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Greenhouse Flourishes Under Biocontrol Program - July 2001
July 1, 2001
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- Eliminating the majority of pesticides and implementing a biocontrol system at Pennsylvania College of Technology's greenhouse in Williamsport, Pa. has resulted in a complete turn-around from the pest problems that have plagued the facility in the past. Biocontrol uses natural enemies of the pest such as predators and parasites.
According to Manager Lana Baker, problems she encountered in the greenhouse included a large population of mealy bugs and several kinds of scales, along with aphids and whiteflies. Baker started working with biocontrol specialist Cathy Thomas, who was hired by Penn State when the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture acquired an 18-month, $40,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Thomas helped to set up a biocontrol system in January 2000, but it wasn't until March they were able to implement it. "We had to wait a few months to allow the hard (more toxic) chemicals we had been using to dissipate before introducing beneficial organisms," says Baker.
Mealybug control in the greenhouse is being managed by Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, a predatory beetle, while whiteflies are controled by Encarsia formosa and Eretmocerus eremicus. Aphids are being controled with Aphidius colemani, while spider mites are kept at bay with Phytoseiulus persimilis and Amblyseius californicus, predatory mites. Currently, biocontrol tactics are being implemented on over 7,000 square feet in the greenhouse, which houses interior foliage plants such as cactus and orchids.
The greenhouse serves as a hands-on learning environment for the students, allowing interior landscape students and others to learn how to identify various plants and pests. The greenhouse also has a small retail operation.
According to Baker, the biocontrol system will continue to expand. "Last fall we used it on our poinsettia and bedding plants and it worked really well. We only sprayed our bedding plants one time with a soft, less toxic pesticide," Baker explains.
Over time, Baker is looking at considerable savings with the new system. "There are some costs involved in setting up the system, but there are huge savings in time right from the start," says Baker. For instance, Baker says that spraying with hard chemicals means having to suit up in each time in protective gear, closing the greenhouse to students and others for a day or more, and keeping extensive records.
In addition, she no longer has to order as many pesticides, and now only uses small amounts of soft chemicals on an as needed basis. "I've just completed my order for pesticides for the next fiscal year, and am ordering about 1/3 to 2/3 less than normal," Baker explains.
Baker says she really enjoys the program, not only because it saves time and money, but also its much more workable with the students. "Its just so much easier now. Before we'd have to close the greenhouse after spraying for up to two days, which was hard because you have students needing access to the labs for their research work. So, we were delaying sprays because of classes, which magnified our pest problems." By using soft pesticides, the reentry time into the greenhouse is four hours or less. With the biocontrol system in place, the greenhouse can remain open more of the time and hosts more tours from garden clubs and prospective students and their parents.
In addition, the program is preparing students to be better employees, says Baker. "Chemicals are less and less available, so it's a benefit to employers to hire people that have experience in biocontrol systems and have those skills."