PB 1825 An Overview Of Systems-based Pest Management For Nursery Production

PB 1825An Overview ofSystems-based PestManagement forNursery Production

An Overview of Systems-based Pest Managementfor Nursery ProductionDiana R. Cochran, former Postdoctoral Scientist, Plant SciencesAmy Fulcher, Assistant Professor, Plant SciencesFrank A. Hale, Professor, Entomology and Plant PathologyAlan S. Windham, Professor, Entomology and Plant PathologyWant to know the mostinexpensive way to controlpests? Prevent them!!Financial Risk From PestsBenefits of Using Systems-basedPest Managementnumber of marketable plants, or lowering sale prices.Pests can also cause plant death or halt sales altogetherif they are regulated pests. The discovery of a regulatedpest such as Phytophthora ramorum, the organism thatcauses sudden oak death and a foliar blight of manyornamental plants, can lead to quarantines, forced plantdestruction and a subsequent loss of significant revenue.Nursery growers who adopt a systems-based approachto pest management reduce the risks associated with themovement of plants through the production cycle andimprove their ability to respond to and recover from thedetection of pests, especially those that are regulated.Systems-based pest management is just that –preventing pests at each step in the productionsystem. By using a systems-based approach to pestmanagement, growers can reduce the spread of pests,better understand the source of pests, safeguard theirnursery from accepting infested liners from suppliers,and ensure that only pest-free plants are shipped totheir customers. Systems-based pest management alsoequips a nursery to track plant and pest movement if aregulated pest is detected within the nursery.Pests (insects, mites, diseases and weeds) can pose a riskduring nursery production by reducing plant growth or plantquality. Reduced growth or quality can decrease nurseryprofits by lengthening production cycles, lessening theFigure 1. Common critical control points to prevent the introduction or spread of pestswithin generalized nursery production cycles (field production cycle: above, containerproduction cycle: below)bareroot linerstock plantssoilcuttings ingreenhousecontainer storage2 The University of Tennessee Institute of Agricultureirrigationsubstrate storageirrigation

What Is Systems-based PestManagement?Whether you are a container producer or grow plantsin the field, following simple prevention strategies canhelp mitigate the spread of insects, mites, pathogens andweeds within your production areas. This publicationfeatures examples of methods to reduce risk due topests within the identified critical control points. Fora more comprehensive list of strategies and detailedinformation on adopting systems-based pest managementin the nursery, see the resources listed at the end of thisdocument, in particular, “Systems-based Approach to PestManagement: A Quick Reference Guide.”These high-risk points are called “critical control points”and are the most effective places to prevent, control,contain, reduce or eliminate risk due to pests. Commoncritical control points include receiving areas, propagationhouses, container storage areas, substrate piles, irrigationwater, cull piles, etc. Once these critical control pointsare identified, a set of practices is put into place thatcollectively provides overlapping and cumulative pestprevention as well as early detection and control.Examples of Reducing Risk atCritical Control PointsUnlike conventional pest management, systems-basedpest management is a proactive approach. Owners ormanagers invest time up front preventing pest-relatedproblems rather than solely responding to problems asthey arise. Systems-based pest management starts withtracing the production path and identifying high-riskor vulnerable points during the production chain whenpests could be introduced or easily spread throughout thenursery (Figure 1).Adopting a Systems-based PestManagement ApproachAdopting new practices throughout a nursery can bedaunting. If you are uncomfortable adopting an entirelynew approach to pest management at one time, tryadopting one or two key practices each year over a fourto-five-year period until the entire production chain hastransitioned to systems-based pest management. Forexample, begin sanitizing used containers in year one,monitor pest population levels on susceptible plants inyear two, etc. Each year you can focus on mastering thatspecific strategy and reap the associated benefits. At theend of the four-to-five-year period, your nursery willstart receiving the benefits of cumulative practices andstrategies by having a fully implemented systems-basedpest management program.shipping tocustomerReceiving and ShippingInspecting incoming liners is a great first line of defense.It gives the nursery producer an early advantage byexcluding infected or infested plant material fromthe main production area. It’s important to be able torecognize the signs and symptoms that indicate a pestproblem. If you need to sharpen your diagnostic skills,be sure to attend educational seminars, workshopsand field days offered by your UT Extension office.If you need assistance identifying suspect pests ordiseases, contact your local UT Extension office and/ora Tennessee Department of Agriculture plant inspector.Also, remember to always buy from reputable, certifiedor licensed nurseries. When shipping plants, be sure tofollow all shipping regulations. Do not ship plants if yoususpect they are infected or infested with injurious pests.Remember — your plants, your name, your reputation!PropagationPropagation is a key control point. Buying-in plants,especially when from outside your state or region, is avulnerability that can be avoided by propagating plantsat your facility and/or sourcing them locally. This “buylocal” strategy can greatly reduce the likelihood ofintroducing major regulated diseases to your state andnursery. This is especially true if you grow boxwood(boxwood blight) or many of the ornamentals susceptibleto Phytophthora ramorum. Keep a sharp eye duringpropagation and maintain stringent sanitation procedures,including sanitizing all bench surfaces and tools, such aspruners, knives, etc. Select material from pest-free stockplants and avoid using the lower portion of plants forcuttings, micropropagation or grafting because this areais within the rain splash zone and may harbor soilbornepathogens. Avoid collecting plant tissue for propagationThe University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture 3

on windy, wet days when the conditions are morefavorable for fungal organisms and bacteria thatcause disease.Substrate should be stored on a concrete slab withadequate drainage (Figures 4 and 5).ProductionWhether you are a container producer or grow plantsin the field, following simple sanitation tips can helpmitigate the spread of unwanted insects, mites, pathogensor weeds within your production areas. Container growerswho reuse pots should follow proper sanitation andhandling guidelines because it is the pot that should berecycled, not pests! Cover the ground with a layer ofgravel to keep containers from coming in contact with soilor sitting in puddles, both of which can spread pathogensthat cause root rot diseases (Figures 2 and 3).Figure 2. Good Example: Containers are stored ongravel, preventing contact with soil or puddled water.Figure 4. Good Example: Substrate is stored on a welldrained container pad with dedicated equipment toprevent contamination from soil.Figure 5. Bad Example: Substrate storage area ispoorly drained. Puddles may serve as a reservoir forroot rot pathogens.Field growers should monitor their fields and the flowof irrigation runoff to prevent infested soil from beingcarried to new areas. When a soilborne pathogen isdetected in a field, employees should wear rubber bootsthat can be dipped or hosed off before entering uninfestedfields in order to prevent spreading the pathogen.Water ManagementFigure 3. Bad Example: Containers are in contact withsoil that may harbor root rot pathogens.Plant growth depends on the proper management ofirrigation. Too much or too little water or ill-timedapplications can compromise plant health and predisposeplants to disease or mite and insect problems. Avoid overirrigating as that can lead to excessive runoff, carryingaway needed fertilizer and pesticides that were applied tothe plant (Figure 6).However, water should drain from production pads;crowned beds aid proper drainage (Figure 7).4 The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Figure 6. Bad Example: Runoff from containerproduction can contain nutrients and pesticides.Figure 8. Bad Example: Over-irrigation and/or poorlydraining container pads can lead to root rot andoverall poor plant health.Site MaintenanceNon-crop areas require maintenance, too. For example,weeds growing in non-crop areas such as roadways andditches can wreak havoc on production areas. Keepingdrainage ditches, roadways and storage areas free ofweeds will help prevent weed seed from infiltratingproduction areas. Weeds that are allowed to go to seedaround substrate storage piles can find their way intoproduction areas by hitching a ride with newly pottedplants. Weeds can also serve as host plants for insects,mites and pathogens. Maintaining non-crop areas is avital component of a systems-based approach to pestmanagement.Figure 7. Good Example: Container pad is crowned forgood surface drainage.Pathogen-infested water can come into contact withplants as puddled water on the ground or directly throughirrigation applications (Figure 8).Drain tiles may need to be installed to allow for adequatedrainage of production fields. Knowing how to managewater and irrigating properly are important components ofa systems-based pest management approach.Integrated Pest ManagementUsing strategies from integrated pest management (IPM)complements a systems-based pest management approach.One IPM strategy is scouting for pests. A dedicatedscout can monitor for pests by using traps and can scoutsusceptible host plants during the appropriate time framefor each pest. In addition, employees can be trained andrewarded for making the effort to detect pests during theirassigned tasks. Due to the number of plant species grownand the variety of pests that affect nursery crops, learningto identify all possible pests may be challenging for newemployees or employees whose main responsibility is notscouting. Therefore, have employees focus on learningthe top 10 problem pests at your nursery first. Considerposting photos of the most relevant pests in common areassuch as break rooms. The UT Institute of Agriculturehas print and electronic resources, including the mobileThe University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture 5