Pesticide Free Crop Protection- Organic

Biological control is a tool to be considered in constructing an integrated pest management scheme for protected crop production. In a complete integrated pest management program, diseases, weeds, and plant growth must be considered as well as insects and mites. But because we are entomologists, this discussion covers insect and mite pests of greenhouse crops only. With IPM, each crop must be considered individually. Some greenhouse crops such as tomato and poinsettia are especially suitable for biocontrol for several reasons. Tomatoes and poinsettias have relatively few insect and mite pests. They are not grown year round so there is a break in the production cycle. Biological control organisms can be used especially effectively for caterpillars, spider mites and whiteflies. Table 1 gives biological controls now commercially available. Table 2 is a list of pesticides that are compatbility with various natural enemies used for biological control in the greenhouse. Following the tables are recommended management practices that simplify the task of setting up a biocontrol program for a greenhouse crop and then there are some sources of natural enemies.

Table 1. Recommended Natural Enemies for Greenhouse Insect Pests

PEST
NATURAL ENEMY
RATE
UNIQUE CHARACTERS

Aphids
Aphid Lions Chrysoperla spp.
Preventative: 1-3/yd, Monthly, as needed
Control (low infest.): 2 to 5/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 4 to 8/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infest.): 7 to 12/yd, Bi-Weekly,

3 to 5 times
Maintenance: 1 to 2/yd, Tri-Weekly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Rates shown above for larvae. For eggs, multiply rate times 5; for adults, divide by 4
Purchase fed larvae that Are packaged individually. Lacewings are cannibalistic and should well dispersed.

Aphid midge
Aphidoletes
aphidomyza
Preventative: 1 to 3/yd, Monthly, as needed

Control (low infestation): 2 to 5/yd, Biwkly --

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 4 to 7/yd, Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infestation): 6 to 9/yd, Weekly,

3 to 5 times
Maintenance: 2 to 3/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Preventive releases should be made in sites open to the outside
Drop from plants into soil to pupate. If soil is not directly beneath foliage (i.e. if roots are bagged, etc.), they will die and not reproduce in the greenhouse. Can be kept active by using long-day lights.

Aphid Parasitoids
Aphidius
matricarae
Preventative: 1 to 2/ yd, Bi-weekly, as needed
Control (low infestation): 2 to 4/yd, weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infestation): 4 to 8/yd, weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infestation): N/A
Maintenance: 2 to 3/yd, monthly
Shipped as live adults, ready to parasitize aphids.

Lady beetle
Hippodamia
convergens


"Bug Pro" and other synthetic food sources are available to help keep lady in the garden.

Syrphid maggots


May occur naturally where screening is not employed.

Broad mite
Predaceous mite
Neoseiulus
barkeri
10 to 30 per plant.



Caterpillars
Aphid lions
Chrysoperla spp.


Purchase fed larvae that Are packaged individually. Lacewings are cannibalistic and should well dispersed.

Bacterium
Bacillus
thuringiensis
kurstaki (various formulations)
1 to 5 teaspoons per gallon of water
Can be used with regular chemical pesticides

Fungus gnats


Yellow sticky cards and potato slices useful for monitoring.

Bacterium
Bacillus
thuringiensis
israelinsis
(Gnatrol™)
2 to 8 pints per 100 gallons of water.
Compatible with most pesticides.

Nematodes
Steinernema
carpocapsae
(Scanmask™)

Steinernema
carpocapsae (Ecomask™)

19,000 per sq ft.



70,000 per sq ft.

This strain is adapted to cooler soil temperatures.


This strain is adapted to warmer soil temperatures.

Soil-Dwelling Mite
Hypoaspis
miles
Preventative: 35 to 70/yd, Monthly, as needed
Control (low infest.): 45 to 100/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 100 to 140/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infest.): 100 to 200/yd, Bi-Weekly,

3 to 5 times
Maintenance: 4 to 75/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Interval depends upon site size
Will also feed on thrips pupae in the soil.

Leafminers
Warm Weather
Leaf Miner
Parasitoid
Dacnusa
siberica
Preventative: 1 to 3/yd, Bi-Weekly, as needed
Control (low infestation): 2 to 5/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (moderate infestation): N/A Control (high infestation): N/A
Maintenance: 2 to 4/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Early season introduction will work the best. Use with parasitic nematodes



Warm Weather
Leaf Miner
Parasitoid
Diglyphus
isaea
Preventative: 1 to 2/yd, Tri-Weekly, as needed
Control (low infest.): 2 to 4/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infestation): N/A
Control (high infestation): N/A
Maintenance: 2 to 3/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Late spring introductions will work the best. Use with parasitic nematodes



Mealybugs
Australian lady beetle
Cryptolaemus
montrouzieri
Preventative: N/A
Control (low infest.): 2 to 4/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 4 to 6/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (high infest.): 6 to 8/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Maintenance: 2 to 3/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Large scale use is normally in the southern states.
Lady beetles are somewhat sensitive to pesticides including soap. Lady beetles work best at high mealybug populations and not so well with low infestations.

Parasitic wasp
Leptomastix
dactylopii
2 per sq yd or 5 per infested plant. Repeat 1 or 2 times per year.
Use in conjunction with the Australian lady beetle. Good control in 2 to 3 months. CITRUS MEALYBUG ONLY.

Mealybug,
Longtailed
Aphid Lions
Chrysoperla
carnea
Preventative: 1 to 3/yd, Monthly, as needed
Control (low infest.): 2 to 5/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 4 to 8/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infest.): 7 to 12/yd, Bi-Weekly,

3 to 5 times
Maintenance: 1 to 2/yd, Tri-Weekly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Rates shown above for larvae. For eggs, multiply rate times 5; for adults, divide by 4
Larvae are recommended.

Scale
insects
Lady beetles (Harmonia
axyridis: or
Hippodamia)
Preventative: N/A
Control (low infest.): 1 to 2/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 2 to 3/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (high infest.): 3 to 4/yd, Bi-Weekly,

3 to 4 times
Maintenance: 1-3/yd, Qtrly - Indefinitely
COMMENTS: The release rate shown above are suggested until further data is available



Soft scales
Parasitic wasp
Metaphycus
helvolus

5 to 10 per plant
For hemispherical scale, brown soft scale, nigra scale, black scale

Spider mites
Predaceous mites
Amblyseius
(= Neoseiulus)
fallacis
Preventative: 5 to 9/yd, Monthly, as needed
Control (low infest.): 10 to 18/yd, Tri-Weekly,

2 to 3 times
Control (mod. infest.): 18 to 26/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Control (high infest.): 26 to 32/yd, Bi-Weekly,

2 to 4 times
Maintenance: 3 to 6/yd, Monthly, Indefinitely
COMMENTS: Fall preventive releases should be made into groundcover only one time