Horticulture Hotline 06/18/18
Bill Lamson-Scribner
Biopesticides (also called bioscience products) are
pesticides that are found in nature. Do you remember studying in middle school
how the black walnut tree exudes its own preemergent herbicide (juglone that
causes an allelopathic effect) to keep other plant life from growing underneath
it and competing with it? This is
definitely the way of the future!
The most common biopesticides that you might have heard of
in the past would be pheromone traps for catching flies or Japanese
beetles. Pheromones are natural chemical
attractants (usually sexual) that animals as well as insects produce. You put
these attractants on a glue board to attract flies and Japanese beetles and
they get stuck. Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis is bacteria that controls many
different worms, caterpillars, mosquito larvae or Lepidoptera insects. Diatomaceous earth is a natural contact
insecticide derived from microscopic plankton or algae with silica skeletons. Roaches, ants, fleas, and snails walk across
this product and it causes abrasions to their exoskeleton and they dry out and
die.
Many of the major chemical manufacturers are spending more
money developing these types of products (finally) because they are easier to
get approved through the EPA, saving them money in the long run. The EPA doesn’t
require so of the expensive testing for organic products. One of our main
manufacturers recently introduced an insecticide that is approved by the
National Organic Program; however, they didn’t market it as an organic product
because some people in the industry feel that organic products do not perform
as well as the chemical counter parts. At Possum’s, we hear all the time the
organic products last as long as the chemical products.
Most bioscience products are very specific to certain pests;
however, now many products are being introduced with a much broader label. In some cases, it is required that you use
them more frequently because the product breaks down in the environment very
quickly. Diatomaceous earth on the other
hand lasts a very long time. It is important that you know the life cycle of
the insect or pest that you are after because some bioscience products only
attack the pests at a certain stage in their life cycle.
Some bioscience products that we had had a lot of success
with include; Harpin protein, Neem Oil, Spinosad, beneficial nematodes, various
oils and insecticidal soaps. Other
bioscience products called bionutritional products or biostimulants that we
have seen great success with include; humic acid (Possum Hume), seaweed
products (liquefied seaweed and sea kelp products), and amino acid
products. SeaHume (a combination or
seaweed and humic acid) is a proven performer in the Lowcountry.
To give you an example of a bioscience product, Harpin
protein (found in Mighty Plant) is a bacteria’s (fire blight) waste product
(poop) that is sprayed on the plant. The
plant thinks it is being attacked by a bacteria so it goes into its defensive
mode. The plant’s cuticle thickens
preventing attack from certain insects, fungi and bacteria. This cuticle thickening also conserves water. The plant also flowers profusely in an effort
to create seeds to perpetuate its species (war time babies) and also grows a larger
root system. Since most people grow
plants for flowers, this is an obvious benefit.
A plant that has been treated with Harpin protein is more drought
tolerant, has better flowers, has better foliage, can resist certain fungus and
insect attacks, and has a stronger root system than an untreated plant.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
Bill Lamson-Scribner
can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply.
Possum’s has three locations 481
Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant
(971-9601), 3325 Business Circle
in North Charleston
(760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd,
in Charleston
(766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at
http://www.possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “ The
Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from noon to 1:00, on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is
available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com.
