Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation
Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation
Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation
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(<strong>Diseases</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Crops</strong> <strong>under</strong> <strong>Protected</strong> <strong>Cultivation</strong>)<br />
expected costs). If growers habitually make decisions where expected pr<strong>of</strong>its are less than zero<br />
the greenhouse will not be a viable business in the longer run.<br />
Future Research Priorities: More scientific efficacy trials with proper replication <strong>and</strong> statistical<br />
analysis are needed <strong>under</strong> commercial or near-commercial conditions. Biocontrol registrations<br />
now request data on the interaction <strong>of</strong> pesticides with beneficial insects. Growers need to know<br />
whether new products are compatible with their current pest management strategies. Knowledge<br />
<strong>of</strong> epidemiology <strong>and</strong> ecology <strong>of</strong> pathogens in the greenhouse, which may be different from the field<br />
is required. Low-cost methods for rapid detection <strong>of</strong> pathogens in the greenhouse are important<br />
research priorities. Finally, the challenge <strong>of</strong> production <strong>and</strong> formulation <strong>of</strong> biocontrol agents<br />
remains, with each organism bringing its own set <strong>of</strong> problems. Effective production <strong>and</strong> formulation<br />
protocols are usually proprietary, involving substantial investment to develop economic production<br />
<strong>and</strong> a formulation with adequate shelf life, stability, <strong>and</strong> titer.<br />
Greenhouses <strong>of</strong>fer a privileged environment for disease biocontrol, but implementation is<br />
still very limited. However, if we have anything to learn from our entomologist colleagues, it is that<br />
this will change. Indeed, from a modest <strong>and</strong> uneven start in the early 1970s, insect biocontrol has<br />
grown to a st<strong>and</strong>ardized approach throughout the greenhouse market. Plant pathologists <strong>and</strong><br />
companies investing in biocontrol products should likewise view the future <strong>of</strong> biological control <strong>of</strong><br />
plant diseases in greenhouse systems with optimism. A few products have already been<br />
registered <strong>and</strong> several more should be commercialized within the next few years. Success stories<br />
against a number <strong>of</strong> diseases will be important both to validate biocontrol <strong>of</strong> plant diseases <strong>and</strong>,<br />
most important, to gain acceptance by growers.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
• T.C.Paulitz <strong>and</strong> Belanger, R.R.2001. Biological control in greenhouse systems. Annu. Rev.<br />
Phytopathol.39:103-133.<br />
• Berendsen, R.L. ; Pieterse, C. M.J., <strong>and</strong> Bakker, P. A.H.M. 2012. The rhizosphere microbiome<br />
<strong>and</strong> plant health. Trends in Plant Science. 17:<br />
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