Biocontrol on a Roll! Field Tour Gives Firsthand Look at Unique Crop Solutions

By Carol Miller|March 14, 2022

The Biocontrols USA 2022 Conference & Expo wasn’t just about speaker presentations in a ballroom. Prior to the two days of classroom learning, attending growers were able to take part in a tour (sponsored by UPL) of Salinas Valley field and greenhouse fruit, vegetable, and ornamental operations for an up-close look at how some of their peers are using biologicals for both integrated pest management and improving crop quality.

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A big thanks to UPL for sponsoring the field tour portion of Biocontrols USA 2022 Conference & Expo.
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Gina Colfer and Bobby Bellew at Laguna Mist Ranch

Laguna Mist' Bobby Bellew (right) and his Wilbur Ellis consultant Gina Colfer discuss the pest challenges involved with producing organic artichokes.
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A plume moth larvae on an artichoke.

One of the main pests Laguna Mist battles is plume moths.
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Pheromone trap for plume moths

Bellew uses female pheromones to attract male moths, disrupting mating opportunities. The small nozzle in the top cup dispenses the phermone.
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Trapped!

The pheromone traps are proving effective against plume moths.
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Francisco Castaneda welcomes the Biocontrol USA tourists to Growers Transplanting.

Growers Tranplanting supplies vegetable transplants, along with some ornamental crops.
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INSV a major challenge

Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) has wiped out complete fields of crops in Monterey County in recent years. Growers Transplanting has a testing program in order to offer guaranteed INSV-free young plants.
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Controlling weeds also helps control INSV

Thrips are a vector for INSV, and unfortunately, just about all California can act as hosts for thrips. So Growers Transplanting keeps its work spaces clean.
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Taylor Farms welcomes us to its Mission Ranches location

Taylor Farms' Joe Pezzini and his team talked about the sustainable initiative they're taking in its growing operations.
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Prescriptive cover crops

Taylor Farms is using three different cover crop mixes for different purposes. One to feed the soil, another to control for disease, and another to sequester carbon.
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Timing when to till

Taylor Farms is experimenting with the timing of tilling after a mowing a cover crop. It aims to till within an hour after mowing to gain the best impact.
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Parabug dispensing beneficials at Wilbur Ellis

At Wilbur Ellis, we watched a demonstration of a Parabug drone applying beneficial predators to an insectary strip. Wilbur Ellis wants to get a jump on controlling thrips early in the season.
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Using insectary plants to boost natural predators

Wilbur Ellis planted strategic strips of insectary plants to provide a habitat for the area's abundant and naturally occurring beneficials during the off season.
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Cover crop study at Wilbur Ellis

Wilbur Ellis' Gina Colfer described showed tourists the cover crop study she and her team are conducting. It's in three fields -- two with different types of cover crop mixes and a control fallow field. In each field, there are six beds, each with a different side dressing. The last several feet of each bed is untreated, acting as another type of control.
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Double L Vineyard's Dan Lee greets the Biocontrol USA tourists

Double L Vineyard, owned by Dan Lee, is one of the areas only organic vineyards.
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Double L Vineyard runs vines north and south

Due to the unique conditions in the Salinas Valley, Lee orients his vines north and south to reduce wind damage. He also has his crews apply biocontrols overnight, when its moist, to give microbes a better chance of countering powdery mildew.
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A reliable weed control? Fire

Lee explained few weed controls work well for organic production. So he uses a flamer. Similar to when he applies biologicals, he uses the flamer at night, when it's moist. Steam kills more weeds than fire alone.