Principles of Plant Health Management for Ornamental Plants

Abstract

Economic, environmental, and technological influences complicate the task of achieving disease-free products in the ornamentals industry. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a cornerstone of floriculture and nursery crop production: strategies include sanitation, clean stock, host resistance, and control through biological, cultural, environmental, chemical, and regulatory means. Sanitation measures and cultural controls must keep pace with new production technologies. Clean stock programs are used for many crops that are propagated vegetatively. Breeding, selection, and biotechnology provide crops resistant to pathogens. Offshore production for economic competitiveness can introduce pathogens that make regulatory programs necessary. New biocontrol and chemical products continue to improve control while meeting the requirement for minimal environmental impact. Continual introduction of new crops and new production technologies creates new opportunities for pathogens to exploit, such that new disease management tactics must be discovered and old ones rediscovered to achieve optimum health management for ornamentals.

Indications that some nutritional elements can improve gladiolus corm and cormel qualities in Mexico

“…The latter finding is also possibly related to the fact that the N: P proportion in FD1 was close to 3N(65):1P(14.9) kg ha -1 , which are rates that allow physical and healthy corm production (Vidalie, 2001). In general, several authors recommend the use of low N rates (50 kg ha -1 ) and B incorporation for disease management in different crops because if the N concentration is exceeded, then the presence of various Fusarium species is promoted (Engelhard, 1989;Daughtrey and Benson, 2005;González-Pérez et al, 2011).…”

Identificación y alternativas de manejo de la cenicilla del rosal

“…Continuously applying these chemicals increase production costs and may bring about selections of resistant P. pannosa populations (Daughtrey and Benson, 2005); also, the need to minimize the use of fungicides leads to search for control alternatives such as the use of defense inducers. Such is the case of silicon, that has proven to have potential to improve the structural and biochemical potential for resistance to diseases such as powdery mildew in different crops such as cucumbers (Liang et al, 2005), strawberries and grapes (Botta et al, 2011), as well as in pot roses (Shetty et al, 2012).…”

Suppression of Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera pannosa) in Greenhouse Roses by Brief Exposure to Supplemental UV-B radiation

“…Climatic conditions in the greenhouse are ideal for reproduction and spread of powdery mildew. The high frequency of fungicide applications that is required to suppress powdery mildew often results in rapid selection for fungicide resistance (7). Manipulation of environmental condifions, including day length (32) and spectral quality of the light (33,35), may provide an alternative strategy to reduce powdery mildew in greenhouse crops.…”