This article originally appeared in the June 2017 print edition of Cannabis Business Times. To subscribe, click here.
The gauntlet is a trial requiring fleetness of foot and quickness of wit to avoid the worst punishment the course may bring, and pest management is a gauntlet of challenges, each with the ability to raise havoc in the corner office.
Nothing will focus the mind more than a powdery mildew (PM) or botrytis outbreak in week 7 of flower, so the lesson is not to wait for that to happen. Start on day 1. Even better, start before day 1, and plan how you intend to control pests—all of them —whenever and wherever they may strike. Build your primary plan around prevention, and make sure you have a plan B for when the pests get through those defenses because plan C is limiting losses.
Successful pest management is based on understanding the options available. Make sure your entire team is knowledgeable about identifying pests, their life cycles, and their strengths and weaknesses. Follow that up with awareness of the various controls available and how they work. Add a maniacal focus on prevention, rapid detection and fast treatment, and you have the underpinnings of a successful pest management scheme.
Here are 14 tips to help you through the process of establishing and implementing an effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.
To read the full article in Cannabis Business Times' June edition, click here.
Top photo: Mel Frank
