Biological Control for Cucumber Beetles & Bacterial Wilt
 

Cucumber beetles were the plague of my cucumbers and squash for years and it only takes a few beetles infected with bacterial wilt to kill your crop within a week.
I said "were" because for the last few seasons I've had no problems with cucumber beetles or bacterial wilt. Of course I was very happy with that but it puzzled me as to where they went. Instead of the swarms of them that I would find resting in the flowers in early morning, I could only find one or two occasionally. And there was almost no feeding damage to the leaves.
Then a couple months ago I saw this video of [COLOR=#333333]Clemson's Dr. Geoff Zehnder talking about the discovery he and his colleagues accidently found decades ago after experimenting with PGPR's (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria). Then it struck me that the disappearance of my cucumber beetle and bacterial wilt problem coincided exactly with when I started seriously inoculating my seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria! [/COLOR]

[URL="https://youtu.be/zjgeBzKLR1I"]Here's the video[/URL]

Here are some links to the what has been published:

[URL="http://www.bashanfoundation.org/kloepper/kloepperbeetles.pdf"]Induction of systemic resistance in cucumber against cucumber beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria[/URL]

[URL="http://www.bashanfoundation.org/kloepper/kloepperinsect.pdf"]Insect feeding on cucumber mediated by rhizobacteria-induced plant
resistance[/URL]

[URL="http://www.bashanfoundation.org/kloepper/kloepperapplication.pdf"]Application of rhizobacteria for induced resistance[/URL]

[URL="http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~kloepjw/pdfpapers/zehnder335355.pdf"]Microbe-Induced Resistance Against Pathogens and
Herbivores: Evidence of Effectiveness in Agriculture[/URL]

Thanks for the links. Cucumber beetles are also the plague of my garden every year. What do you do to add PGPR ? I use Jobes organic granular fertilizer with mycorrhizae and last year I dipped my seedlings in actinovate. What are you using to inoculate your seeds?

Interesting!

I've had a lot of trouble with cucumber beetles too. I was planning to surround my cukes and squash with tansy and plant slow-growing white radishes with them. (Haven't tried either of those before but heard they might deter the beetles.)

I guess I'll be adding Bio-Tone too. :) What do you do to add PGPR?

The first year I used MycoGrow, the second year I used Great White I think or maybe Myco Maximum. I forgot Whatever, an inoculant with a wide variety of Bacillus species is probably best. They did use a strain of Bacillus pumilis is their tests which did show great results. Bacillus pumilis spores are in pretty much a standard PGPR in every combo Myco inoculant. Even BiotaMax includes Bacillus pumilis. Bio-Tone does too I'm sure because all the other Espoma Tones do. Either way I would still use a combo Myco inoculant to insure you get good inoculation of Bacillus species around the roots. It would be cool if you guys could replicate the results in your own garden.

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That is interesting Ray. I got killed with cuke beetles 2 years ago, and none last year.
I do use Ami's preplant dip - Mycogrow, Biotamax and Actinovate.
Definitely did it last year, but 2 years ago I am not sure....

I was eyeballing this kaolin clay product - Surround WP - last year and never did get it.
[URL]http://www.groworganic.com/surround-25-lb.html[/URL]

First off thanks for this post. I live near Clemson and had never heard this info before. Cucumber beetles and squash bugs were so bad for me here that I resorted to growing under row covers until bloom, and some plants still get killed. I am gonna have to try this for sure.

Are there any myco mixes that have Bacillus and not Trichoderma in it? I am a bit concerned to use mixes with trichoderma and am staying away till future info released.
I primarily use Bioorganics Myco with AACT, do not mean in one application of course. Powder goes on the roots and routine foliar applications of AACT later follow
[URL="http://www.smilinggardener.com/sale/mycorrhizae-for-sale"]http://www.smilinggardener.com/sale/mycorrhizae-for-sale[/URL]

[QUOTE=Lindalana;469807]Are there any myco mixes that have Bacillus and not Trichoderma in it? I am a bit concerned to use mixes with trichoderma and am staying away till future info released.
I primarily use Bioorganics Myco with AACT, do not mean in one application of course. Powder goes on the roots and routine foliar applications of AACT later follow
[URL]http://www.smilinggardener.com/sale/mycorrhizae-for-sale[/URL][/QUOTE]

Bacillus only inoculants seem to be hard to find but check out [URL="http://www.greenviewfertilizer.com/store/Roots-BioPak-Soil-Drench-P91C13.aspx"]Roots BioPak[/URL]

[URL="http://www.greenviewfertilizer.com/pdfs/labels/2756557.pdf"]Label[/URL]

It is also sold as PHC BIOPAK in 1lb or greater quantities if you've got a really big operation.

Thank you much! There are 2 local stores that might carry the product, they seems do not sell it online, so I will check stores and then contact customer service if can not find.
Making my first of the season batch of AACT. Last year I had some beetles, first after many years of gardening. Was able to control them with handpicking at early hours.

Thank you Ray, James, and Linda, all good info. Linda, BioOrganics has there Endomycorrhizal Inoculant (BEI) on sale and shipping is cheaper. [URL]http://bio-organics.com/product/endomycorrhizal-inoculant/[/URL]

Dutch

I have a cucumber variety (WI 5207 BWR) that carries the BW gene for resistance to bacterial wilt. It is an oriental type, dark green, bumpy skin, bitter-free, 11" X 3". It also resists most common leaf diseases. The ancestry is 31/32 WI 5207 (a breeding line from U Wisc.), 1/64 PI 200815, and 1/64 Poona Kheera. The BW resistance comes from PI 200815, a land-race discovered in Burma by USDA plant explorers back in the 1950s. The variety has been self-crossed 9 times now, so I'm sure it's stable. I get bacterial wilt every year without fail, and this variety keeps on going when non-resistant varieties have shriveled away to nothing. Contact me if you'd like a sample.

By the way, the commercial variety County Fair 87 Hybrid carries the same BW gene. It worked OK for me, although I prefer a slicer rather than a pickler. It's carried by a few seed companies, for instance, Gurney's, Jung, Vermont Bean. It was the subject of a Tomatoville thread a while ago.

[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12988[/url]

Several other varieties mentioned in the above thread are bitter-free and won't attract cucumber beetles as much, but they don't have the actual BW gene for resistance and they will eventually get the disease, maybe a week or two later than bitter varieties. Believe me, I've tried them.

Fred

I ended up buying this [URL="http://www.rootnaturally.com/store/mycorrhizae/70-2-oz-soluble-endo-mycorrhizae.html"]http://www.rootnaturally.com/store/mycorrhizae/70-2-oz-soluble-endo-mycorrhizae.html[/URL] to try. This is all new to me but I wanted to try some on my cucumbers since I haven't got them planted yet.

Does it look like a good one?

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;470159]I ended up buying this [URL]http://www.rootnaturally.com/store/mycorrhizae/70-2-oz-soluble-endo-mycorrhizae.html[/URL] to try. This is all new to me but I wanted to try some on my cucumbers since I haven't got them planted yet.

Does it look like a good one?[/QUOTE]

Mycorrhizal fungi are fine for cucumbers but mycorrhizal fungi only inoculants like Roots Naturally Soluble Mycorrhizae and Bio Organics Micronized Endomycorrhizal Inoculant don't contain the PGPR bacteria species that are the subject of controlling cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt.

[QUOTE=FredB;470155]I have a cucumber variety (WI 5207 BWR) that carries the BW gene for resistance to bacterial wilt. It is an oriental type, dark green, bumpy skin, bitter-free, 11" X 3". It also resists most common leaf diseases. The ancestry is 31/32 WI 5207 (a breeding line from U Wisc.), 1/64 PI 200815, and 1/64 Poona Kheera. The BW resistance comes from PI 200815, a land-race discovered in Burma by USDA plant explorers back in the 1950s. The variety has been self-crossed 9 times now, so I'm sure it's stable. I get bacterial wilt every year without fail, and this variety keeps on going when non-resistant varieties have shriveled away to nothing. Contact me if you'd like a sample.

By the way, the commercial variety County Fair 87 Hybrid carries the same BW gene. It worked OK for me, although I prefer a slicer rather than a pickler. It's carried by a few seed companies, for instance, Gurney's, Jung, Vermont Bean. It was the subject of a Tomatoville thread a while ago.

[URL]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12988[/URL]

Several other varieties mentioned in the above thread are bitter-free and won't attract cucumber beetles as much, but they don't have the actual BW gene for resistance and they will eventually get the disease, maybe a week or two later than bitter varieties. Believe me, I've tried them.

Fred[/QUOTE]

Fred I grew County Fair last year as well as another Diva which is supposed to be unattractive to cuke beetles. I guess Diva must genetically have that low cucurbitacin production. The rest were all OP varieties and none were attractive to the beetles the past two seasons where they were all inoculated with PGPR's.
Genetic resistance is great but you are limited to the varieties that you can grow if you want that resistance.
If the PGPR route shows consistent results in unattractiveness to cuke beetles and resistance to BW, then you could grow pretty much any variety without concern. :yes:
.

Crap, is there a 10$ or under version that has the PGPR bacteria species in it?

Thanks Ray for sharing your biological control knowledge. Roots BioPak definitely has some [B][COLOR=black]PGPR[/COLOR][/B][COLOR=black] ([B]P[/B]lant [B]G[/B]rowth [B]P[/B]romoting [B]R[/B]hizobacteria). Below is a screen capture from the [/COLOR]Roots BioPak label. $8.99 for 4oz. of Roots BioPak isn’t a bad price to do some testing. Thank you again Ray!
Dutch

I found Fox farms kangaroots root drench at a local garden center. It was the 3rd garden center I visited during my search. Looks pretty promising. I have been using it for plant out. 1 quart makes 98 gallons of drench for about $25.

[IMG]http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/06/e48590aa1b5bfe1b07e98c3d899ddf71.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/06/4b1937da64b96c4e7b3406119cca0f12.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/06/8266d267841c2ace40812a690c0ec3db.jpg[/IMG]

As far as Diva being cuc beetle ristant -- that must be location specific.

I planted Diva mainly due to all the raves about it here. I had a row each of a pickler, a long cuc, Diva and a beit alpha. The Cuc beetles went to the Diva more than the others combined. The Divas were so scarred up that they were un-sellable.

Carol

Rocky the problem I have with Fox Farms Kangaroots and many other products like it, is that it is loaded with Trichoderma and from what I have read Trichoderma will dominate and take over many of the other species.
Dutch

[QUOTE=Dutch;470665]Rocky the problem I have with Fox Farms Kangaroots and many other products like it, is that it is loaded with Trichoderma and from what I have read Trichoderma will dominate and take over many of the other species.
Dutch[/QUOTE]

This debate over Trichoderma and its effect on other organisms (mycorrhizal fungi in particular) will probably never end, at least because there is some truth to it, but the interactions between different organisms is so complex that nobody really understands it all.
Trichoderma are opportunists and are able to get food from many different sources. They can degrade cellulose, they can degrade chitin from insect exoskeletons or by parasitism of the mycelium of other fungi (good or bad). They also feed on the root exudates of plants. In turn Trichoderma can be inhibited by antifungal compound produced by different specie of bacteria. Competition for food sources and real estate is normal among all soil organisms.
There was one study I read that showed that the presence of Trichoderma near mycorrhizal fungi caused a stress reaction in the mycorrhizal fungi where they increased their uptake of phosphorous to the plant.
I think if you have good soil with plenty of organic matter and roots in the ground then there will be plenty of food sources for all and nature will find a balance.

Thank you Ray for your well written reply. There is no doubt in my mind that when it comes to, mycorrhizal fungi and soil bacterium, you have done extensive research and are quite knowledgeable on the subject. Thanks for your input.
Dutch

Ray, thanks for write up on thrichoderma!
yeah, just in case I do not want to add any.
Am contacting Grenview company now- my order can not be processed as due to state limitation- as in not shipping to IL?

2015 Cucumber Beetle Report
 

Haven't even seen one!:D

How did everybody else's PGPR experiment go?

Got sick in fall '15 and didn't report back. Turns out I have a chronic illness (hiking days mostly behind me but oh well) but it seems under control now.

So here's my belated report:

In '15 I grew Sumter cukes (picklers, but we like them fresh as well). Started them indoors in newspaper pots because the soil takes forever to dry out here. Planted them with Bio-Tone.

I saw 2 cucumber beetles the whole season. The cukes lived till frost. We got 25 pints of pickles and relish, plus all the fresh cukes the four of us wanted, out of six plants.

Thanks for the belated report hiker, glad you're doing better. I know how it is when life and illness get in the way of things you like to do.

I don't know what everybody else's results have been but I still haven't seen a cuke beetle and no bacterial wilt.:D

I ordered bio tone just now. this will be on my cukes and zukes and melons when I plant. anything. anything! I will try for the beetles. thank you thank you thank you!

I have def seen difference between planting cukes with myco/ I used BioOrganics from Smiling Gardener/ and without in a year with significant infestation. Not that they did not get it completely but infestation was subdued and about two weeks later which gave me time to get a decent crop.

Just wanted to report back on my results this year. This year I used ROOTS Biopack per recommendations earlier in this thread. I drenched the soil at planting, and every 3-4 weeks since. It has been a tough year gardening here in KC due to unusually high temps early, and lack of rainfall.

My cucumbers have been the most productive since I moved into this house 16 years ago. By far. Just yesterday I harvested the cucumbers in the picture below. Previously that many cucumbers would be a good total for the season. This year I got this much in 1 picking in early august. Normally I would be pulling wilted plants in late June. I have only seen 2-3 cucumber beetles. I call it success.

The cucumbers pictured are China Hybrid from Burgess. This is the 1st year growing them myself, but I have watched my Dad grow them for years with great success. Great mild flavor, and crisp texture. I don't see me growing anything else.

In the past I haven't had any really bad infestations of cucumber beetles, although I have lost the odd plant to bacterial wilt. My friend down the road has had her crops devastated by them. I thought it was due to the fact that I grew coriander and peas in close proximity to my cukes, so that perhaps the smell was "masked". I also sprinkled DE on the ground around my cuke plants.

This year I started all my cukes and melons in Pro-mix with Espoma BioTone added. I rotated my crops this year, and thought it would be a great season, but oh no! Although they started off really well, I had the worst cuke beetle season ever. They chewed up the fruits and ruined them. They devoured the flowers and killed any new cukes that were forming. The only good news is that (so far) the plants have not died from disease, and appear to be making a comeback :).

Linda

[QUOTE=rockyonekc;710976]Just wanted to report back on my results this year. This year I used ROOTS Biopack per recommendations earlier in this thread. I drenched the soil at planting, and every 3-4 weeks since. It has been a tough year gardening here in KC due to unusually high temps early, and lack of rainfall.

My cucumbers have been the most productive since I moved into this house 16 years ago. By far. Just yesterday I harvested the cucumbers in the picture below. Previously that many cucumbers would be a good total for the season. This year I got this much in 1 picking in early august. Normally I would be pulling wilted plants in late June. I have only seen 2-3 cucumber beetles. I call it succes. [/QUOTE]

I continue to have great success growing cucumbers using the roots biopak containing pgpr. I went to reorder the biopak today and found it has been discontinued. The biopak plus is available from the same manufacturer but it doesn't seem to be labeled for use in the garden. It lists flower beds and turf grass.

Any recommendations on another source for prgr?