Integrated pest management strategies for greenhouse berries
Food safety and the limited number of chemical controls are the underlying motivation for primary producers to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Berries are also seasonal due to the chilling requirement or vernalisation to ensure flowering.
Protected cropping structures provide the option to modify the growing environment and manipulate crop production opportunities.
Using a soilless substrate or growing media safeguards consistency in moisture retention, air porosity, nutrient management and regulation of drainage.
However inadvertently, these adjustments of the environment and the root-zone can lead to conditions conducive for pest and disease proliferation.
Read more at Protected Cropping Australia.