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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314821

Title: Using banker plants to control insects

Author
item OSBORNE, LANCE - University Of Florida
item McKenzie, Cindy

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2015
Publication Date: 2/19/2015
Citation: Osborne, L., McKenzie, C. 2015. Using banker plants to control insects. In: Proceedings of the 31st Annual Pest & Production Management Conference. Society of American Florists, Pest and Production Management Conference, February 19-21, 2015, Orlando, Florida. p. 31-39.

Interpretive Summary: A banker plant is a plant that has a population of reproducing natural enemies on it. Banker plants provide growers with more options for biological control of pests in greenhouses. They can provide a means for rearing natural enemies that aren’t commercially available. They provide growers with a method to evaluate the quality of purchased beneficial insects. Banker plants increase the probability that beneficials will become established. They are an economical method of providing a reproducing population of natural enemies and they also reduce reliance on pesticides and thus insect resistance to applied chemical controls. Potential benefits and limitations of different banker plant systems are discussed.

Technical Abstract: A banker plant is a plant that has a population of reproducing natural enemies on it. Banker plants provide growers with more options for biological control of pests in greenhouses. They can provide a means for rearing natural enemies that aren’t commercially available. They provide growers with a method to evaluate the quality of purchased beneficial insects. Banker plants increase the probability that beneficials will become established. They are an economical method of providing a reproducing population of natural enemies and they also reduce reliance on pesticides and thus insect resistance to applied chemical controls. Potential benefits and limitations of different banker plant systems are discussed.