February 2021 - 16

perspectives
BY RACHEL SCHNAITMAN
Integrated Pest Management in a
Public Garden - Lessons Learned
Have you ever had one of those perfect days? You know the
one I mean, a day where everything goes exactly according
to plan - your to-do list is neatly checked off in a
timely fashion and you even have time for a coffee
break. I often find that my days working in integrated
pest management at a public garden are not those
days. What's more, I wouldn't have it any other way!
The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) division
Rachel Schnaitman
is IPM manager at
Longwood Gardens
and a member of
GPN's 40 Under
40 Class of 2019.
She can be reached
at rschnaitman@
longwoodgardens.
org.
at Longwood Gardens is a small one, with just three
full-time staff members. Our gardens are spread out
over a little under 1,100 acres with four of those
being under glass in our conservatory complex. The
IPM team is responsible for diagnosing pest issues
on plants residing in greenhouses, interiorscapes
and the outdoor gardens. A pest might refer to
an insect, but it could also be masquerading as a
disease or plant virus. As such, we are called upon to
know a variety of different sciences such as entomology, plant
pathology, biology, virology, proper plant cultural requirements
and the list goes on. We need to wear many hats depending
on the problem at hand. Finding success in such a varied
landscape lies in developing strong IPM programs that equally
incorporate flexibility and preparation.
AN IPM MISSION
Our mission in the IPM group is to reduce the impact of
unwanted living organisms on our plants, infrastructure, and
people using sustainable - yet effective - practices. We
combine biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way
that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks. Choice
of tactics is based on effectiveness, environmental impact, site
characteristics, safety, economics and expectations/preferences.
A successful IPM strategy at a public garden needs to
balance aesthetics, safety and science. I'm always searching
for the least toxic, yet most effective, method to battle pest
issues. Another important factor to consider is the desired
result. A common misnomer is that a healthy, aesthetically
pleasing plant also means the plant will have no insects
present; that is not always the case. When employing a
biological control strategy, you might be using beneficial
insects to control pest insects. With that kind of strategy,
you often have insects present on a crop. That's okay! Take
into consideration your thresholds: What level of damage
is acceptable to still produce a quality crop but use a more
sustainable, less chemical-forward approach? Eradication is
not always the best answer.
FLEXIBILITY IS KEY
I've always found that not only do I wear multiple hats as an
IPM manager at a public garden - algae wrangler, researcher,
educator - but I also have to be flexible. Sometimes, the best
laid plans do not work out. When working with living organisms,
you never know when an insect outbreak might explode, a
disease might wipe out half of a crop, or a windstorm might
wreak havoc throughout the outdoor landscape. Whatever
the issue at hand is, I need to be flexible and pivot as needed.
Prioritization and multitasking are the two skills I use most
regularly and have honed into a science. On any given day,
I might be juggling a research project, giving a lecture and
diagnosing a mystery disease. While I'm multitasking, I'm also
prioritizing tasks and looking for IPM threats looming on the
horizon. A lot of my time is spent developing management
plans for those looming threats. This is vital to a good IPM
program as preparation and monitoring are key.
TAKE CHANCES, MAKE MISTAKES, BE PREPARED
The past few years we have been inundated with a variety
of pests such as boxwood blight, emerald ash borer and the
spotted lanternfly. In each case, I had a management plan
ready so my team could jump into action immediately upon
discovering the invader at hand. In some instances, we modified
our plan as we went, innovating and adapting as needed. We
learned from our experiences each time, making us better
stewards of the public garden we are charged with protecting.
I've learned to not be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes what
you think might be a " major fail " - such as a total crop failure,
an experiment that went horribly wrong, or a botched treatment
program - might teach you exactly what you needed to know.
That 'failure' will only help in the future to build stronger IPM
programs. My motto is to be prepared wherever possible, but to
not be afraid to take chances. Fail sometimes, adapt as needed,
and be stronger the next time around.
I often get asked what my favorite part of IPM is. My answer
is always the same - I enjoy how varied my days are and how
there is always something new and exciting to discover each
day in IPM. It's like putting together a different puzzle each
day. The process of fitting each piece together is my passion
and why I love coming to work each day.
14 FEBRUARY 2021 GPNMAG.COM
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2021
