November December 2024 - 34

GREAT LAKES EXPO
times, as natural enemy populations
may decline during periods of low
pest activity.
" We will talk about how to
support natural enemy populations
in greenhouses through the use of
banker plants and supplemental food
applications to the crop, " Schoeller said.
With increasing restrictions on
the development of new chemical
pesticides and the rise of pesticideresistant
insect pests, the need
to adopt alternative pest control
measures has never been more
urgent. According to Schoeller,
growers are turning to integrated pest
management (IPM) as a preferred
strategy in CEA. " Biological control
complements the productional shift
within CEA, which has also focused
on improved economic, social
and environmental sustainability, "
Schoeller explained.
A key tactic within biological
control is performing augmentative
releases of natural enemies using
the " predator first approach, " where
natural enemies are released before
pest populations increase.
However, growers may find
challenges when implementing this
tactic. " The caveat to successfully
implementing this tactic is that
alternative resources must be
available for natural enemies during
periods of low prey densities, such
as the beginning of the crop cycle, "
Schoeller stated.
In some cases, particularly in
CEA facilities, natural enemies
cannot migrate and find alternative
resources, which can make retaining
them on the target crop difficult. As a
result, costs for biological control may
exceed those for chemical pesticides
if multiple releases are necessary.
" Supplementing natural enemy
populations with alternative
resources, especially generalist
predators, is an effective tactic for
promoting their establishment and
long-term persistence on target
crops, " Schoeller said.
High-tech CEA facilities are generally
designed to reduce pest pressure
through physical exclusion, leading to
fewer pest problems when compared
to lower-tech systems. However, this
doesn't mean pests are never an issue
in these advanced setups.
" As growing systems advance,
we must continue to research pest
management challenges to provide
growers with best practices for their
operations, " Schoeller said.
Learn about these sessions
and more at GLEXPO.COM.
GLEXPO SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
FARM MARKETING
* Farm Market Workshop - Farm
Layout and Design
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Sensory Merchandising:
Connecting with Customers
One Sense at a Time
Tuesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Visual Merchandising 101:
Interactive Techniques to
Transform Your Space
Tuesday 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
* Farm Market Roundtable
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Agritourism Workshops - Hosted
by Michigan Agritourism
Wednesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Farm Market - Social Media
Thursday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Farm Market: Bringing
People Along
34 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 GPNMAG.COM
* Building Food Access and
Community at Your Farm Market
FRUIT
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Juice Grape
* Sweet/Hard Cider
Tuesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Wine Grape
* Apple I
* Berry
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Peach/Plum
* Blueberry I
* Cherry
Wednesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Apple II
* Blueberry II
VEGETABLE
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Asparagus
* Pickles and Vine Crops
* Brassicas
Tuesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Sweet Corn
* Root Crops
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* Onion
* Mushrooms
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
* Tomato
* Pepper
* Eggplant
Wednesday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
* Celery
* Potato
http://www.GLEXPO.COM http://www.GPNMAG.COM
November December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November December 2024
