Basics:

Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person’s health, the ecology or the economy. [1]
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse) is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings. A miniature greenhouse is known as a cold frame. Greenhouses protect crops from too much heat or cold and help to keep out pests. Light and temperature control allows greenhouses to turn inarable land into arable land, thereby improving food production in marginal environments. Because greenhouses allow certain crops to be grown throughout the year, greenhouses are increasingly important in the food supply of high latitude countries. Greenhouses are often used for growing flowers, vegetables, fruits, and tobacco plants. Bumblebees are the pollinators of choice for most greenhouse pollination, although other types of bees have been used, as well as artificial pollination. Hydroponics can be used in greenhouses as well to make the most use of the interior space. [2]
The controlled environment of greenhouses, the high value of the crops, and the limited number of registered fungicides offer a unique niche for the biological control of plant diseases. During the past ten years, over 80 biocontrol products have been marketed worldwide. A large percentage of these have been developed for greenhouse crops. Products to control soilborne pathogens such as Sclerotinia, Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium include Coniothyrium minitans, species of Gliocladium, Trichoderma, Streptomyces, and Bacillus, and nonpathogenic Fusarium. Products containing Trichoderma, Ampelomyces quisqualis, Bacillus, and Ulocladium are being developed to control the primary foliar diseases, Botrytis and powdery mildew. The development of Pseudomonas for the control of Pythium diseases in hydroponics and Pseudozyma flocculosa for the control of powdery mildew by two Canadian research programs is presented. In the future, biological control of diseases in greenhouses could predominate over chemical pesticides, in the same way that biological control of greenhouse insects predominates in the United Kingdom. The limitations in formulation, registration, and commercialization are discussed, along with suggested future research priorities. [3]
Crop protection in European greenhouses became strongly chemically oriented shortly after the Second World War in the 1950s. But an excellent climate for fast reproduction of pests and diseases demanded high spray frequencies and, thus, resulted in quick development of resistance against pesticides. This initiated a search for alternatives of chemical pesticides. The first natural enemies for control of pests in European greenhouse vegetables became available in the 1960s. A change from chemical control to very advanced integrated pest management programs (IPM) took place in a time span of about 20 years. Nowadays, growers worldwide annually introduce millions of natural enemies for pest control. About 100 species of beneficial organisms are commercially available for control of all important insect and mite pests. In the main vegetable crops in northern Europe, most if not all insect problems can now be solved without the use of insecticides. The change to IPM was not based on idealism about a cleaner or healthier environment, but was rooted on clear advantages for the grower. Development of biological control of diseases has started recently, and the first practical successes have been obtained. Integrated management of pests and diseases without conventional chemical pesticides is a goal that will be realised for most of the important vegetables in Europe within a decade. IPM is not limited to greenhouse vegetables, but is increasingly used in ornamentals. New activities in plant breeding research aim at (1) combining aspects of host-plant resistance with biological control, (2) selecting plant cultivars that are able to attract natural enemies after they have been attacked by pest organisms, and (3) selecting plant cultivars that produce a better “working environment” for biological control agents. Because of specific advantages of biological control for the growers, greenhouse crops will be produced without the need to use conventional pesticides in the very near future. At the same time, this results in a cleaner environment, in satisfying the demand of consumers for pesticide-free food, and in sustainable crop protection. [4]
In Europe, commercial use of biological control has seen a very fast development during the past 30 years. Currently, Europe has 26 companies which produce more than 80 species of natural enemies. The 29 most commonly sold natural enemies are discussed in this survey. The recommended release rate, the unit of sale, the target pest(s), and the number of companies producing a certain natural enemy are specified. Large differences in prices for biological control agents exist between Europe and the United States. Many more species of natural enemies are commercially available in Europe than in the United States, mainly as a result of the much larger greenhouse industry in Europe. [5]

Conclusion:

A fight against pests in a never-ending one (see http://peskypossum.com.au/). All farmers are hoping to destroy pests without pesticides and save the health and good quality of their plants. biological control is the thing which is talked about and scientific research is continuing in that area.

 

References:

http://www.australianscience.com.au/biology/biological-and-integrated-pest-control-in-greenhouses/

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest_control
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse
[3] “BIOLOGICAL CONTROL IN GREENHOUSE SYSTEMS” by Timothy C. Paulitz
[4] “A greenhouse without pesticides: fact or fantasy?” by Joop C. van Lenteren
[5] “Commercial Mass Production and Pricing of Organisms for Biological Control of Pests in Europe” by: Joop C. van Lenteren, Michel M. Roskam, Radbout Timmer

What steps should greenhouse growers take to build a successful whitefly management program? SAF weighs in with these suggestions:

1. Scout weekly! Use sticky cards to monitor adults, and check the undersides of leaves to monitor the immature population. Visual inspections, sticky cards and product performance-scouting are all necessary. Don’t let the whiteflies get ahead of you, or your treatment options will be more limited. Don’t wait until shipment to find out you have whiteflies!

2. Do not rely on just one or two effective products. Rotate, rotate and rotate some more with different modes of action to decrease the potential for developing resistance. A resistant B-biotype can be just as bad as a Q-biotype! Or, if you are using a product that only kills the B-biotypes and have a mixed population, you will end up with more Q-biotypes, which are harder to control.

Growers should also time product applications to meet label recommendations for the current life stage present. If neonicotinoids are applied too early in the crop cycle and/or heavy irrigation has occurred, the active ingredient residual may not last or may be leached out before the end of the crop cycle.

3. Contact your propagator, your local extension agent or university expert if you have problems. Knowing which biotype you are dealing with will help you choose the most effective control products: Q-biotype and some B-biotype whiteflies are resistant to certain products and will not be effectively controlled unless you use the correct program. Get your whiteflies biotyped. The biotyping process is fast, free, and information will be kept absolutely confidential. The Whitefly Management Program provides the contact address to which samples may be sent for biotyping.

4. Practice good sanitation between crop cycles. Whitefly management does not end once you ship. It is very important not to develop a resistant whitefly population develop within your greenhouse. Then, cycle it from crop to crop! Make every effort to eradicate residual populations after shipment. It’s important for your vegetable, cotton, or peanut-producing neighbors – and it’s important for your future crop years. Letting whiteflies – and especially difficult-to-manage populations of either biotype – survive within your greenhouse is just a headache, and maybe a disaster, waiting to happen.

5. Inspect incoming shipments and isolate if necessary. Zero-tolerance is not the goal for anyone, so you may see a whitefly or two when your shipments arrive. That’s normal and means that your propagator or rooting station is probably following good management practices. But if you see many whiteflies on incoming shipments, keep those plants separate from your other crops until they have been treated. And inform your propagator or rooting station.

6. Watch your neighbors’ fields. If you’re near cotton, peanut or vegetable fields (and especially if you are in a part of the country that has been hot and dry over the summer), you may see whiteflies migrate to your greenhouse at the end of their season. Obviously, you don’t want to be contributing whiteflies to their fields, either!

Want more information on whitefly control? Take advice from Kansas State University’s Ray Cloyd in this FloriCAST episode with scouting, cultural management, pest control and parasitoid advice on whiteflies.

Once maligned as “snake oil” and dismissed as too expensive, biopesticides are earning a stronger foothold on the crop-protection market, with some analysts predicting dramatic growth in coming years. They cite a convergence of forces that include greater emphasis on sustainable growing practices, increased regulation of conventional pesticides, mounting retail and consumer emphasis on residue-free produce, and technological advances.

On the other hand, trends in California biopesticide use tracked through 2009 by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation indicate steady to slightly declining use of biopesticides.

Cost cutting due to the recession, reduced pest pressure in some crops and regions, and moderating increases in demand for organic fruits and vegetables may account for the fluctuation in use. Also, the Biopesticide Industry Alliance said widely divergent market statistics make it hard to pinpoint sales and usage trends.

The biopesticide category covers a variety of materials, including those that incorporate microorganisms and naturally occurring compounds such as pheromones, which disrupt insect mating, plus essential oils and mineral compounds.

In 2006, Arysta LifeScience estimated the worldwide biopesticide market at about $541 million. A 2008 study released by Global Industry Analysts Inc. estimated biopesticides represented about 3 percent of the overall world pesticide market.

“We’ve had a 25percent market share of fungicides used in conventionally grown fresh-market tomatoes and peppers in Florida for several years,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, head of AgraQuest, a Davis-based biotechnology company. “If we weren’t offering value for the money, I can assure you we wouldn’t be able to keep that market-leading position.”

He said biopesticides “have a special market position in high-value crops where residue levels and harvest and re-entry intervals are important.”

AgraQuest’s Serenade Soil, a yield-enhancing fungicide, was named the best new biopesticide of 2011 by Agrow, a technical information company. The award cited first-year sales success of Serenade Soil by U.S. potato growers to control Phytophthora infestans and common scab.

Pam Marrone, CEO and founder of Marrone Bio Innovations in Davis, said key factors in worldwide sales growth of biopesticides include larger investments in research and development, more established practices for biopesticide use in integrated pest management programs, and increased organic acreage. Perhaps the single most important factor, Marrone said, is the growth of biopesticide technology.

She said startup biopesticide companies are partrnering with major manufacturers such as Bayer, BASF, FMC, Monsanto, Scotts and Syngenta.

“The problem is that there are a lot of products in development that haven’t been tried,” Marrone said. “There’s a lot of on-farm demo work that still has to be done, particularly here in California.”

Price has been an issue, she said, noting that the biopesticides that are doing best in the market are those priced competitively with conventional pesticides.

“Our product Regalia (used for fungal and bacterial disease control), for example, is priced right in the middle of the pack,” Marrone said.

BCC Research Corp. found in a study last year that the popularity of biopesticides has increased substantially in recent years, due to better research on effectiveness. In an earlier study, BCC found that 55 percent of biopesticides were used for orchard crops, giving them the largest share of biopesticide use.

In the Salinas Valley, Carlos Zavale, pest control adviser for the grower-shipper Tanimura & Antle, said the vegetable-growing operation uses biopesticides in a variety of ways, including control of fungal infections and insect infestations.

“Because of new pesticide regulations, a lot of tools have been taken away from us,” Zavale said. “At the same time biopesticides, which are a lot softer, have been evolving.”

For large vegetable growers like T&A, softer, more targeted chemistries mean shorter re-entry and harvest intervals after application, and increased worker safety.

“Are they as effective as our older tools? No,” he said. “But, biopesticides do work. They’re another tool we can rely on. Using different pest-control options allows us to grow both (conventional and organic) crops in the same area. And, when there’s a pest emergency in a high-value crop and you need a clean crop to sell, you need to consider alternatives. Sometimes that means using biopesticides.”

Zavale pointed out that conventional pesticide products are also becoming softer and more targeted.

“I don’t see biopesticides replacing conventional products,” he said. “In the past, we used to put three or four products in the tank for field application. Now it’s six or seven products, each with its own targeted purpose. That’s true whether you’re using conventional or biopesticide products.”

“Until farmers can see how these new chemistries can fit into cultural practices, they’re not going to change,” said Rick Melnicoe, University of California pesticide coordinator and Western Integrated Pest Management Center director. “No matter how much these products are promoted, until the biopesticide manufacturers have good on-farm demonstrations of how these things work, it’s not going to work for farmers. And it has to be cost-effective, too.”

Melnicoe said he has talked with biopesticide manufacturers about using biopesticides with conventional pesticides as a way to reduce application rates for conventional formulas.

“That’s a trend I’m starting to see more,” he said. “People are recognizing that’s the better way to go with these new chemistries, rather than have a single biopesticide stand alone as a single-use product.”

(Kate Campbell is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at kcampbell@cfbf.com.)