Jul 22, 2011
New Pest Monitoring Program AvailableSource: The Center for Applied Horticultural Research

The University of California Cooperative Extension Office and the Center for Applied Horticultural Research have established workshops to educate employees about pest monitoring in ornamental plant production.

The University of California Cooperative Extension Office (UCCE) and the Center for Applied Horticultural Research (CfAHR) have established workshops to educate employees about pest monitoring in ornamental plant production.

The CfAHR is a non-profit organization in Vista, Calif., created with the purpose of generating research for problem solving in the horticultural industry. The workshop, titled “Pest Monitoring in Ornamental Plant Production,” is a six-hour session of intensive practical training in basic entomology, pest damage monitoring techniques and the basics of integrated pest management (IPM).

The horticultural industry faces increasing pressure for “greener” products and reduced pesticide use. A significant reduction in pesticide use is attainable by early detection of pest attack by trained personnel, which also results in increased productivity, cost reduction and increased profits. The program emphasizes monitoring as a key component of IPM programs and for reducing pesticide use. The program practical component consists of hands-on activities for the participants to familiarize themselves with microscopes and stereoscopes, symptoms of pest attack, damage caused by abiotic factors and how to differentiate it from pest attack, and effective monitoring for pests in production areas. The workshops are currently presented in Spanish; and English workshop will be offered in the future.

The program is coordinated by James Bethke and Irma Debonis from UCCE and by Lucia Villavicencio from the CfAHR. It will be offered several times a year. The next workshop will take place on Aug. 16, 2011, at the CfAHR. For information, please contact jabethke@ucdavis.edu or lvill@cfahr.org. You can find information about the CfAHR at www.cfahr.org and about UCCE at http://ucanr.org.

Legacy ID: