By Julie Hullett, Senior Editor, Greenhouse Grower
There are many growers joining the greenhouse sector who are new to the industry, which is good for the future. However, these newer growers likely may not be familiar with the same crop protection practices using biopesticides that more experienced growers know. For example, they may not intuitively understand that microbial pesticides are more effectively used as preventive controls and cannot be stored under as wide a range of conditions and for as long as their chemical pesticide counterparts. Education is more important now than ever, says Dr. Matthew Krause, Field Solutions Director — CEA and Greenhouse for Lallemand Plant Care, and crop protection manufacturers are becoming increasingly proactive in helping growers learn how to best use biologicals in their production.
“The manufacturers and distributors are more focused on complete programs,” Krauss says. “Instead of only recommending their own products, suppliers need to consider the other products and approaches that growers use to manage each issue.”
“One of the dangers is that when we talk about enthusiastically about biopesticides, there’s the perception that these can be silver bullets.”
It’s important that communication goes both ways, he adds. When using a crop protection product, more experienced growers know what to expect, and if a product does not perform to their expectations, the growers let the manufacturers know. Krause says manufacturers learn from the growers about each of their unique situations, and what their use patterns are for their best control of a given pest or disease.
“The biggest trend is that we have newer people coming into the industry as growers and we need to make sure they are given the right education on how to use biological products. One of the dangers is that when we talk about enthusiastically about biopesticides, there’s the perception that these can be silver bullets,” Krause says. “Part of our job is to explain the reality to these newer growers. We need to explain where we expect them to work, and what kinds of reductions in disease or pest injury growers can experience with them.”
Krauss emphasizes that there are no single products that do everything. Some products have broad labels, but they have strengths and weaknesses, even on pests that are listed on their labels.
Another factor that plays into the importance of grower education is the stress on university Extension programs. Across the country, Extension programs are strained and have less resources, including fewer staff members and less funding. When growers have questions, they are increasingly coming to manufacturers and distributors to learn how to use products, especially biologicals.
“These are [often] living organisms and they have biological limits. They don’t work at extreme temperatures, they have particular storage conditions and limited shelf lives, and they need to be applied preventatively. If they’re put into a curative program, the curative product needs to be used for first for the curative effect, followed by the biological product to provide preventive protection against new infections or infestations for a longer period thereafter,” Krause says.
“You may not see instant results with them. They take time to establish in the soil or on the root system to act against root pathogens or pests. When many of these products are applied to the foliage, they are not typically absorbed into the plant or are systemic, and they don’t spread to tissue that wasn’t there at the time of the last spray. Therefore, they need to be applied to the new tissue that develops so you can protect that new tissue,” he says.
Retailers and consumers have also changed their preferences. Consumers are more educated on the potential impacts that chemical pesticides could have, so retailers are seeking products that have a lesser impact on the environment and human health.
Krause says he sees more biopesticide products on the market due to some overarching trends. New biopesticide products from traditional chemical companies are being driven by safety considerations in the greenhouse. Biopesticides are often regarded as safer in the greenhouse than conventional chemical products. Retailers and consumers have also changed their preferences. Consumers are more educated on the potential impacts that chemical pesticides could have, so retailers are seeking products that have a lesser impact on the environment and human health, he says.
Biological products have become a major aspect of the crop protection market. Due to their reduced impact on the environment and human health, while maintaining good efficacy rates, more growers are turning to these products as a solution for their most problematic insect and disease pests. But education is key to understanding how these products work to yield the best results.
