Integrated pest management in the academic small greenhouse setting: A case study using Solanum spp. (Solanaceae)

Abstract

Premise: Botanical faculty and staff at academic institutions are often tasked with establishing and/or caring for plant collections held in small greenhouse facilities. Once plants are in place, an especially acute challenge is managing plant pest/pathogen populations. Integrated pest management (IPM) approaches are an excellent option, but few examples exist in the literature of successful programs that have been developed in academic small greenhouse settings.

Methods and results: Over several years, we developed an IPM program for two small research greenhouses on the campus of a primarily undergraduate institution where hundreds of plants have been grown for studies in the genus Solanum. We here present a synopsis of the cultural, mechanical, physical, and biological controls used as part of our successful IPM strategy-including details on the efficacy of multiple predatory insects-with the hope of providing a model for sustainable pest management in the higher education environment.

Conclusions: IPM can be an effective strategy for maintaining healthy plant populations in small research greenhouses, but it requires a consistent investment of time and funding. A well-cared-for plant collection might help support numerous positive outcomes, including advances in faculty scholarship and opportunities for student learning and/or training.

Keywords: Solanum; agriculture; cultivation; education; nightshades; plant pests; plant–insect interactions.

Figure 1

Three of the most common predatory insects in our standing IPM order used to help control aphids and mealybugs, two of the primary pests of greenhouse‐grown Solanum. (A, B) Green lacewing (Chrysoperla rufilabris) larval and adult stage (adult recently emerged). (C, D) Ladybird beetle (Hippodamia convergens) larval and adult stage (adult preying on mealybug). (E, F) Cryptolaemus montrouzieri larval and adult stage. All photos by A.J.M. except B by S. Long.