Biological controls can have a propensity to confuse and challenge growers, says Dr. Michael Brownbridge, research director, Horticultural Production Systems at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario. Consider, for example, Bacillus subtilus, a common active ingredient. Different strains may have different properties. For example, some promote plant growth and others control disease.

“If I’m [a grower] looking for product, and I’ve just gone to a talk or read somewhere that I should be using Bacillus subtilus, and I just picked the first product off the shelf that says ‘Bacillus subtilus’ on it, and then wonder why it doesn’t control a pest or disease — well, efficacy can depend on the strain,” Brownbridge says.

But grower uncertainties are not thwarting many of them from adopting biocontrols. Numerous growers, Brownbridge says, use biocontrols to avoid resistance, like they have seen against traditional synthetic chemistries, and adapt to growing public concerns about high pesticide use in greenhouses and on produce, Brownbridge says.

As Greenhouse Management reported in its January issue, Vineland has found that biocontrol use for pests among Ontario floriculture growers had risen from 69 percent in 2014 to 92 percent in 2018. This same demographic of growers also increased their use of biocontrols for disease control in the same timeframe, rising from 30 percent to 70 percent, according to a Vineland survey.

Combining biological and chemical controls

Brownbridge says he considers Ontario growers’ 70-percent use of biocontrols — agents such as Bacillus and Trichoderma — to be close to a full adoption rate; in other cases, the plants are in and out of the greenhouse so quickly that disease infection isn’t a concern. Meanwhile, many U.S. growers Brownbridge has met are beginning to adopt full biological programs and incorporate compatible synthetic chemistries based on their biological program, rather than the previously more common reverse scenario.

“As long as the chemical and the biological [controls] are compatible, oftentimes you get even better results by using the two components together, perhaps in a spray rotation or something like that,” Brownbridge says. “They can be very, very compatible and give you very, very good levels of disease suppression when you use the chemical and biological [controls] in combination. But there is no one-size-fits-all scenario. It’s all crop- and location-dependent.”

A clean environment

Multiple factors can help growers determine biocontrols’ effectiveness in their greenhouses. When adopting biocontrols, growers need to maintain good growing conditions and sanitation practices, Brownbridge says. “Biocontrols will not work if all of the other steps aren’t in place, as well,” he says. “They don’t give 100 percent control, they don’t work curatively, and they don’t work when there are high pest or disease pressures, or perhaps when conditions are very, very favorable for diseases to develop.”

One favorable condition for disease, for example, is an unsanitary environment, so it works in growers’ favor to sanitize their greenhouses. Between crop cycles, Brownbridge says, growers should spray a disinfectant on benches and clean floors of algae, moss and, if they have dirt floors, weeds. They must ensure that flats and pots are sterile, and potting mixes remain free from diseases. Plant propagators’ reputation rests on providing clean cuttings, but growers need to be aware that sometimes cuttings are infected.

Brownbridge compares the necessity of a clean greenhouse environment to society’s need for clean hospitals. “Ideally, a hospital is free of all sorts of diseases, because you’ve got a bunch of compromised people in there that can easily be infected if there’s a lot of dirt, filth and pathogenic organisms around,” he says. “[It’s the] same when you have a greenhouse — you want it to be as clean as possible.”

Au revoir, resistance

Biological controls have multiple modes of action: producing antibiotics to interfere with disease development; parasitizing pathogens; crowding out disease-causing organisms for space in roots; taking up resources that pathogens would otherwise use; and inducing plants’ own defense pathways that protect them from infection, Brownbridge says.

“Against a chemical, it’s frequently [that] the mode of action is very specific on a specific biochemical pathway, so it’s easier for the organism to develop alternative pathways to get around it,” he says. “But with biocontrol agents having these multiple modes of action, it’s harder for the disease organisms to develop resistance to that.”

A new approach

To achieve successful results with biocontrols, growers need to understand their crop and the conditions in which it needs to be grown, and keep it healthy throughout its growth, Brownbridge says.

“For people shifting off conventional pest control into biological, it’s a little bit of a change of mindset, change of approach and a change of thinking around the whole crop cycle and the whole system in which you’re going to use this material — and ensuring all parts of that system are working together,” he says.

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Like the clownfish and the sea anemone, plants and Obtego Fungicide and Plant Symbiont from SePRO have a mutualistic relationship.

“Obtego benefits by having a host, or root structure to colonize and proliferate on,” says Mark Brotherton, Portfolio Leader at SePRO. “The benefit to the plant is, through its natural biology, [Obtego] protects the plant, and kills harmful fungi that would normally attack the roots.”

For growers, the benefits of the newly released Obtego — labeled for ornamentals and vegetables — are twofold, Brotherton says. As a fungicide, Obtego controls soil-borne diseases such as Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium and Thielaviopsis. “But at the same time,” he says, “it will help with nutrient and water uptake, and enhance the overall root system.”

The biological’s plant symbiont functions, Brotherton says, are owed to the presence of two different Trichoderma species — Trichoderma asperellum strain ICC 080 and Trichoderma gamsii strain ICC 012. These fungi colonize in and around a plant’s root system and protect it. Compared to untreated plants, crops treated with Obtego grow healthier and more robust root systems.

Promising trials

Obtego recently hit the market after SePRO saw successful trials throughout the United States, says C.J. Coy, Technical Specialist at SePRO.

“The buzz has been great about Obtego,” Coy says. “[I have] been out trialing products with growers, and there’s nothing but praise for it up to this point.”

Growers who have trialed Obtego have consistently noticed improved root mass, Coy says. There has also been another benefit. “With all these trials I’ve done, there hasn’t been any disease present,” he says.

Four modes of action

Obtego protects plants through four unique modes-of-action: preventative biocontrol, direct fungicide and parasitism, competition and plant defense activation.

The first mode-of-action, preventative biocontrol indicates that Obtego inhabits space in the soil and rhizosphere that would otherwise be occupied by potentially harmful fungi, Brotherton says. Through another mode-of-action, direct fungicide and parasitism, Obtego releases enzymes that break down the cell walls of pathogenic fungi. A third mode of action, active competition, can be described by Obtego winning the natural battle for water and nutrients versus harmful fungi. The final mode-of-action, plant defense activation, allows Obtego to trigger the plant’s natural defense systems and help it preemptively fight diseases in the event that they occur.

A low chance for disease resistance

Because Obtego utilizes four different modes of action, the likelihood is very low that diseases will develop resistance to it, Brotherton says. However, some growers like to rotate Obtego with other products. “You can use it in combination with synthetic fungicides or even other biofungicides for that matter, too, to strengthen your control and potentially expand the spectrum of control,” he says.

Growers with existing disease infections should use synthetic products to eradicate anything they might have, Brotherton says. Then, after the plants are disease-free, they could implement Obtego for continued protection.

Effective in a variety of conditions

Growers will find that the success of Obtego will fit nicely within the environments growers are accustomed to, Brotherton says. “In all environments of active plant growth and soil properties, it’s highly active metabolically,” he says.

“What’s unique about Obtego is that it’s always active,” Brotherton says. “It’s working in a wide range of temperatures, a wide range of pHs, soil moisture, soil types.”

Numerous application methods

Growers can use several application methods to apply Obtego, Brotherton says. These include a drench, dip, media incorporation and chemigation through irrigation system. “The flexibility of application allowed with Obtego makes it easy for growers to use,” he says.

With Obtego, growers can maintain a healthy and dense root system. And coming from the turf industry, Coy says he knows all about how a plant’s above-ground growth rests in that root system, and he relays that to growers. “I say, ‘Let’s get some healthy roots, because if it’s taking up water better, it’s taking up nutrients, it’s taking up pesticides, that’s only going to give you a healthier plant on top,” he says.

Photo: Adobe Stock

Technology does a lot, but it can’t do everything. Sometimes we forget that. We can get so dependent on email and social media that we lose sight of what people really need from us — especially in business. Yes, clients expect to connect with us in various high-tech ways, but they also crave the deep and meaningful connections that can only come from face-to-face (or at least voice-to-voice) connections. It can be tricky to walk the line.

Too little tech and you’ll seem out of touch, too much and you’ll lose the personal touch that keeps customers loyal and engaged. As you’re trying to find the right balance, just remember this: Your client relationships are built on emotions and trust, so use technology only in a way that maintains, enhances, and propels those relationships to the next level.

Human needs don’t change. Relationships mattered in the days of pencil, paper, and snail mail, and they still matter in the days of Facebook and Skype.

Don’t let "faceless" and "voiceless" technology become your primary communication tool.

Nothing can replace the effectiveness of a face-to-face encounter (even if it’s by Skype), especially in the early phases of your client relationship. And meaningful phone conversations can be great, too. It’s fine to use less powerful tech solutions like email, texting, and e-blasts to enhance and strengthen a well-established relationship. But they should only be supplemental.

Skype important meetings if you can’t be there in person.

Ideally, “in person” interactions are best for relationship building — especially with your top clients — but of course they can’t always happen. Video conferencing is second best. Use this tech tool often; it’s a great way to read body language and facial expressions.

Pick up the phone regularly.

Many people dislike the phone. Conversations can be long and meandering, and we’re all busy. But you must overcome your phone phobia. In terms of relationship building (not to mention problem solving), there is no substitute for the give and take that happens voice-to-voice. Schedule actual phone conversations with clients, and keep that human connection alive.

Pay attention to how the client communicates.

If a client seems to prefer phone, text, or in-person communication, make a note of it and honor their preferred style while maintaining your own dedication to person-to-person contact. This shows them you care about and respect their preferences. Find a happy balance between the client’s style, yours, and the demands of the day.

Match the medium to the message.

If you want to distinguish yourself and have something very important to say, write a letter! If you are trying to book an appointment with a busy person, figure out something complex, or discuss a potentially sensitive issue, pick up the phone. If you only want confirmation of a small piece of information and you’ve recently spoken with a client, use email. Let your instinct be your guide.

Keep your website young and agile.

Is your website in alignment with your business image and your mission? Make sure it’s as professional and sleek as your own personal appearance when meeting a client for the first time. Successful companies have streamlined, up-to-date websites with modern fonts, colors, and layouts.

Email links to articles you think your client might enjoy.

Trusting relationships thrive on frequent contact. To solidify your connection to clients (especially when you haven’t talked in a while), send them links and articles you know they will enjoy. This gesture shows you are thinking about them and know where their interests lie. Just keep these communications in balance. Bombarding clients with superficial links and articles may actually weaken the value of your contact with them and undermine your relationship.

Send e-newsletters to all your clients.

This a good way to engage regularly with clients and stay on their minds. Create compelling content that connects with the various lines of services you are currently offering and craft interesting articles for your clients around related topics.

If you harness the power of technology correctly, it can do wonderful things for your business. But it is only one tool in your toolbox. Don’t let technology overshadow your mission to keep trust-based client relationships at the center of everything you do.