On August 6, Jesse Porter hosted “From Cultural to Chemical Control: How to Implement an Effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan for Cannabis” as part of InSpire’s ongoing webinar series. Jesse reviewed the factors of a comprehensive IMP plan and how to create and implement an effective strategy. Cultural control is the foundation of every good IPM plan, which means exploring the balance between creating optimal indoor conditions for plants to thrive while simultaneously avoiding conditions in which pests will thrive.
MMJDaily, an online publication for legal and professional cannabis cultivators who want to stay up to date with the latest trends and techniques, wrote a great article covering the webinar with key takeaways from Jesse’s presentation.
“Being able to control pest pressure in a large-scale agricultural operation is of the utmost importance, as that has a direct impact on a company’s bottom line,” the article begins. “This is the reason why InSpire has been hosting a series of webinars focused around climate control for cannabis operations, with the latest session specifically focused on Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Microbe Management.”
The article reviews some of the key takeaways from Jesse’s presentation, including:
- IPM starts with indoor cultivation facility design and creating an environment where plants can thrive and pests cannot
- Standing water is generally overlooked and it needs to be treated properly and irradiated: start clean, stay clean, finish strong
- Positive identification of pests is crucial, and it is important to keep detailed records of environmental conditions, fertigation and watering schedules in order to help eradicate pests
- It is important to understand cultural control in order to prevent microclimates from forming within your grow
- Managing vapor pressure deficit (VPD) throughout the growth cycle is critical to precision control and mitigating mildew issues
- Each of the ways in which pest pressure can be handled implies a systemic series of specific actions and applications
- The choices you make interact with each other, and directly impact your crop and your bottom line
The article concludes with a direct quote from Jesse: “Control your culture, or it will control you. Consistent intervention leads to inconsistent results. Cultural control is environmental control, which synergizes with every aspect of cultivation and is the key to a high quality harvest.”
To read the article in its entirety, visit: https://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9240762/planning-ipm-for-commercial-cannabis-operations/.