April 2019 - 24

ADVERTORIAL
Succeeding with IPM
in Cannabis Crops
The North American Greenhouse Industry is
undergoing one of its biggest revolutions in recent
history. The widespread commercial production of
Cannabis is changing the face of our industry even
as you read this. The last few years have brought
a step-change in legalisation and licencing which
has caused a boom in production in many states.
This has created real opportunities, but also real
challenges for those wishing to grow in this fastpaced
market.
Not least amongst these challenges is Plant Health
and Crop Protection. Due to federal laws governing
registration of crop protection products, there
are very few active ingredients licenced for use
on Cannabis. This might create some difficulties
for growers, but it also creates opportunities for
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to give growers
a higher quality product which is free from residues
as well as pests. Such considerations are becoming
more important as increasing supply puts pressure
on wholesale prices, and producers look to quality
and efficiency to compete.
Fortunately, Bioline Agrosciences is here to help
growers tackle these challenges!
Bioline has 40 years of expertise as a world-leading
expert in Biological Control. It has built a reputation
as a leading company in IPM knowledge-sharing
and is internationally recognised for its high-quality
products. Throughout this time Bioline has worked
with commercial cannabis producers around the
world to develop unique knowledge and insights
into their crop protection needs. Members of
Bioline's team of Technical Specialist have been
working directly with Cannabis growers for many
years to share knowledge from around the world
and to support them in implementing successful
Cannabis IPM programs.
Bioline's team have identified the key steps to
ensuring successful IPM in cannabis crops.
1. START CLEAN AND START EARLY
IPM is all about preventative control. The best way
to do this is to start with a clean crop. For Cannabis
producers who propagate their own cuttings from
mother plants, this means investing in a full program
of protection for the mother plants and ensuring
the cuttings are absolutely clean - cutting corners
here will have a big cost later!
The aim is to control pests from the first moment
they arrive. To achieve this, Bioline has designed
BIOLINE'S TEAM OF TECHNICAL SPECIALIST
From left to right : Nicolas Bertoni, Chris Daye, Ysidro Muñoz,
Cora Perez (Commercial Director), Daryl Johnson,
Tina Ziaei, Sebastien Delarue, Brad Vandermey
Swirskiline sachet releasing Amblyseus swirskii in a
cannabis crop
Training Days which aim to support customers in
understanding how to monitor and implement
their IPM program.
3. TAKE ACTION
Bioline Agrosciences prides itself on providing
programs that are carefully designed for each
situation. All our products are designed using
insights from actual growers to ensure even the
small details fit their needs. For example, Bioline's
range of 'Blister packs' provide an easy way to
introduce parasitic wasps, whilst giving growers
peace-of-mind because they can actually see the
health and activity of the product.
Crop monitoring is critical to success
its " sachet on a stick " to offer a breeding sachet
of predatory mites (like a mini bio-factory) that is
specially designed for use during propagation. This
ensures predators can be applied from day one,
whilst releases from the sachet will continue for
several weeks without the need to reapply.
2. MONITOR
Cannabis crops are susceptible to a huge range of
pests. It's critical to continuously monitor, understand
what you're finding and take the appropriate
actions. Monitoring can take many forms, from
assessing and counting sticky traps to crop walking
and assessing plants. It's important that the team
managing the crop are able to observe and
understand the earliest warnings of each pest. To
help with this, Bioline Agrosciences organises Grower
The decision on which product to use will depend on
many factors. That's why Bioline's team of Technical
Specialists are there to help. Bioline provides hands
on technical support and training to its customers
to exchange knowledge and help them take the
best course of action.
Cora Perez, Commercial Director for Bioline has
said, " The principles are easy, but the challenge
is to have the right knowledge coupled with highquality
products that are designed with real growers
in mind. That's why we've been investing to build our
team of Technical Specialist. We have recruited a
talented team with experience of IPM from a range
of perspective, such as Head Growers, Agronomists
and Entomologists. We are also investing in our
production facilities in North America to help us
service increasing demands with more availability
and even better quality. "
Cannabis growers who start clean, monitor and
take the right actions will succeed with their IPM
program and they'll benefit from a cleaner and
higher-quality harvest.
Contact us: 805.986.8265 | USsales@biolineagrosciences.com | Bioline Agrosciences Inc., 3623 Etting Rd, Oxnard, CA 93033

April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019