Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis Mulsant) is a serious pest of snap bean varieties, causing injury by feeding on the leaves and pods and increasing the chances of diseases while making the pods unmarketable. Researchers at Virginia Tech have taken a special interest in finding sustainable methods for controlling the insect; snap beans are an important fresh market crop in the state, with over 5,500 acres grown.
These series of fact sheets from Virginia Tech discuss cultural control strategies of the pest that could alleviate reliance on chemical foliar applications. Such strategies include plastic mulches to reduce insect populations and feeding damage, more resistant snap bean varieties, parasitoids, and delayed planting.
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.