Year-Round IPM Program Pages
This year-round IPM program covers the major pests of cole crops in the Central Valley, Central and Southern Coast, and southern desert of California.
About Harvest and Postharvest
What should you be doing during this time?
Immediately after harvest, shred and disc under crop remnants if the following pests were a problem:
Remove drip tape and prepare the soil for the next crop or winter fallow.
Plan next season's crop rotation.
- In coastal regions, avoid planting consecutive seasons of cole crops or other crops in the mustard family (Brassicaceae).
- If Bagrada bug was a problem during the previous season, rotate to a nonhost such as lettuce or spinach.
- In the low desert, successive plantings of cole crops in the fall and spring are acceptable, because the hot, dry summers are unfavorable to many pests.
- If cover crops fit into the crop rotation,
consider planting fast-growing cover crops that are competitive with weeds if
there will be a fallow period.
- In coastal regions, avoid rotating to a cruciferous cover crop such as Indian mustard or white mustard if Bagrada bug was a problem this season.
- For more information, see Cover Cropping for Vegetable Production, UC ANR Publication 3517 (PDF).