Prevent pests & disease in your indoor farm
Added on 02 January 2023
In the third episode of #GrowEasyChat, our Farm Operations Manager (Rachael Warner) discusses how to identify and prevent pests and disease in your indoor farm.
Q1. How does an unbalance in the Plant Disease Triangle contribute to pests and disease?
A1. Plants have a variety of mechanisms to defend themselves against attack from foreign bodies, similar to the human immune system. The disease triangle exhibits the only possible way for a plant to become diseased is related to its susceptibility, the presence of a pathogen and unfavorable environment for the plant. In an unfavorable environment, the overall susceptibility of a plant to becoming diseased is increased. Further, if the environment promotes the growth of a pathogen it further increases the ability of disease to take hold.
Q2. Knowing that it is possible for pests to move into a farm at any time, what strategies do you recommend to continually monitor crop health?
A2. This begins with their actions before entering the farm. A serious commitment to biosecurity should be made by each person entering the farm, preventing the potential for pests to be brought in. It is important to encourage all members of a growing team to be attentive to crop health throughout their time in the farm.
Image: Cultivatd
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