Pest Control of Interior Plants - LHAP 303

Slide 1 Pest Control Of Interior Plants Google Slides Presentation By: Crystal Price Slide 2 Botrytis (Grey Mold) Tissue that looks brown, wet & necrotic Lesions develop as tan or brown water-soaked areas May become greyish upon drying out Characteristic sign of the disease is fuzzy grey spore masses Overwinters in the soil & plant debris Spores favor under cool moist conditions Spores are airborne Slide 3 Prevention & Control Ensure good air circulation Reduce RH if possibly by heating or venting Avoid overcrowding Strict sanitation & cultural practices Prevent outbreak Prevent water drip on leaves from roof condensation & overhead sprinklers Remove dead or diseased plant material ASAP Quarantine new plant material until it has been inspected Or isolated until proven disease free Slide 4 Add a layer of mulch under the plants Prevents the fungal spores from splashing onto flowers & leaves Good irrigation practices Early morning watering Drip irrigation or soaker hose Do not compost infected leaves Copper fungicide Liquid Copper Broad Spectrum (Fungal & Bacterial Disease Control) Serenade Disease Control Serenade Garden Broad Spectrum Biofungicide (Fungal & Bacterial Disease Control) Bacillus subtilis Fungus & nematode species have been used to control this mold effectively Slide 5 Powdery Mildew Whitish grey patches & spores of mycelium Most prevalent on upper leaf surface but will spread to lower leaf surfaces Attacks flowers and stems as well Fungus penetrates the plant cells and feeds from them Loss of blooms and reduction in plant vigor and appearance Slide 6 Prevention & Control: Good air circulation Maintain optimum growing temperatures Strict hygiene (PM can live on plant debris) Water the soil not the leaves Remove & dispose of infected leaves or entire plant to stop the spread Slide 7 Bacterial Diseases Relatively few compared to fungal diseases Similar problems such as leaf spots, blight, rots & wilt Sometimes you can only see the differences through a microscope It is important to be sure of the cause before a treatment program Most fungicides will not control bacteria Slide 8 Bacterial Leaf Spots Usually circular or angular water-soaked areas Might be light green or yellow becoming brown Sometimes a halo can be seen around the center of the lesion Some spots may exude ooze of various colors Spots may be bicolored Bacteria use vascular system as a means of spreading Slide 9 Rots & Blights Often soft and slimy Sometimes a distinct odor First signs may be wilting due to blockage of the vascular system On woody plant parts a sticky ooze & foul odor indicate bacterial disease Slide 10 Prevention and Control Avoid wetting foliage Disinfect cutting tools & propagation tools Apply fixed copper 50WP Copper oxychloride (200g/100L) Broad spectrum fungicide that controls fungal & bacterial diseases Serenade Copper Fungicide Slide 11 Viral Diseases Shows up in the leaves first Color changes, spots, streaked rings & various mottled patterns Dwarfed leaves, rolling or puckering may also be present Same symptoms apply to flowers as well as streaked or off color petals Viruses usually require a vector to be transmitted Insects or mechanical handling Positive ID can only be made by sending in leaf samples to be tested Often resembles other physiological disorders Some plants may only exhibit poor or slow growth Slide 12 Slide 13 Prevention & control Control insect pests Sanitation during propagation Destroy plants showing symptoms Keep stock plants separate from young plants (Quarantine) Slide 14 Slide 15 Insects Aphids Referred to as plant lice Black, grey or red to yellow, or green Adults are winged or wingless Found on new buds or under leaves Look for: Deformed leaves and flowers Sticky substance on leaves From excretions Transmit virus - yellowing or distorted leaves Slide 16 Prevention & Control Monitoring is the best prevention Inspect new foliage continuously Keep plants healthy Less prone to attacks than a sick plant If they are spotted wipe down with a moist cloth Release biological controls Ladybird beetles/larva Prune badly infected leaves or removal of the entire plants is sometimes best Slide 17 Slide 18 Fungus Gnats Other ways to get rid of fungus gnats Big problem in soilless mediums with a high OM or peat content Grey-black about 4mm long Adults are weak flyers and frequently observed walking on the media surface Do not cause any damage Larvae have 12 abdominal segments and a shiny black head Feed on young roots of plants and decaying organic matter Root feeding causes various root rot organisms More active during warmer temperatures Attracted to humidity, high temps., and decomposing organic matter Slide 19 Slide 20 Prevention & Control Allow soil to dry out at a depth of one to two inches between waterings Kills larvae & inhibits development of eggs Soil is less attractive to egg-laying females Consistency is key using sticky traps places directly on top of soil Cider-vinegar traps placed near the base of the plants or on top of soil surface Apple-cider vinegar, few drops of dish soap in a small shallow container (¼ inch deep) Check every few days to refresh Top dress with beneficial nematodes to destroy larvae stage Beneficial Nematodes Destroys the larval stage Safe to use around pets, plants and your family Spreads pythium. Plant pathogen that cause damping off Issues with young delicate plants Slide 21 Diatomaceous earth Apply when the soil is dry, or on top of sand and water from below Keep soil dry, allow to dry out a bit between waterings (top 1” or 2”) Mosquito dunks - product contains a dry pellet containing Bacillus thuringiensis Slide 22 200 eggs per female Slide 23 Thrips Several species including flower thrips, onion thrips, Chrysanthemum and greenhouse thrips Tiny, slender, agile insects 1 - 2 mm in length Adults are dark brown or yellowish brown in color Adults are weak flyers, short flights from leaf to leaf Young thrips are white or yellow with red eyes Rasping sucking mouthparts White streaked areas of flower petals Toxic substances are present in the saliva causing some deformations to occur in shoots & flowers Thrip Life Cycle Slide 24 Early symptoms are almost transparent or clear discoloration of the leaf. Majority of plant damage is done by the larvae. Slide 25 Slide 26 Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (Tospovirus) Causes significant crop loss and they are incurable. Slide 27 Prevention & Control Monitoring by sticky traps to track population Cultural Control Sanitation (Clean Stock) Removal of flower heads High RH 80%, create less favourable conditions for thrips Physical Control Physically screen to restrict movement into the growing space Biologicals is the primary strategy as development to most registered pesticides (potassium soap or plant extracts with pyrethrum) Predatory Mites introduced at the beginning of plantings, more effective Predatory Bugs for Thrips Mites Slide 28 WhiteFlies Difficult to control Adults are small, winged insects, white in color about 1.5 mm in length Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves Appear as a ring of of small black specks Females can lay up to 400 eggs and live as long as 2 months Nymphs are flat and saclike and move over the plant before settling down Piercing mouthparts allow them to remove sap in large amounts Produce large amounts of honeydew, allowing black sooty mold fungus to grow New leaf tissue preferred by the nymphs Can be found feeding on underside of leaves showing wilt symptoms Adults and exoskeletons may be found on lower leaves with signs of wilt Whitefly Life cycle Slide 29 Slide 30 Slide 31 Prevention & Control Prevention - Regular monitoring under the leaves Isolate new stock, screening, sanitation, Knock off with the hose Organic or non-organic insecticidal soaps Vacuum Sticky traps - yellow Biologicals - Parasitic wasps Biological Wasp Slide 32 Spider Mites Two-Spotted Spider Mite Prefer a hot dry environment with no air circulation Small and orange that inflict stippling Appear as very small dots on the leaf surface Take a sheet of paper and tap the leaf over top of it to identify infestation (very small orange specs that are mobile) Look under the leaf May find webbing in bad infestations Slide 33 Slide 34 Prevention & Control Regular scouting Look under the leaves with a magnify glass Look for fine webbing Blast off with a high pressure spray of water Vacuum Lower temperature (below 25 C) Increase RH (60%),air circulation, adequate watering practices Sanitation & remove leaf litter Biological controls Slide 35 Mealy Bug Appear first as a white, cottony substance on the plant Generally you will find hiding in crevices of leaves/leaf axils Like warmer conditions Soft bodied wingless Feed by inserting long sucking mouth parts, called stylets into the plant drawing out sap Nymphs are crawlers - light yellow and free of wax Low populations do not cause significant damage Feeding accompanied by honeydew, making the plants sticky and encouraging growth of sooty molds Move little once a feeding site is found Mealybug Life cycle Slide 36 Early detection and cleaning of leaves Q-tip or cotton pad dipped in rubbing alcohol Do not over fertilize or reduce nitrogen Attracted to soft new growth Blast off with high pressure water Neem oil Botanical insecticides Washing foliage Biological controls Cryptobug Biological control Slide 37 Scale Soft or hard bodied depending on species All are sap feeding with piercing sucking mouthparts Soft scale are ¼” long and secrete copious amounts of honeydew causing sooty mold Hard bodied or armoured scale are a little bit smaller No visible head or legs and no honeydew The female and immature forms hide under a waxy shell & do not move Large infestations will weaken the plant and sometimes distort leaves Slide 38 Prevention & Control Regular scouting - prune and dispose of infested leaves, twigs & branches Rub or pick off with hands Dabbing individual pests with rubbing alcohol or neem-based leaf shine Ladybird beetles & lacewings of the young crawler stage AzaMax is a insect growth regulator (Antifeedant) Horticultural oils or oil based insecticidal kill all pest stages Botanical insecticides as a last resort