crown and Foot Rot	Bacterial Leaf Spot	Bacterial Wilt

 

Squash Nutrition

Squash Growth Nitrogen Fixation

Potassium and Silicon Absorbtion

Improving Inorganic Phosphorus

Sustainable Squash Soil Health

 

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Organic Pest Control for Squash

Target Carrot pests:  Squash bug, Cucumber beetles, Flea beetles

Recommended Product: Myco Pestop

Active ingredient: Metarhizium anisopliae 

Colonizing pests of vegetables in the garden include squash bugs, cucumber beetles and flea beatles, all of which devastate cucurbit and brassica crops by feasting on the foliage and infecting them with bacterial wilt disease. Myco Pestop was developed using Metarhizium anisopliae (8 × 107 CFU/ ml) which is a fungal-based alternative to synthetic chemistry against these challenging to control beetles. Its active principle has the effect of forming spores that attach to the exoskeleton, dehydrating, and infiltrating the cuticle to release toxins and blastospores into the insect hemocoel, which use nutritional reserves resulting in the death of the insect in some 3-7 days, thus the active ingredient is slower than contact insecticides but very effective when used in the IPM programs. To achieve the optimum effect, spray Myco Pestop (insecticides for squash bugs) once the population was first spotted, then on a periodical repetitive schedule of 5 to 10 days at the larval and early adult stages when the beetles were found most susceptible to the sprayed solution at the rate of 1-2 g per liter of water. In other methods, 1-1.5 kg/acre applied to the soil through drip irrigation is used to attack the larvae that exist below the soil and offer durability. Since Metarhizium anisopliae spores respond to secondary infection caused by dispersal of spores in the field hence any light initial coverage with the spray is helpful in the continued suppression of the pest. This organic formula leaves nothing behind, can be integrated perfectly into certified organic programs, and has no chance of resistance when repeatedly exposed to hard-chemistry, which makes it a perfect ingredient in squash, cucumber, and the manufacture of brassica in a sustainable environment.

 

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Target pests: Squash vine borer, Pickleworm, Leafminers, Armyworms

Recommended Product: BT Thuricide

Active ingredient: Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)

Among the most harmful lepidopteran pests that feed on fruits, skeleton foliage, and gnash on yields are squash producing borers and pickleworms, leafminers, and armyworms, which destroy cucurbit and vegetable crop yields by extensive amounts. The organic, targeted control of these four caterpillar pests is achieved by Bt Thuricide, which is formulated with a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (Btk); at the concentration of 32,000 IU/mg, it does not harm any beneficial insects or pollinators. The active ingredient operates under a very specific mechanism: after the ingestion of the Bt toxin proteins, they bind to the receptors of the midgut of the insect, resulting in cellular damage and demise within 150-500 days, being the most effective in young, actively feeding larvae (1 st to 2 nd instar stages). Use BT Thuricide, organic pesticide for squash, 0.75 -1.5 kg/ha to be applied as foliar spray in the early morning or evening when there is no wind to increase complete coverage of larval feeding areas on leaves and fruit. Reregulate after every 7 -10 days or when required during a growing season; at the time of initial egg-laying or at the emergence of new-hatched worms. With large populations of older larvae, the higher rate (1.5 kg/ha) should be used, and BT may be used with a contact insecticide to provide rapid knock down but in early season, early scouting-based initiatives can be used with BT alone. BT Thuricide has a reentry interval (REI) of 4hours and no harvest setting, this aspect makes it suitable in organic farming on edible crop without leaving behind any residual toxicity and it fits well in the integrated pest management paradigm where the emphasis of the management paradigm is set on detection at an early stage and prevention as opposed to the comprehensive impacts of the chemistry.

 

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Target pests: Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider mites, Thrips

Recommended Product: Beaveria WP

Active ingredient: Beauveria bassiana

Whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, and aphids are long-standing soft-bodied pests that suppress the growth of plants and lower production of vegetables, fruits and ornamentation plants. Beveria WP is prepared using Beauveria bassiana at 1 × 10¹⁰ cfu/g and is effective in a natural fungal mode of action in controlling all the four pests. The spores stick on the cuticle of the insect, germinate in the course of 6-12 hours, enter into the body, and invade internally, releasing the toxic metabolites which kill the insect within 24-48 hours. Use Beveria WP at 1.0 to 1.2 grams per liter used as a foliar spray or apply 2 to 3 grams per liter used as a soil drench every 7 to 10 days until the populations are eliminated. Success requisites: shake in a covered vessel 30-45 seconds in cold water without direct sunlight or exposure to light which destroys spores. Its best results are realized at humidity levels above 60 per cent and should be applied to early populations of pests before high degrees of infestation develop, an aspect that best suits non residual based integrated pest management programmes.

 

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Target Carrot pests: Cutworms, Wireworms

Recommended Product: Met Zone    

Active ingredient: Metarhizium anisopliae

Cutworms and wireworms are devastating surface and soil dwelling larvae which cut the seedlings along the soil line, hence boring underground plant parts and result in extreme loss of stands in vegetables, grains, and field crops. The organic control of these underground pests is offered by Met Zone (organic insecticide for squash bugs); metarhizium anisopliae (2 x 10 cfu/g) as a gram form, which exhibits direct contact and soil persistence. The fungal spores find a way into the insect integument without being ingested, germinate in the presence of moist soil and infect internally, releasing secondary metabolites, and blastospores which destroys nutritional reserves of the cutworms and wireworms in a matter of days. Use Met Zone at the rate of 60 90 kg per hectare and thoroughly combine it with moist growing medium prior to or during planting by ensuring it is well distributed across the root zone. The spores can survive on particles of soil, decay the organic material, and litter produced by pests, providing season-long suppression, which is a strong necessity in preventing a fructal generation of pests. Being safe to human beings, beneficial organisms and organic certification, Met Zone does not raise issues of resistance but enhances the health of the plant and the potential yield, a characteristic that would make it an ideal starting management tool with integrated pest management in the production of vegetable and field crops.

 

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Nematode Pest Control

Target pests: Root-Knot Nematodes

Recommended Product: Nema Pro / Nema ProMax

Active ingredient: Paecilomyces lilacinus/burkholderia spp. and bacillus pumilus

Meloidogyne species (root-knot nematodes) are infamous fresh soil nematodes which infest the root of squash plant pests to cause common galls and reduce their uptake of water and nutrients thus resulting into stunted growth and drying up as well as loss of high yield in vegetable, fruit and field crops. Nema Pro/Nema ProMax, which are developed using biocontrol agents paecilomyces lilacinus and burkholderia spp. along with Bacillus pumilus are a biological basis of nematodes suppression without the use of chemical fumigants. These organisms act in a complementary way with Paecilomyces lilacinus producing enzymes that invade the nematode egg shells and parasitizes juveniles, and Burkholderia spp. colonizing roots and producing metabolites toxic to nematodes; Bacillus pumilus further increase plant protection as well as communities of pathogens in the rhizosphere. Use by soil drench or seed treatment at planting, and then at 4 to 6weeks post planting to maintain suppressive microbiota in the soil. This is best used in combination with crop rotation, resistant varieties and amendment of organic matter to create long term resilience to nematode management. This combined method minimally affects the population of nematodes on a sustainable basis, eliminates the toxicity and soil life persistence of chemical nematicides, and facilitates certification of organic farming, and enhances soil health and agricultural output.

 

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Squash Leaf Diseases

Target Diseases: Powdery mildew, Downy mildew

Recommended Product: FloraEgis 

Active Ingredient: Trichoderma harzianum   

Some of the most prevalent types of fungi diseases in grapes and vegetables, citrus and berries and ornamentals are powdery mildew squash diseases​ and downy mildew, which lead to white powdery scars, yellow leaves and loss of considerable yields when uncontrolled. FloraEgis (fungicide for powdery mildew on squash), which is made using Trichoderma harzianum Strain TH17 (5 × 108 CFU/g) is an organic biological control that offers a range of avenues; the desirable fungus outcompetes the mildew pathogens as it takes up space and nutrients, and at the same time produces enzymes that destroy fungi hypha. In addition to direct antagonism, Trichoderma harzianum causes systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) which induces self-defenses of the plant by synthesizing phytoalexins, cell-wall fortifiers, and PR proteins, which kill the fungi internally. Use 2-3 grams per liter of water FloraEgis, as a foliar spray, but ensuring that all Lady-undersides on leaves where the disease starts its infection is covered, and that a recurrence in 7-10 days takes place with disease pressure. To ensure greatest effectiveness, applications should be applied preventatively in advance of manifestation of the condition or before condition detection with spray pH of 4.5 8.5 with addition of crop-safe surfactant to enhance penetration. FloraEgis should be considered a sustainable hybrid, with zero harvesting frequency, organic certification, and applicability to most of the crops (except copper-based fungicides) and significantly lowering the possibilities of resistance, as well as increasing the stress tolerance to plants and the quality of crops in general.

 

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Squash Diseases and Treatment

Target Diseases: Alternaria leaf blight, Anthracnose, Gummy stem blight, Fusarium crown and foot rot, Pythium root rot, Phytophthora blight

Recommended Product: HarzShield

Active Ingredient: Trichoderma harzianum

Alternaria leaf blight, anthracnose, gummy stem blight, Fusarium crown and foot rot, Pythium root rot, and Phytophthora blight are some examples of ravaging fungal diseases and oomycotes in vegetables, fruits, and field crops that may cause seedlings loss, root rottenness, spotting on the leaves, and rottenness of the fruits resulting in the loss of the entire planting.
HarzShield, developed with Trichoderma harzianum ( 5 x 108 CFU/g ) offers all-inclusive biological disease control by generating several effects interacting in combination with each other: the beneficial organism colonizes roots before the pathogen, occupying space and nutrient resources, and enzymatically destroying cell walls of pathogenic organisms by direct parasitism.

At the same time, Trichoderma harzianum (organic fungicide for squash) triggers plant defense mechanisms, including systemic resistance, root strengthening as well as increased nutrient uptake potentials, an effect that can be translated into more robust plants with a higher infection resistance capacity. 

HarzShield (fungicide for squash plants) should be applied at a rate of 3 kg/acre- either by drip irrigation, broadcast application or on-soil either by drenching or drip irrigation when application to crops is most damaging, such as at the time of planting or the first 10-12 weeks, followed by another application to provide season-long protection. It is compatible with most crops (beans, corn, cotton, tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus, berries, potatoes, ginger) in a broad temperature range (1034°C) and pH (410) of the soil, being used in greenhouses, nurseries, as well as in field production.
HarzShield is a disease management tank-mixable with some chemical fungicides (except benzoyl, imazalil, propiconazole, tebuconazole and triflumizole) that is organically certified with no residues and provides resistance-reducing disease management and enhances sustainable soil health and crop resilience.

 

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Target Diseases: Bacterial wilt, Bacterial leaf spot

Recommended Product: Bactonus      

Active Ingredient: Bacillus safensis, Bacillus velezensis, and Pseudomonas chlororaphis

Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) and bacterial leaf spot (Xanthomonas spp.) destroy tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits, potato, and most other crops causing them to wilt, develop vascular discoloration, necrotic lesions and losses of crops incurably. Bactonus, fungicide for squash, is a complex with three synergistic useful bacteria that are Bacillus safensis, Bacillus velezensis and Pseudomonas chlororaphis (3 x 10 -1 CFU/g) which furnishes complete care by biological control via multiple antagonistic methods. The Bacillus safensis secret antibiotic (phospholipids, aminoglycans, peptides and lipopeptides) secretion in producing hydrolytic enzymes that directly destroy the pathogenic bacterial cell walls. Pseudomonas chlororaphis produces volatile compounds and phenazine antibiotics, which prevent proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, and at the same time Bacillus velezensis also forms protective biofilms along the roots, outcompetes the pathogens through nutrients and space, and discharges plant growth-stimulating hormones (IAA and jasmonic acid), which enhances root structure and systemic resistance. Preventative control Bactonus should be applied to the soil by drenching or drip irrigation at planting, at a rate of 3 kg/acre and repeated after 30 days; when used orally, it should be sprayed at 3 kg/acre using owing water during early flowering, and repeated after every 20 days. Bactonus has zero-residue, organic certification, and compatibility over maximum crops (tomato, pepper, cucumber, squash, potato, eggplant, ginger, watermelon, banana), with lowering the resistance risk of antibiotics and enhancing overall plant health, potential yield, and sustainable management of FF disease.

 

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Squash Biostimulant Treatment 

Purpose: Enhance Squash Growth with Sustainable Nitrogen Fixation

Recommend Product: Metilo

Active Ingredient: Methylobacterium

Metilo uses Methylobacterium, an atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria, to offer safe and efficient biological nitrogen enhancing to squash crops without the usage of synthetical nitrogen-enhancing substances in assurance of nitrogen increase. When used as a foliar spray or root drench, Metilo roams the leaves of the squash and roots transforming the atmospheric nitrogen to plant-usable forms that the root system can readily take up. This natural method decreases soil stress in plants, promotes healthy vine development, increases flowering opportunities during important development events, and enhances microbial soil diversity besides lowering chemical dependency on nitrogen which is vital in long term low cost production of squash.

 

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Purpose: Promote Potassium and Silicon Absorption in Squash

Active Ingredient: Bacillus mucilaginosus

Bacillus mucilinosus is a special biofertilizer that releases the potassium and silicon present in the soil by mobilizing the soil using organic acid and enzyme synthesis releasing both nutrients in the squash rhizosphere. Potassium manages water status, activation of enzymes and tolerance to stress in squash tissues and silicon hardens the cell wall that supports the prey against diseases and structural integrity of the vines and fruit. Used since inception of establishment till maturity of fruits, this biofertilizer provides the slow-release nutrients, reduces the need of synthetic potassium fertilizers, and enhances the growth and fruit of squash in a sustainable production system.

 

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Purpose:   Improve Phosphorus Uptake in Squash

Recommended Product: Cropium

Active Ingredient: Penicillium bilaiae

Cropium-designed Penicillium bilaiae releases fixed phosphorus in the soils by the synthesis of organic acids that dissolve phosphorus to release available phosphate reserves that the squash roots absorb. Increased availability of phosphorus enhances root growth, improves nutrient use, enhances stress resistances, and expedites the establishment of roots, especially where there is a new squash plantation. Cropium is an ingredient of fertilization programs, it reduces chemical phosphate dependence, creates healthy soils, and promotes the production of high-quality of the squash fruit using sustainable techniques.

 

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Purpose:  Strengthen Soil Health for Sustainable Squash Farming

Recommended Product:  Soil Vigor

Active Ingredient: Blended microbes including Bacillus and Trichoderma

The positive micro behaviours (Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp.) of Soil Vigor are also referred to as the positive effects in the organic degradation of the matter so as to facilitate in the process of cycling the nutrients and BIFs into the Soil that is then cultivated to produce squash. This microbial community suppress the soil pathogens based on competitive exclusion as well as generation of antimicrobial metabolites leading to robust colonization of roots and the systemic disease resistance. Cyclical applications create hearty soil microbiomes which elevate soil structure, water retention, airflow and nutrient kinetics, cutting down reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and guaranteeing extensive technochronic squash output and environmental accountability.

 

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Squash Pest and Disease Management

Sustainable management of the pests and diseases of the squash pests and diseases incorporates the use of both cultural and biological methods of squash pest control, coupled with specific interventions in the fight against powdery mildew, downy mildew, anthracnose, phytophthora blight, squash vine borers, cucumber beetles, whiteflies, and spider mites. The basis of successful disease and pest management is based on orchard hygiene, regulated irrigation and biocontrol agents tuned to the fields. Suggested bio target agents are entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana in whiteflies and in spider mites; Metarhizium anisopliae in beetles and borers), antagonistic fungi ( FloraEgis in powdery and downy mildew of foliage; HarzShield in surface diseases), and bacterial agents ( Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp. in bacterial diseases). This combined method avoids resistance to pesticides, preserve useful organisms, ecological stability, high-quality yielding and healthy squash and long-term orchards and environmental sustainability.