Pest management in protected culture is not a 'one size fits all' situation

Protected culture is a popular and efficient way to produce crops year-round regardless of the external environmental conditions. Greenhouses, high tunnels, hoop houses and caterpillar tunnels are common examples of protected culture farming. These structures vary in their level of environmental control and impact on arthropod population dynamics. For example, greenhouses are tightly controlled and support the presence of small soft-bodied pests while high tunnels or hoop houses are open to the outside and are therefore susceptible to broader pest invasions. Despite much of the Extension literature suggesting the direct transfer of greenhouse IPM to high tunnels, achieving this has not been as straightforward and successful as initially expected. Recent work suggests that the extreme heat in high tunnels during peak growing season is unsuitable for many biocontrol agents, limiting their efficacy to suppress pests. Alternatively, short day length in the winter induces a feeding diapause for other potential agents. The open nature of high tunnels facilitates high rates of dispersal of augmented natural enemies out of the tunnel. Overall, the type of structure and season of production dictates our capacity to manage pests in a protected culture. This presentation will update the current understanding of abiotic variations within high tunnel production systems and discuss pest management strategies utilizing biological organisms across protected culture systems. The focus will be on predators, parasitoids and biorational pesticides.