Year-Round IPM Program Pages
This year-round IPM program covers the major pests of fresh asparagus and nursery production of crowns in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, Central Coast, southern San Joaquin Valley, and southern desert valleys.
About Preplant
- Special issues of concern related to environmental quality: volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Mitigate pesticide effects on air and water quality.
What should you be doing during this time?
Select the field:
- Consider soil type, cropping and pest history, and plantback restrictions from previous crop.
- Select fields with no perennial weeds present.
- Take a soil sample for nutrient, salinity, and pH analysis to determine field suitability and soil nutrient management.
- Select a field that has been rotated out of asparagus for a minimum of 7 years (preferably longer) to reduce Fusarium, weed problems, and salt buildup.
Monitor for garden symphylans according to the Pest Management Guidelines. If symphylans are present, consider preplant fumigation or planting the field to a different crop.
- Keep records , noting the presence, location, and extent of problematic weeds.
- Preirrigate weeds and cultivate to reduce the weed seedbank.
Clean equipment and tractors between fields to prevent the spread of soilborne diseases and weed seeds.
Select an appropriate variety with good yield potential and disease resistance.
Prepare the field:
- Consider drip irrigation for ease of pesticide application, water conservation, and to prevent off-site water and pesticide movement.
- Disc to incorporate crop residues.
- Apply fertilizer based on soil test results.
- Prepare beds with good drainage.