While copper is an effective fungicide, excessive application leads to environmental concerns. Copper-based fungicides have been a cornerstone of agricultural disease management for well over a century. Unlike copper, potassium sorbate leaves no pesticide residues, has no EPA reentry restrictions, and requires no pesticide-use reporting in California, but it is not currently certified as organic. 

Discover the power of nematodes for natural pest control. Safe and effective solution grubs, thrips, weevils and more!

Looking for organic pest control? Look no further than PureCrop1 by West Coast Ag Products. PureCrop1 is not a traditional oil but uses nanotechnology to create a product that completely mixes with water, destroys fungal diseases and eliminates sap-sucking insects while having no direct effects on beneficial insects.

Green lacewing eggs are an economical approach to biological control. They cost significantly less than the lacewing larvae and can be used with a variety of crops to control aphids, thrips, whitefly and more!

Often when we walk into a greenhouse our gaze sweeps across the sea of green and we admire the colors, the light and the variety of plant life. We should however follow the admonitions from Les Mis and ‘Look Down’ to investigate where it all starts. In the soil. There are several pests that inhabit this dark underworld, and using biocontrols for these pests is the cornerstone for many programs.

Thrips are common greenhouse pests and challenging to control with chemicals. They are tiny and hide in between leaves and flower bracts. They are easily overlooked until the telltale signs of feeding occur: discolored or distorted leaves, stipling, silvering and premature leaf drop. Using yellow sticky cards in the crop can alert you when they show up and trap them, decreasing the population.

Growing banker plants to rear Aphidius colemani is like putting money in the bank. Instead of buying Aphidius on a regular basis, you can produce your own on barley or oat grasses that have been inoculated with cherry oat aphids.

Dalotia are quick, aggressive predators and are always hungry. They are used to target fungus gnat larvae and thrips pupae, but the Dalotia diet also includes shorefly, root aphids, root mealybug, moth eggs, organic matter and mold.