Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Auburn University Auburn, Alabama
This study examined the use of buckwheat strips to promote natural enemy abundance and diversity as a pest management strategy in hemp. We conducted an on-farm research study in a central Alabama high tunnel system. Buckwheat was planted adjacent to one acre of hemp. Arthropods were sampled both in the buckwheat and hemp beginning shortly after planting. The buckwheat was then cut and we examined the movement of natural enemies into the hemp. Pest populations and plant damage were assessed in the hemp. Results will be discussed assessing the usefulness of buckwheat as a conservation biological control strategy for hemp.
