Director of Horticulture - Propagation Metrolina Greenhouse Huntersville, North Carolina
Metrolina Greenhouses has been successfully using different applications of microbiological products available on the market for several years by focusing on our propagation range with the use of entomophagous fungi such as: Beauveria bassiana and entomopathogenic nematodes such as: Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema carpocapsae. These have been incorporated into an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach by exploring and adapting the different ways to deliver B. bassiana, S feltiae and S. carpocapsae successfully into a commercial production system. These programs have been implemented to have minimal impact on other pest management programs established in one of the biggest commercial greenhouses in the United States, with production of over 300 species of annuals and perennials. As new microbiological products are introduced into horticulture production systems, it is important to establish protocols for quality control of the applications being made. We will discuss the different methods of application, and techniques utilized to ensure the organism is active and working as planned after the application has been made. As new challenges arise, and new species of plant are being grown, Metrolina Greenhouses has continued to adapt to different approaches of IPM, with the utilization of microbiological products to achieve a multi-faceted approach to pest management.
