Jesse Porter, InSpire’s Cannabis Business Specialist, recently joined Gretchen Schimelpfenig of Resource Innovation Institute and Craig Burn of Desert Aire to write an article on monitoring, identifying, preventing and controlling pests with heating, ventilation, air conditioning and dehumidification (HVACD) solutions. “Integrated Pest Management for Cannabis Cultivation” published in the July/August 2021 issue of Cannabis Science & Technology.
Monitoring, preventing and controlling pests in cannabis cultivation requires a thorough integrated pest management (IPM) plan, which will create optimal environmental conditions while avoiding conditions in which pests will thrive. IPM practices can benefit your crop by optimizing plant productivity and minimizing the use of pesticides, producing consistently high quality product and protecting your investment.
The article explores the four main steps involved in IPM programs:
- Setting action thresholds
- Monitoring and identification
- Prevention
- Control
In addition, Jesse, Gretchen and Craig discuss various control methodologies and how climate control systems enable cultivation while preventing pests like mold and mildew. The article concludes with eight of the group’s best IPM practices to help cultivators successfully adopt efficient techniques and ensure resilient harvests, including:
- Begin the pest management process at least a month before crops are brought into any part of your cultivation facility
- Use strategies like quarantining, air showers and positively pressurized cultivation spaces to prevent the spread of insect pests and plant pathogens
- Monitor environmental conditions and use commercial grow room HVACD systems to avoid microclimates
- Properly control grow room temperature and humidity to prevent swings in environmental conditions that can lead to the growth of powdery mildew
Cannabis Science & Technology is a print magazine and online publication focused on educating the legal cannabis industry on the science and technology of extraction and cultivation. To read the full article, visit https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/integrated-pest-management-for-cannabis-cultivation-monitoring-identifying-preventing-and-controlling-pests-with-hvac-solutions.
Resource Innovation Institute is planning to release its next peer-reviewed Best Practices Guide on automation and controls for cannabis cultivators before the end of the year. In the meantime, if you’d like to dive further into the topic of IPM plans and the role of environmental control, check out InSpire’s webinar: From Cultural to Chemical Control – How to Implement an Effective IPM Plan for Cannabis.