Specialty Cut Flower Production and Marketing - UC Agriculture and ...

Parasitoids: Species whose immaturestage develops on or within a single insecthost, ultimately killing the host.• Wasps: aphidiids, braconids, ichneumonids,trichogramma, andothers.• Flies: Tachinids.Disease-causing pathogens: Bacteria,fungi, viruses, nematodes, protozoa, andmicrosporidia.The use of these organisms to manage pestsis known as biological control. Knowingyour natural enemies is equally important toknowing your insect pests. Again, the morewe know about life cycle and habitat needs,the more likely we will be able to ensure theirexistence. Conservation of existing naturalenemies is probably the most importantbiological control practice readily availableto growers.Benefi cial insects need:• Nectar and pollen• Alternate prey• Water• Shelter from wind and rain• Overwintering sitesFlowering plants for habitat:• Carrot family• Daisy family• Mustard family• Mint family• Grasses• Clovers and vetches• Trees and shrubsRefer to the ATTRA publication Farmscapingto Enhance Biological Control for moreinformation.Chemical control. If you are an organicgrower, most chemical controls are notallowed.Microbials, botanicals, and oils, however,are possibilities. Most botanicalinsecticides, including neem, pyrethrins,ryania, and sabadilla, are permitted inwww.attra.ncat.orgorganic production. Those that are consideredhighly toxic (strychnine and nicotine)are excluded. Botanical insecticidesare relatively non-selective and can be“hard” on the natural predators and parasitesin the fi eld; therefore, minimal useis advised. Botanicals can also affectother non-target organisms. Rotenone, forexample, is highly toxic to fi sh. Microbialinsecticides include Bacillus thurengiensis,Beauveria bassiana, and Nosema locustae.Add Season-ExtendingHigh TunnelsMore and more cut fl ower growers are discoveringthe advantages of growing under theprotection of unheated high tunnels. Theseinclude earlier and later crops, better qualityand stem length, and production of cropsthat otherwise could not be grown because ofclimate constraints. (Byczynski, 2005)Vicki Stamback says her crops have changeddramatically over the past several yearsbecause of greenhouses. In Oklahoma, whereshe lives and grows specialty cut flowers, shefaces huge temperature swings and highwinds. Heated greenhouses and unheatedhoophouses protect her fl owers from Oklahomaweather. She has a 30 x 90-foot Agritexstructure that has withstood 90 mph winds.It has 6-foot wide sliding doors, which allowstractor entry. Inside the house are six raisedbeds, each 3 feet wide by 30 feet long, and8 inches deep, framed with 1x 8-inch cedar.Tenax support netting is stretched over thetop of bare beds, which are then planted.The Tenax is raised higher as the crops grow.After research, Vicki settled on 45°F as theappropriate winter temperature for raisinglupines, sweetpeas, ranunculus, and stock.(Stamback, 2003)In Nebraska, Laurie Hodges, PhD, Extensionspecialist and associate professor inhorticulture at the University of Nebraska,triple cropped grape hyacinths, sweet peas,and hyacinth beans in a high tunnel. Shechose these crops because they fit into a successionplanting schedule. Grape hyacinthswere planted October 31 and harvested fromMarch 21 through April 8. Sweet peas wereATTRAPage 15