Greater adoption of IPM and use of biological control is a win: win: win situation because chemical pesticide use is reduced and, when used, they are timed to maximize efficacy. Growers are happy because they do not like applying these compounds, which are expensive and pose health hazards to them and their workers and customers. Workers, who are the most likely to be exposed to the toxic pesticides, are happy because their health is protected and their work environment is safer. Customers and the general public benefit because the plants produced are not a source of pollution. Ultimately though, the crop that is produced must be of high quality and competitively priced. A well-executed IPM approach has been proven to be cost-effective, environmentally sound and a more sustainable production system.

Biological control has been available to greenhouse growers for decades, and evidence of its effectiveness is well documented. Nevertheless, growers in Vermont and other Northern states have been slow to adopt it because, according to surveys, they lacked confidence in its efficacy and the knowledge to make it work. For eight years, the Vermont Greenhouse IPM Program, in cooperation with ME and NH Extension and the respective states’ Departments of Agriculture personnel, has offered hands-on grower workshops on biological control and IPM to demonstrate that these biologically-based strategies are effective and economical. Initially workshops focused on pest identification and monitoring, cornerstones of IPM. This ensured that growers had the knowledge needed about pests and their damage symptoms to detect problems early, which is essential for success with biological control. As growers gained expertise in these basic skills, the contents of the workshops have expanded to cover more advanced subjects dealing with incorporating biological control into their established IPM program.

In the early years of the program, growers commonly said biological control and IPM were interesting subjects but would not work in their operations. They said it was too expensive, labor-intensive, complicated, and unreliable. But times and growers are changing. Now growers express that they have started to implement techniques, such as scouting and sanitation, for which they previously believed they did not have time. Many say that the reason for the change in production practices--utilizing more non-pesticide approaches--is because of the knowledge they have gained and the contacts they made while attending the workshops. Growers clearly indicate that they learn best through hands-on, practical training sessions. As a result, the VT IPM Program continues to develop highly interactive workshops to ensure that the information is disseminated effectively and more readily adopted. In 2006, 75 percent of the Vermont workshop attendees stated they used biological control, compared to 25 percent, based on a grower survey conducted by the program 5 years ago. Over the past 8 years of holding these workshops, more than 95 percent of the growers indicated that they learned new IPM techniques that they intended to implement in the coming year and over 80 percent said they had made new contacts that would help them with IPM in the future.