Page 17 - Griffin Gazette Q4 2017

pharmaceutical tobacco. Release rates for use in propagation and young plant
start at 5-10 per 100 square feet. stages. Use mini sachets on hooks or sticks
Fungus gnats – Fungus gnats are at a rate of 20 per 100 square feet.
problematic in both greenhouses and Whiteflies – Whiteflies are most problematic
warehouses, impacting all crops. Prevention in solanaceous crops, including tomatoes,
depends on the media used in production. and cucumbers. Unlike other pests, BCA
For universal prevention regardless of control of whiteflies generally starts at first
media used, turn to the predatory beetle sign of the pest instead of on a preventative
Dalotia coriaria (formerly known as Atheta basis. Control relies on parasitoid wasps,
coriaria) and the predatory mite Hypoaspis including Eretmocerus eremicus and
miles. Both are released once, early in the Encarsia formosa, and requires an active
crop, and will establish in the production scouting program to assess pest and BCA
space. Dalotia can be also be sustained in populations at different leaf clusters on the
breeding boxes, long lasting colonies that crop. Contact GGSPro to learn more about Sachets provide great protection in
are easily supported (request GGSPro’s whitefly control with BCAs. medicinal marijuana
bulletin to learn more). Release Dalotia at Effective, preventative control of insect and
a rate of 25-50 per 100 square feet and mite pests can be achieved with BCAs in all
Hypoaspis at a rate of 1000-3000 per 100 CEA crops. Success simply requires a solid
square feet. plan and a commitment to early release to
Spider mites – Spider mites are the build the protective shield. Griffin can help
scourge of a number of CEA crops, you make this happen, with personalized
including strawberries, medicinal marijuana, BCA plans and continued support from
cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. our GGSPro team. Talk to your Griffin sales
Prevention is worth its weight in gold and representative to get started!
can be achieved with several species of See the Bonus content in the digital version
predatory mites, including Amblyseius of the Gazette for additional details on
andersoni, Neoseiulus californicus (formerly product use for the BCAs mentioned above.
A. californicus) and N. fallacis. Choose
andersoni or fallacis for cooler conditions
and californicus for warmer conditions. For Amblyseius cucumeris – predatory mites that
tomato and medicinal marijuana, the best feed on thrips
choice is andersoni, as it also provides What is
protection against russet mites, which
are extremely difficult to control once
established in a crop. The most efficient controlled
means of providing preventative control is
to use controlled release sachets, which are
hung in the crop and replaced every four to
six weeks (every four weeks in warehouse environment
applications or on medicinal marijuana).
Andersoni and californicus are available in
sachet form. Place sachets at 10 per 100 agriculture?
square feet for most crops and a little more
densely (15 per 100 square feet) for stronger
protection in medicinal crops. Fallacis is
available only in bulk form, requiring weekly Controlled environment The tiny parasitoid Aphidius wasps keep
releases to maintain the protective shield. aphids at bay
Release fallacis at a rate of 100-150 per 100 agriculture (CEA)
square feet. encompasses
Thrips – Thrips can attack all CEA crops,
though they are less common on lettuces production of edibles
and leafy greens. Preventative control is and medicinal crops
best achieved with predatory mites, either
Amblyseius cucumeris or A. swirskii. under cover, in structures
Swirskii are more aggressive feeders, but such as high tunnels,
require higher temperatures, so their use
is generally limited to summer months in greenhouses and
greenhouses. There is one more limitation
to consider for swirskii: The oils in tomato warehouses.
tissue make swirskii less effective. Utilize
sachets for efficient release for preventative
programs. Stick sachets are especially nice Dalotia, aka Atheta – nocturnal, predatory
beetles feed on fungus gnat larvae

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