November/December 2022 - 16

PLANT HEALTH
BIOCONTROL:
How? Why? When?
Yes, I Can!
Selecting the best natural predator and keeping
a schedule are crucial to a successful biological
control program.
BY COURTNEY R. BUCKLEY, PH.D.
G
ood bugs. Bad bugs. Pop quiz: can we tell them all apart? Let's talk
about the good guys doing all the work for us while controlling the
bad guys ... biocontrol. Starting a biocontrol program can seem a
little daunting, as that is where I was nine years ago starting this journey,
and not knowing where to start on such a grand scale.
Biological control can be defined as the deliberate use of natural
enemies, parasites, pathogens, and competitors to suppress and maintain
populations of a target pest species (insects, mites, weeds, plant
pathogens and other pest organisms). Biological control is a practical
option for suppressing - and, in some situations, eradicating - pest
populations because it is safe and easy to use. Other reasons for starting a
biological control program include:
* It can be very cost effective and environmentally sound when
compared to broad-spectrum pesticides that are often used.
* They reduce the use of conventional pesticides.
* Once populations are established, it becomes self-sustaining.
* They can be target specific.
* They can be incorporated into existing integrated pest management
programs.
The key is to start small with just one pest you want to control and/
or one specific growing area (e.g., greenhouse A versus greenhouse B
to focus on). Scouting is the first and most crucial step to any biological
control program. Understanding and correctly identifying your pest
population determines which natural predators to bring in and how
frequently. This frequency can be determined by the time of year (spring
versus winter), growing capacity and insect life stages seen during
scouting. Some of the most common greenhouse insect pests include
Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande); green peach
aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer); greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes
vaporarorium (Westwood); sweet potato whitefly B-biotype, Bemisia tabaci
(Gennadius); fungus gnat, Bradysia coprophila (Linter); and twospotted
spider mites, Tetranychus urticae (Koch).
Once pests have been identified, selecting the best natural predator
is crucial, whether that is a generalist feeder or species-specific feeder.
Below is a great starter list of biological control predators for each pest,
and there are now multiple commercial companies that supply biological
16 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 GPNMAG.COM
control agents
(BCAs) within the U.S. A few
examples include Beneficial
Insectary, Biobest, Bioline,
Koppert Biological Systems, and
Sound Horticulture.
* Western Flower Thrips
* Nematodes, Steinernema feltiae
* Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus
* Brown Lacewings, Sympherobius barberi
* Rove Beetle, Dalotia coriaria
* Amblyseius swirskii (beneficial mite)
* Green Peach Aphids
* Green Lacewings, Chrysoperla rufilabris
* Lady bird beetle, Adalia bipunctata
* Greenhouse Whitefly and Sweet Potato Whitefly B-biotype
* Parasitic wasp, Encarsia formosa
* Lady bird beetle, Delphastus catalinae
* Fungus Gnat
* Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus
* Nematodes. Steinernema feltiae
* Rove Beetle, Dalotia coriaria
* Twospotted Spider Mites
* Neoseiulus californicus (beneficial mite)
* Phytoseiulus persimilis (beneficial mite)
* Galendromus occidentalis (beneficial mite)
* Stethorus punctillum (beneficial beetle)
* Amblyseius swirskii (beneficial mite)
* Rove Beetle, Dalotia coriaria
* Minute Pirate Bugs, Orius insidiosus
Now that we have all the parts figured out (good guys versus bad guys),
how do we put all that together and make sure we are applying enough
and correctly? Thankfully, every entomologist I have met is very willing
to walk you through the process of starting a biocontrol program ... but
you need a few things first. You need scouting results and your growing
square footage.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
November/December 2022

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