The predatory mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) was evaluated as a biological control agent of herbivorous mites on outdoor-grown ornamental landscape plants. To elucidate factors that may affect predator efÞciency, replicated tests were conducted on 30 ornamental plant cultivars that varied in relationship to their generalized morphology (e.g., conifers, shade trees, evergreen shrubs, deciduou...

In a greenhouse experiment, the nematicidal effect of some bacterial biofertilizers including the nitrogen fixing bacteria (NFB) Paenibacillus polymyxa (four strains), the phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) Bacillus megaterium (three strains) and the potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) B. circulans (three strains) were evaluated individually on tomato plants infested with the root-knot nem...

Flowering potted plants during the postproduction stage are usually stored in inadequate environmental conditions. We evaluated the effect of the most common storage conditions and treatments on two Bougainvillea cultivars after harvest and during recovery. Flowering potted Bougainvillea plants were treated with 100 mL 2 mM amino-oxyacetic acid (AOA) or 500 ppb 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) prio...

Peat is the most common substrate used in nurseries despite being a very expensive and a non-renewable material. Peat replacement with biochar could be a sound environmental practice, as it is produced from waste biomass, but evaluation of biochar as a potting substrate is needed. Ratios of peat:biochar of 100:0, 70:30, 30:70 (BC0, BC30, and BC70, respectively), two fertilizer rates (FERT1, FER...

Monacrosporium ellipsosporiwn was frequently observed associated with Meloidogyne egg masses in some field soils and in potted cultures of the nematode. Six geographic isolates varied in their relative predacity toward larvae emerging from egg masses. An aggressive isolate, chosen for rapidity and abundance of trap formation in vitro, was tested in greenhouse and field tests for protection of t...

J. Econ. Entomol. 89(5): 1109-1115 (1996) ABSTRACT Entomopathogenic nematodes-Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Oswego strain), Steinemema carpocapsae (Weiser) (NYOOI strain), Steinemema carpocapsae (25 strain), Steinemema feltiae Filipjev (=Neoaplectana carpocapsae Weiser) (369 strain), Steinemel1la feltiae (27 strain), and Steinemel1la riobravus Cabanillas and Poinar (355 strain)-were exa...

Fertilization levels for ornamental crops may influence pest population dynamics, crop quality, and pest management strategy. We examined the effect of fertilization on population growth and within-plant distribution of melon or cotton aphid, Aphis gossypiiGlover, on potted chrysanthemum, Dendranthema grandiflora (Tzvelev). In terms of pest management implications, we also investigated the effe...

Broom snakeweed (snakeweed) is a native range shrub found throughout semiarid rangelands of the western United States, which increases and dominates plant communities after disturbances such as overgrazing, drought, or wildfire. The objective of this study was to compare the ability of selected grass species and prostrate kochia to restrict establishment and growth of snakeweed seedlings in pot...

Height control of potted Lilium lancifolium (Tiger lily) and L. × aurelianense (Aurelian lily) plants would improve their marketability in the garden center and extend their market season. Bulbs (16-18 cm) were treated with Concise (uniconazole) or Piccolo (paclobutrazol). Bulbs were dipped for one minute in a 0, 2, 4, 8, or 16 mg/L Concise solution or for 15 minutes in a 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg...