Koppert’s Phil Gerry is the featured guest on the Tech On Demand Podcast episode: A Biological Approach to Fall IPM. Phil is a Technical Sales Consultant for the Northeast Region, covering six states. He was a lead grower for large nurseries and greenhouses in the Northeast and Northwest before joining Koppert in 2021, and brings a wealth of practical knowledge and creative strategies to the topic of managing some of the most troubling pests in garden mum and poinsettia production.
In the episode, host Bill Calkins and Phil discuss the spring production season and then focus on IPM for crops produced in summer for fall and holiday sales. Phil explains the importance of understanding the compatibility of biological controls and traditional chemistries, defining what success looks like for the greenhouse or nursery before integrating biocontrols, and starting slowly with just one crop or one pest to hone the necessary skills before expanding.
Bill and Phil go on to explore biocontrols for mums including indoor vs outdoor production, and beginning applications in propagation to manage key pests such as aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, whiteflies, and spider mites. When it comes to poinsettias, diligence, scouting, and early preventative controls are some of Phil’s go-to tactics when dealing with their main nemeses: whiteflies and spider mites.
Bill Calkins is widely known as the editor of Tech On Demand, the email newsletter discussing technical topics in the horticultural industry. In his companion podcast, he and his expert guest speakers deliver weekly cultural and technical information to greenhouse professionals, covering the latest research and timely production tips and tricks.
Phil's interview can be heard on either of two locations:
