Greetings!
This month you'll read some comments we've gotten from growers on various issues. From time to time we like to share feedback we receive in case it helps another grower. If you have some helpful information or a success story you'd like to share, please email Tamara Brister and we'll include you in a future BioWorks Bulletin. |
| Treating Bulbs |
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By Mark Farnham, Northeast Technical Sales Manager
 Bulb crops are ideally suited for protection with RootShield®. Whether you choose the WP or Granules formulation there are some easy steps to follow for your success in controlling Pythium, Rhizoctonia, or Thielaviopsis.
For treatment prior to cold storage it is recommended that RootShield Granules be incorporated in the media at 1.25 pounds per cu.yd. or drenched with RootShield WP. Alternatively the bulbs can be dusted with RootShield WP or dipped in a slurry of RootShield WP. The treatment you use is solely determined by your preference and what you, the grower, are most comfortable with. The treated bulbs are then ready for case cooling, or pot cooling and basal root protection.
 Upon removal from the cooler and before moving to the warmer greenhouse climate, immediately apply to potted bulbs a full or half rate of RootShield WP or top dress with RootShield Granules. A second full or half rate application should be considered 10 - 12 weeks after removal from the cooler. (For more details see the BioWorks Bulb Protection & Maintenance Program.)
Also, when moving bulb crops into the greenhouse, apply NemaShield® for fungus gnat control. Stopping this vector for disease and root damage as it becomes active in the warmer greenhouse climate is easy to accomplish at this stage. |
| Success With Tank-Mixing CEASE and MilStop |
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By Marla Faver, Field Development Scientist
In the February BioWorks Bulletin we recommended tank-mixing CEASE® with MilStop® for an added boost in controlling pathogens that cause Erwinia, Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas and fungal pathogens that cause Botrytis, powdery mildew and other foliar diseases. Since then we've gotten very positive feedback from many of our growers: "The CEASE and MilStop tank-mix has been more or less a miracle mix for us...mainly for leaf spot on zinnias." Eric Barnitz - Bob's Market & Greenhouses, Inc.
Joe Volpe of Peace Tree Farm also had great success with the tank-mix in combating Xanthomonas. He shared that "the issue had been stopped in its tracks after the second application", and while he was hesitant to use MilStop on open blooms, using the lower rate of 1.25lbs/100gal. was "safe yet effective in a tank-mix with CEASE to control the disease".
In addition, Dr. David Norman from the University of Florida has seen positive results using the combination on bacterial trials on orchids. Click here to read our Technical Bulletin on Tank-Mixing CEASE/MilStop including recommended rates. | |
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| Quick Links |
Problems with Fungus Gnats?
Dr. Raymond Cloyd offers tips for scouting, cultural management, pest control materials, and biological control agents such as NemaShield. Watch the GGTV podcast now.
Van Wingerden Greenhouses wins GPN/OFA Sustainability Progress Award. Find out how their biological pest program (including RootShield) has been successful for them.
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| Cost Savings of Using RootShield Recognized |
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Rich Reineke, Midwest Technical Sales Manager, recently spoke to a grower who shared that he had seen the cost savings with equal plant protection in using 1 application of RSWP as opposed to 2 applications of Subdue/Clearies over a six week crop time.
For many growers, RootShield's 10 - 12 weeks of protection has eliminated most (and in some cases all) chemical fungicide drenches, resulting in significant savings. | |
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