February 17, 2017

Greenhouse IPM update 2.17.17

The sun is shining in my office window, which makes me want to head home. But I’ll stick around long enough to send this off to you (and hope you find time to get out in the sun, too)

I gave a talk on biopesticides so guess what? I have information on biopesticides for you!

Looking for biopesticides that are appropriate for a particular problem – heck, even if you are just looking for pesticides for a particular problem? IR4 has a cool labels database which includes efficacy data so you can compare! Its got a good search page and links to labels, even tells you if it is acceptable for organic production. I LOVE it when people make my job easier!

Spear and Spear T are biological insecticides – based on spider peptides no less (Charlotte! Who knew!) – newly registered for NYS. Spear is registered for ornamentals, edible, and turf (a variety of Lepidoptera and thrips). Spear T is labeled for thrips management in greenhouses. If you’ve tried them, I’d like to hear about efficacy.  To find NYS labels go to  NYS PAD and look under Names – Spear and Registrant – Vestaron.

Apps, apps and more apps. Of course, my favorite is my own and you can watch me talk about it at a Horticulture seminar  (January 30 blog post) It is called Greenhouse Scout and is available on Apple and Android.

19 for Nurseries! And other plant geeks.

Greenhouse Grower’s App (only for Apple smart devices) – a set of 12 production calculators and a free Lite version of 5 of them). It is from Australia so the measurements are in different units.

Now that you are (or are thinking about) warming up your greenhouses for the spring crop, don’t assume that the cold weather killed off all the insect pests. They are diabolically clever at surviving (remember some of them survive outside in the winter, too). A great article from UMass with additional resources to convince you.  Want to know what’s popping out before the plants go in? Hang sticky cards under the benches if there is enough soil on the floor for fungus gnats and thrips to survive in, or near where pests might come in to the greenhouse and see what you catch.

I’ve heard one report so far of broad mite (admittedly not in NY but they like it here, too) so here’s Dan Gilrein’s broad mite post from e-Gro. There are other posts on the topic there, too – just Google e-Gro and broad mite and they will pop up, just like broad mites)

Aphids will tolerate cooler temperatures than some pests so we have seen aphids happily going about their unfortunate business in overwintered perennials in tunnels in late winter (is it late winter yet?). And heard anecdotally that people have successfully used ladybugs to control them. So, an article from Suzanne Wainwright-Evans (the BugLady) on using wild collected ladybugs  (Don’t even think about it!)

Enough for one post! But lots more to come.

July 12, 2016

Greenhouse IPM update 7.12.16

Too hot to think?  I hope not as there is lots of new stuff out there.  Turn up the fan and start reading!

New York State’s Pollinator Protection Plan is finished! It took a lot of people a lot of time to create.  What does it mean for you?  It has Best Management Practices for a lot of groups including Pesticide Users, Landowners/Growers, State Agencies, and Beekeepers. It includes funding for pollinator protection and IPM, invasive species prevention and eradication and farmland protection, research and outreach. Check it out!

What’s out there and coming?
Cucurbit downy mildew confirmed in Ontario, Canada  – and a new article from Meg McGrath (search for 2016 or scroll down to Cucurbit downy mildew)
Spotted wing drosophila all over NYS
Basil downy mildew – south and central NJ
Late blight on tomatoes – in Maryland
Impatiens downy mildew – in Maryland (maybe it is raining there)
I guess there is at least one advantage to drought.

Are they horror movies or tales of redemption?  You decide when you watch Koppert Biologicals’ videos of biocontrol agents eating pests.

Might you have mites?  At least some of them like hot weather.  I have them on my hops!  Griffin’s GGSPro has an article on two spotted spider mite.
And John Sanderson will be covering cyclamen and broad mites at the IPM In-depth (need a reminder?  There’s still time to sign up!)

Feeling stuffed up? Learn to unclog your drip emitters.

Have something to say?  EPA has a 60 day comment period on some pesticide registration language on combating pesticide resistance.  Find out more.

Need information on pest management for specialty crops like lavender?  OMAFRA has a blog for you.

What’s new in research?
Using far-red and blue light to reduce intumescence (edema) on tomato.

Using milk jugs, pest lures and a ‘stun pill’ to trap and kill cucumber beetles (not greenhouse but cool)-  (but what is the buffalo gourd powder in there for?)

Alabama has a new High tunnel I-book and it is free!  Granted New York isn’t Alabama but it might have some useful information and did I mention – FREE!

 

Have a wonderful week!