December 2024 - 8

PLANT HEALTH
Investing
plant health
in your
The hardiness of your plants
is good for your bottom line
BY MARK FREEMAN, MICHAEL
BROWNBRIDGE AND JULIE GRAESCH
I
n its simplest terms, integrated
pest management (IPM) is a
decision-making process that
combines tools and strategies
to identify and manage pests.
Integrated plant health management
(IPHM) takes things a step further,
emphasizing a more holistic approach
that includes plant nutrition and other
methods that promote plant tolerance
of abiotic (environmental) and biotic
(pests and diseases) stresses as a
first line of defense.
Done well, the plant then
becomes an active player in your
IPHM strategy and creates a system
in which biologicals will perform
even better.
Plant nutrition in IPHM
Crop performance is significantly
compromised when plants are
unhealthy or stressed - they are
also more susceptible to pests and
diseases. Over fertilization and over
watering are very common causes of
stress and poor health.
High nitrogen fertilization is linked
to high pest populations, just as
wet conditions are linked to more
8 | DECEMBER 2024
foliar and root disease issues. Since
even the most advanced production
systems have some compromises
for variables, there is always risk
on a particular day with any specific
plant. One example is the challenge
of having adequate calcium in rapidly
forming tissue.
Greenhouse lettuce is managed
well with the controlled environment
systems available today. There are
risks when transpiration rates
drift outside the model target
values that require foliar calcium
supplementation to prevent deficiency.
Calcium supplements have also
been shown to deter pathogens like
Botrytis. Calcium is an essential
element in cell wall development and
deficiencies can lead to necrosis or
weak cell structures along leaf or petal
margins. These are primary sites of
infection for Botrytis, so increasing
availability of calcium during key
phases of plant development
produces plants that are inherently
more tolerant to the disease.
The prediction of stress events
and pest pressure in crops is critical
for keeping yield loss low and plants
healthy. Anticipation of crop stress
and pest risks, then taking proactive
measures to mitigate their impact,
leads to higher profits.
Biologicals
Investing in a plant health strategy
provides more dividends than just
focusing upon pest management.
Such approaches take advantage of
the benefits that biostimulants can
confer on plants and enable more
effective use of biological control
products. There are economic
advantages of nutrient supplements
and biostimulants in all crops and
production systems.
Biologicals bring a lot of value to
greenhouse production systems.
Good efficacy requires use of good
application techniques, and the best
results are obtained when used within
a production program based on sound
cultural management practices. They
are functional, versatile and effective
pest and disease management tools
that fit well into IPHM and resistance
management programs, and those
based on living microbes can deliver
additional benefits that improve plant
performance.
Mark Freeman is biological
program manager of applied
technology; Michael Brownbridge,
Ph.D., is biological program manager
of disease control; and Julie Graesch
is biological program manager of
insect control for BioWorks.
December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2024
