Using a living mulch as an IPM tool to manage insect pests in cantaloupe

Modern cropping systems typically consist of monoculture plantings that rely heavily upon chemical and mechanical inputs. These conditions create farming environments that are susceptible to pest outbreaks and inhospitable to beneficial organisms above and below the soil. Using a living mulch to increase habitat complexity is a tactic that can be used to reduce insect pest colonization and conserve natural enemies. Living mulches are cover crops interplanted within cash crops that live throughout the cash crop’s life cycle. However, the impact of living mulches on insect communities are often evaluated independently of insecticides or other IPM tools. This project investigated the impact of red clover (Trifolium pratense) on arthropods in cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) plantings. Whole-plot treatments consisted of cantaloupe interplanted into red clover or planted into a black plastic mulch. Subplot treatments included insecticide (imidacloprid) and no insecticide application. Data were collected on natural enemy efficacy and abundance, and the abundance of insect herbivores, pollinators, and detritivores. A greater number of beneficial insects and arthopods were found in red clover plots. These included natural enemies like parasitoid wasps and lady beetles (Coccinellidae), as well as detritivores such as fungus beetles (Erotylidae) and millipedes (Diplopoda). Among herbivores, more striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum) were found in monoculture plots.