“Growers considering aquaponics, which combines the raising of fish with plants, need to keep
chemical applications at a minimum. Most pesticides cannot be used in an aquaponics system.
This is a major consideration when growers think
about this type of production system. Under these
circumstances a grower would want to look at what
he can do with cultural
controls and natural enemies where there is no
risk of anything getting
into the water with the
fish. This would also be
the case with the growing of medicinal plants.”
Tifft said based on her experience with the typical
horticultural and agricultural crops there is going
to be a place for pesticides
for a long time.
Biological controls
for insects
Tifft said most of the large greenhouse tomato
growers in the United States and Canada are using natural enemies for insect control. She said in
most of these operations the use of natural enemies is standard operating procedure.
“The use of these biological controls has become
easier because they have
been well researched,”
she said. “There are effective natural enemies
and reliable suppliers
with good distribution
networks which can
deliver the biologicals
overnight.”
Tifft said the use of natural enemies can be
more difficult for the
small grower because
the cost of shipping can
be prohibitive.
“For vegetable growers
it has become selfPhoto by Adelyn Photography
evident to many of them
Karin Tifft is working with a grower to evaluate the use of
that they need to break
banker plants to determine the feasibility of producing a
“Most natural enemies
the cycle of pests and
steady supply of natural enemies for aphid control.
need to be shipped
diseases by emptying and
overnight,” she said.
thoroughly cleaning the
“For small growers, the
greenhouse,” she said. “I
cost of shipping may
have seen several cases
be higher than the cost
where insect or disease
for the amount of prodproblems have gotten out
uct that’s needed. And
of control and there was
there usually is no way
no way to manage the
for growers to store the
problems other than to
natural enemies without
clear out the greenhouse.
dramatically reducing
This may have occurred
their efficacy. They have
because of a change made
to be used right away.”
to the IPDM platform.
This could include a
Tifft is currently worksudden drop in natural Photo courtesy of IPM Laboratories
ing with a small vegeenemies or application
table grower to evaluate
of certain chemicals or because the correct action
the option of using banker plants to determine the
was not taken in a timely manner. The growers then
feasibility of producing a steady supply of natural
attempted to do everything they could within the
enemies. She said the banker plant system that is
most established is for aphid control.
limits of the product labels, but weren’t successful at
gaining control.”
Cereal aphids are introduced into the greenhouse
15