Page 16 - Griffin Gazette Winter 2016

By Tami Van Gaal, A Guide to Sanitation
GGSPro Products and Best
Technical Support Practices for Use
Representative
Good greenhouse
sanitation reduces
the potential for insect
and disease problems
to establish within
crops. Sanitation covers many activities,
including isolating incoming plant material,
scouting, glove and apron changes,
and use of sanitation products. Use of
sanitation products is critically important
to prevent spread of some diseases and
fully eradicate some pathogens. Griffin
offers many sanitation products, including
cleaners/detergents and true sanitizers.
Before exploring the sanitation products
available, let’s understand how the patho-
gens enter greenhouses and differences in
potential persistence. Some fungal patho-
gens, such as Botrytis, downy mildew and
powdery mildew, can enter greenhouses
via airborne spores and/or hitchhike on
incoming plant material. Given the proper
environmental conditions, active disease
may develop. Removing debris lessens
disease pressure, but the main path to
control and eradication is through culture
and use of plant-protection products.

Some sanitizers are

effective against a wide

range of pathogens, while Remove algae with chemical cleaners before treating with a sanitizer.

other products are more enter plants with assistance. Some surfaces and in water. Bacteria often
viruses are vectored by insects (e.g., respond to treatment, but some
specialized. INSV and TSWV), while others enter via infections cannot be cured.
slight or severe mechanical injury (e.g., • Persistent fungi – Fusarium and
For other pathogens, the initial entry into TMV). ToMV and TMV can easily persist Thielaviopsis are problematic in
the greenhouse is almost always tied to for months or even years in a greenhouse. greenhouses. Fusarium infects vascular
incoming plant material. Some of these Crops infected by virus cannot be cured. systems, and Thielaviopsis infects roots.
pathogens can be very persistent in crops No cure exists for either disease; treat
and potentially infect subsequent crops. • Bacteria – Bacteria are microscopic, to prevent spread. Both pathogens
Post-crop sanitation products must be single-celled organisms (e.g., produce persistent resting structures
part of the overall control plan to eradicate Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas). with potential to persist in media, soil and
these pathogens. Short descriptions of Prolific reproduction within plants results on hard surfaces for months to years.
the most common, persistent greenhouse in disease. Bacteria enter plants through • Water molds – Pythium and Phytophthora
pathogens follow: natural openings or through production are oomycetes, not true fungi.
• Viruses – Viruses are tiny, microscopic, activities (pruning, propagation, etc). Pythium infects roots and stems, while
Some bacteria, including Xanthomonas, Phytophthora infects roots, crowns,
non-cellular parasites that cause disease can persist in plant debris, on hard
by reproducing within plant cells. Viruses

Chemical Cleaners/Detergents: Primary Uses

Product Mechanism Hard Surfaces Irrigation Systems Pots Notes
Yes Yes
Strip-It Acidic detergent and wetting Yes Use a foamer for vertical
agents No Yes surfaces

Horti-Klor Chlorinated detergents and Yes Alkaline product. Rinse soft
emulsifiers metals soon after application.

16 Griffin Gazette winter 2016