Page 19 - Griffin Gazette Winter 2016

Bonus Standard Sanitation
Protocols By Use
Digital Content

Standard procedure for treating Standard procedure for treating hard Standard procedure for cleaning pots
irrigation lines when no plants are surfaces (GGSPro recommends using new pots to
present 1. Remove all debris, plant tissue and avoid risk of disease transmission for
1. Direct inject Strip-It at 1:50 or 1:64. persistent diseases and sensitive crops.)
2. Allow Strip-It to sit in the lines overnight media. Discard off-site. 1. Remove all debris, plant tissue and
2. Chemically clean with Strip-It or
(12 hours). media. Discard off-site.
3. Flush the lines with clear water until Horti-Klor. 2. Soak pots in the cleaner/detergent for
a. If using Strip-It, allow surfaces to
foaming ceases. 3-5 minutes. Refresh when the solution
4. Inject KleenGrow, SaniDate 5.0, or remain wet for 3-5 minutes without appears dirty or does not loosen
drying. material.
ZeroTol 2.0 into the line. Maintain contact b. If using Horti-Klor, allow the surfaces 3. Rinse pots in clear water.
for at least 10 minutes to remain wet for 5-10 minutes (rinse 4. Dip pots in Green-Shield, KleenGrow,
shortly after application for treatment of SaniDate 5.0 or ZeroTol 2.0. Remove pots
soft metals). from solution and allow to dry slowly so
3. Thoroughly rinse the cleaner from the that the surfaces remain wet for at least
surfaces with clear water. 10 minutes. Do not rinse.
4. Apply Green-Shield, KleenGrow,
SaniDate 5.0 or ZeroTol 2.0. Allow the
surface to remain wet for at least 10
minutes. Do not rinse.

Innovative Predatory Mite Delivery
System from Syngenta Bioline

By Rick Yates, GGSPro Technical Services Manager are made from water-repellant paper, they shouldn’t be placed in
contact with the soil; the moisture wicked from the soil will cause
Sachets that contain breeding colonies of predatory mites aren’t the bran in the sachets to become moldy and eventually ruin the
new, but a new twist on this concept is proving to be very popu- breeding colony.
lar. Each sachet from Syngenta Bioline now contains some bran, The propagation area brings some challenges for proper sachet
which serves to sustain a population of bran mites. The bran mites placement. Without enough vegetation on which to hang a sachet,
serve as the protein source for certain predatory mites in the Am- options have been limited. The answer has come in the form of a
blyseius genus, namely A. andersoni, A. cucumeris and A. swirskii. mini-sachet attached to a stick. Currently two species of mites are

The proper balance of bran, prey and pred- available as a mini-sachet on a stick:
atory mites makes it possible to develop a Amblyline Stick – Amblyseius cucumeris
stable, reproductive colony that provides – most commonly used for the first larval
3-6 weeks of mite release, depending on stage of thrips; also effective against spi-
the type of mite and environmental condi- der mites, broad mites and cyclamen mites
tions. During that time, hundreds of mite if pest populations are low
predators are released right where they’re Swirskiline Stick – Amblyseius swirskii –
needed the most. most effective against the first larval stage
of thrips and whitefly eggs during summer
Placement of the sachets is very impor- Mini-sachet on a stick conditions with high night temperatures
tant. Ideally, sachets are placed in the plant With the sachet firmly attached to a small
canopy. The canopy shades the sachets stick, it can be easily placed close to, but
from direct sunlight and maintains a fairly not in contact with, the soil. The release
humid, but not wet, environment that ex- hole for the mites is under a fold in the wa-
tends the productivity of the sachet. CRS ter-repellant paper, preventing water drop-
mini-sachets are produced with hooks that lets from covering the hole and trapping
facilitate placement within the crop cano- the mites inside the sachet. This new sa-
py. Gemini sachets resemble “A” frames; chet product has become so popular that
they shed water from overhead irrigations it’s also being used in hanging baskets and
and are often used with for flat produc- other containers to optimize placement.
tion. Each Gemini sachet will protect a 10
square-foot area if the flats are touching to Griffin Gazette winter 2016 19
allow the mites to travel. While the sachets