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During the last six months, the word “coronavirus” has become a permanent part of our vernacular. While it has outstayed its unwanted welcome, the pandemic has swept the normal maneuverability of society, specifically for members of your workforce. Here is how to best handle the casualties of COVID-19, according to two experts.

Although termination, layoff and furlough are terms employers should be familiar with, Michael Maggiotto, senior human capital advisor at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group, says the terms are often used synonymously, but have different legal definitions and treatments. While termination is the complete end of employment, layoff and furlough are more complex.

“Furlough is a temporary but mandatory unpaid leave,” Maggiotto says. “Oftentimes, furloughs are used for partial weeks or short weeks at a time. It keeps that employment relationship active even though employees are not being paid during that time frame. It saves the company on labor costs, some that might occur from separations, severance packages or even when asked about placement services. When the furlough is over, bringing employees back is simple. There’s no recruiting expenses or other related expenses or training and development of new staff because they can just literally pick up where they left off.”

Maggiotto says layoff is the combination of termination and furlough, and is intended to be temporary. While companies intend to replenish that spot, it is still considered a “clean separation” from the company and involves related expenses.

“You have costs associated with severance packages, outplacement services and other types of separation costs that have to be incurred by the organization,” he says. “One of those — and it all depends on the volume of employees impacted by the layoff — could be triggering of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act unless [layoffs] are done as the WARN Act. This does require and place certain burdens for notification to employees, certain costs and burdens from an outplacement and options for certain classifications on employees. A lot of things need to be done.”

During a pandemic, state or national emergency, these are generally handled the same unless executive orders motion otherwise, like the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), for example.

When determining which route to take, however, Maggiotto says there are four factors that should be considered: people first, planning, ethical decision making and cashflow/cash reserves.

People first

“From the people first standpoint, it’s really, ‘Does the company have the focus on people? Are they committed to caring for the people first and foremost?’” Although this sounds like basic leadership, Maggiotto says there are business that look at people as replaceable.

“This crisis and future crises alike, is really going to shine a great light on the significant magnitude of businesses where leadership is not focusing on people as much, versus those who really do,” he says.

Planning

According to Maggiotto, strategic planning is the “cornerstone” of businesses and it is “critical” to have a continuity plan, infectious disease control plan and disaster recovery plan.

Ethical decision-making

Since a large part of the green industry is made up of smaller companies, Maggiotto says he often sees owners neglect creating missions, visions and values. But according to him, when entrepreneurs build their business plan and complete the required documentation, they can be drawn from those files.

“It’s time to pull those out and put them on something employees can see because those missions, visions and value statements form the ethical culture of your organization and should be the yardstick against which all decisions are being made.”

Cashflow and cash reserves

Given COVID-19’s abruptness, Maggiotto says cashflow and cash reserves are causing “knee-jerk reactions.” While most businesses share concern for their employees and aim to make ethical decisions, having cashflow and cash reserves is a determining factor.

But even given these circumstances, Maggiotto says referring to your “yardstick” is important.

“You should always be referencing the mission, vision and values to ensure that the decisions you’re making are ethical and that you are transparently communicating the what, why and how with your employees. How you exit is just as important as how you enter and how you operate your business,” he says.

Todd Downing, managing partner and co-founder of Best Human Capital & Advisory Group, agrees with Maggiotto and says candid conversations are best.

“If we don’t know information, it’s human nature to start conjecturing and making up facts,” he says. “That’s why we have to be transparent, especially at a time like this. How you treat people during a crisis is a reflection of the leadership’s values and who you really want to be.”

Disparate treatment is considered intentional discrimination and disparate impact is considered a product of a “good faith attempt” gone wrong that negatively impacts one or more protected classes. To eliminate their potential, both Downing and Maggiotto stress the importance of hiring an HR professional; one who is strategic and equipped to protect companies from liability, but also provide employer rights.

“When a business decision is made, as long as it can be supported by a solid business case focused on business necessity, then in general, the business should be able to avoid any difficult situations,” Downing says.

During a pandemic like COVID-19, to balance this, they suggest making decisions that surround the idea that everyone — employers and employees — have an obligation to protect society and their families, and do what’s best for one another.

“One of the key things to remember — which is hard to do since we’re still in the early stages and have not yet hit peaks almost anywhere in the U.S. — is that this will pass,” Maggiotto says. “And businesses need to be prepared to have a plan to normalize those operations as quickly as possible.”

There’s no doubt about it: plants are in high demand. They’re the bright spot in an office; they create the ambiance in a backyard and they provide the sense of satisfaction that comes with caring for a seedling and watching it grow.

We’re all looking for a little relief from the upcoming election, the never-ending news cycle, the looming uncertainty of the upcoming school year or whatever stress is on your shoulders. With so much disappointment over canceled summer vacations, postponed parties and family gatherings, and celebrations that seem a little underwhelming, it’s tough to stay positive.

Whatever celebrations and gatherings we can have are mostly happening at home or online. What better way to make the most of your space than filling it with bright blooms and lush foliage?

People are noticing that more than ever and plants both indoor and outdoor are seeing some extra love in pop culture. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing plants pop up in places I haven’t seen them before — an insurance commercial set in a garden center, a group of succulents on a doormat design, a high-fashion photo shoot featuring huge foliage plants — even monstera leaf earrings and plant-themed jewelry.

In fact, the last time I visited Etsy, four out of the six featured items were plant-related.

That’s one of the reasons I feel so lucky to work in an industry that is not only weathering the current storm, but thriving in it. On a recent call with some folks on the landscape side of the horticulture industry, I heard much of the same: gratitude that the industry is doing well and hopes that it will continue to grow once the pandemic is over.

I hope you take a few minutes to feel lucky too.

Pesticides have been safely and effectively used for decades in greenhouse production systems.

In general, pesticides are easy and convenient to apply, and useful in terms of control, suppression, or management of arthropod pest and plant pathogen populations. Greenhouse producers regularly apply pesticides to alleviate or minimize plant damage from insect or disease pressure.

However, the continual reliance on pesticides can promote the development of resistance in arthropod pest and plant pathogen populations.

In this final article, we discuss how integrating biopesticides into rotation programs and pesticide mixtures can help in resistance management

Where biopesticides fit in an integrated approach

First of all, if you’re new to the subject of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), perhaps you are asking yourself: what are biopesticides?

Biopesticides are a classification of pesticides that are derived from natural materials, such as, plants, bacteria, animals, and certain minerals. Biopesticides are categorized into three major classes: microbial pesticides, plant-incorporated protectants, and biochemical pesticides.

Below is a detailed description of each of the three major biopesticide classes:

1. Microbial pesticides: consist of a microorganism as the active ingredient (e.g. fungus, bacterium, virus, or protozoa), which is highly selective in activity against specific target insect pests.
2. Plant-incorporated protectants: substances that plants produce based on genetic material that is incorporated into plants.
3. Biochemical pesticides: naturally occurring substances that control insect pests by non-toxic mechanisms.

Microbial insecticides commonly used in commercial greenhouse production systems are based on bacteria and fungi. The difference between the two is that bacteria must be consumed by the targeted insect to cause death, whereas fungi can directly penetrate through the insect cuticle and initiate an infection.

The microbial insecticides currently registered for use in greenhouse production systems include:

Fungi

Beauveria bassiana Strain GHA (BotaniGard)

Isaria fumosorosea Apopka Strain (Ancora)

Metarhizium brunneum (Met52)

Bacteria

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Dipel)

B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Gnatrol)

Saccharopolyspora spinosa or spinosad (Conserve)

Chromobacterium subtsugae Strain PRAA4-1T (Grandevo)

Why should biopesticides be considered for use in rotation programs and pesticide mixtures?

Well, there are two different modes of action associated with pesticides (insecticides and miticides): site-specific (narrow spectrum) and non-specific (broad-spectrum).

Arthropod pest populations can develop resistance faster to pesticides that have a site-specific (narrow spectrum) mode of action due their ability to metabolize or detoxify the active ingredient. However, biopesticides have non-specific (broad-spectrum) modes of action. Therefore, it is more difficult for arthropod pests to develop resistance to a biopesticide with a non-specific mode of action due to the diversity of target sites affiliated with inducing insect mortality. It is recommended to integrate site-specific and non-specific modes of action in rotation programs to alleviate selection pressure when using site-specific modes of action alone, which will preserve the effectiveness and longevity of currently available pesticides.

Pesticide mixtures that include biopesticides may help alleviate the potential for resistance.

For instance, using pesticide mixtures that include conventional pesticides with site-specific (narrow spectrum) modes of action with biopesticides (e.g. entomopathogenic fungus) that have non-specific (broad-spectrum) modes of action may mitigate the development of resistance. Furthermore, there are cases when mixing biopesticides with another active ingredient results in synergism (toxicity of a given pesticide is enhanced by the addition of a less or non-toxic pesticide).

For example, mixing Metarhizium brunneum (Met52) with a product containing azadirachtin (e.g. Azatin, Ornazin, and Molt-X) can result in higher mortality of certain insect pests, such as the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), than when the two active ingredients are applied separately. Azadirachtin is an insect growth regulator, more specifically, an ecdysone antagonist, that inhibits or slows down (delays) the molting process. By delaying the molting process, the hyphae of an entomopathogenic fungus are able to penetrate the cuticle and initiate an infection before the insect pest sheds the old cuticle (ecdysis). This allows more time for fungal hyphae to initiate an infection, which can enhance efficacy and death of an insect pest.

Plant pathogens

Resistance management of fungicides using different mode of action (MOA) groups is one of the common issues encountered by greenhouse producers. Research has shown that rotations and tank-mixing are effective in mitigating resistance development in plant pathogen populations.

There are characteristics of biopesticides that make them ideal candidates for use in rotation programs including: providing better control, and delaying resistance from developing in plant pathogen populations.

In our opinion, the ideal number of fungicides to use in a rotation program are two to three, because using more than three can make it difficult to know which active ingredients worked, which ones failed, or which ones damaged your crop. If you are producing crops organically, the number of choices is substantially limited.

However, you should still know how to incorporate biopesticides into rotation programs. Using a biopesticide that is alive provides distinct advantages. The Trichoderma spp. in the product RootShield Plus has at least four modes of action:

• Exclusion: occupies space on plant roots and absorbs nutrients normally available to fungal pathogens.
• Shielding: attacks and consumes fungal pathogens.
• Antagonism: releases anti-pathogen substances and creates a zone inhospitable for fungal pathogen development.
• Induced Host Resistance: stimulates accumulation of defensive compounds that ward-off fungal pathogens.

It is also important to consider that we are learning conventional products are not single action products. In fact, many stimulate a diversity of host resistance mechanisms.

With that in mind, here are some factors to consider before adding a biopesticide to conventional rotation programs:

1. What is the disease target?

If you have Pythium root rot and use a product that only works on Rhizoctonia; you have wasted your money and will probably have to “dump” the crop.

2. What are the best conventional and biopesticide products for a specific disease?

If you use a product that is marginally effective, this will reduce the efficacy of the entire rotation program, even if you use highly effective conventional products. Remember, there is no single product that is effective on all plant pathogens.

3. Is the biopesticide alive?

If you use a living fungus or bacterium and rotate with a fungicide that kills fungal plant pathogens then control will be diminished. However, if the biopesticide (even if biological) does not need to be alive to work, then you do not have to be concerned about killing any biological organisms with the biopesticide. Be sure to check with the supplier to determine if the biological organisms are sensitive to bactericides or fungicides used in your rotation program.

Years ago, we were informed by a well-known biopesticide manufacturer that the Bacillus (bacterium) in the product, Marrone BioSolutions’ Cease, was not sensitive to copper and could be tank-mixed with copper without influencing efficacy. In addition, the chemicals the Bacillus in Cease synthesizes during production will work with or without a living bacterium. Therefore, the tolerance of copper and efficacy of the chemicals produced are responsible for the efficacy of Cease.

4. Is the biopesticide sensitive to specific environmental parameters?

The product BotryStop, which contains the active ingredient, Ulocladium oudemansii, must be stored under refrigeration. The active ingredient is killed if the product is stored under conditions that result in exposure to extreme temperature swings. Check the website of the manufacture for information on proper storage conditions and sensitivity to other pesticides.

Some biopesticides; especially those containing biological organisms, must be used before pest pressure is high. Sometimes, applying a conventional product first in a rotation program followed by a biopesticide can result in optimal control (e.g. fusarium wilt and cyclamen). In addition, a biopesticide and conventional fungicide mixture may provide better control than when used in a rotation program.

In any event, considering the difficulty in controlling plant diseases and pests in the greenhouse, why not use all effective IPM tools available to you?

Raymond A. Cloyd is a professor and extension specialist in horticultural entomology/plant protection at Kansas State University. Reach him at rcloyd@ksu.edu. A. R. Chase is president of Chase Agricultural Consulting. Reach her at archase@chaseresearch.net.

Ask any grower. Proper greenhouse sanitation is one of the most important things you can do for the plants you grow and the people who tend them. Yet, ask those same growers how the greenhouse industry rates overall, and you’ll likely hear “room for improvement” quite a bit.

With the arrival of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, sanitation at your growing operation is now more important than ever. Not surprisingly, an effective response encompasses greenhouse basics as well as COVID-specific keys.

This look at sanitation best practices — for plants and people — can help your operation succeed.

Putting greenhouse sanitation in perspective

University of Kentucky’s extension specialist in plant pathology, associate professor Nicole Gauthier, suggests that coronavirus concerns can help growers see greenhouse disease and sanitation fundamentals in a new light.

“We can take the same approaches for greenhouse disease — also spread by touch and spread by airborne particles — that we take for our personal health,” Gauthier says. “You’re never too clean, especially in a greenhouse. So, we can use those practices that we’ve learned from COVID and apply those scenarios in our greenhouses as well.”

Muhammad Shahid, University of New Hampshire Extension associate professor and state greenhouse and nursery production specialist, agrees. “It’s not only about COVID. We are just becoming more focused,” he says. As growers reach out for information and sanitation training, coronavirus is a driving factor. But the battle for a clean, healthy operation starts with greenhouse sanitation fundamentals.

Revisiting simple greenhouse sanitation basics

With greenhouse disease management and sanitation, like many things in this industry, Gauthier and Shahid emphasize that small things add up. “Sometimes [growers] don’t realize things that are so simple can have such a large impact,” Gauthier says. “It’s easy to underestimate the importance of the little steps in sanitation, but the little steps are cumulative and they make huge impacts.”

Shahid adds that growers often confuse cleaning with sanitizing and stop short. “A grower may say ‘I removed all the leaves. I cleaned my benches. I removed my plant debris.’ He thinks he is sanitized. But cleaning [alone] is not sanitizing. Cleaning is the first step; then there is disinfection. We need to kill all the germs and fungi and bacteria and pathogens.”

Consider the following greenhouse sanitation best practices to revisit and put to work in your operation:

Maximize blocking benefits. Gauthier encourages growers of all sizes to use sections or blocks extensively. “Separate your shipments. Separate cultivars. Separate species. Use as many blocks as possible,” she says. If a pathogen gets introduced, through a shipment or something internal, blocking helps contain it. And, Gauthier points out, it’s much less disheartening to rogue a small area.

Quarantine anything questionable. While a dedicated “plant hospital” area may be easier for large nurseries, Gauthier urges small growers to quarantine, too. “Quarantine new plants when they come in,” she says. “If something is not looking good, but you’re not sure if it’s diseased yet, quarantine it. Get it away from other plants while you wait for a diagnosis.”

Discard unhealthy plants and residue. For greenhouse growers, Shahid points out that time and space is money. “Don’t keep any plants that you will not sell,” he says. “They should be immediately removed because they could be sources of different pathogens and insects.” And do not overlook substrate particles, which can aid the spread of pathogens throughout your facility.

Don’t reuse soil or containers. Gauthier states it simply: “Don’t reuse soil. Don’t reuse containers — unless they’re disinfected and scrubbed clean.”

Get rid of the weeds. “Weeds can be a source of as well as hiding places for insects, especially whiteflies and thrips,” Shahid says. “Even though symptoms may not yet be visible, they could prove drastic for your crop in the future.”

Remove all algae. Algae’s pervasive nature makes removal a sanitation necessity. “Any symptoms of algae on your water hoses — on your mulching material, on your walls, wherever it may be — should be very clearly removed,” Shahid says. “Algae in your facility can serve as a vector of disease.”

Empty greenhouses completely between crops. Gauthier advises growers to avoid overlapping crops. “Fallow your greenhouse. Empty it completely, disinfest, and then reintroduce a new crop,” she says. “Overlapping crops creates the bridge between a previous infection and a new one.”

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. That means reaching benches, carts, wheels of carts, trowels, shoes, tools, surfaces and more. “Scrubbing isn’t as sexy as the latest, greatest new fungicide. But a high level of inoculum or pathogen particles will overload any fungicide and even the best products cannot be effective if they’re overloaded by pathogen propagules in the space,” Gauthier says.

Don’t overlook irrigation lines. “When we fallow and disinfest, that includes flushing your irrigation lines and all your hoses and breaker nozzles,” Gauthier says. Shahid believes contaminated irrigation lines are a main force behind the spread of greenhouse disease. “Your irrigation system must be properly cleaned out,” he says. “Use clean water to irrigate your crops, and never put your irrigation tools on the floor. If the floor is contaminated, then it’s going to contaminate your irrigation tools and then it’s going to spread through your whole facility.”

Educate every level. Your sanitation program is only as strong as your weakest link. Gauthier notes that educational seminars are often packed with greenhouse “upper echelon” only. “We only see the greenhouse manager or we see the supervisors, but what we need are the people who touch those plants every day,” she says. One uninformed temporary staff member can leave your entire program at risk, so educate everyone, at every level.

Be on guard for broken links. The simplest act can lead to a sanitation breakdown. For example, you may sanitize the greenhouse perfectly — then someone brings in a dirty wheelbarrow. Gauthier says another common break occurs when greenhouses overwinter plants for family or friends. “We see so many of these foster plants that come into our greenhouses over the winter. Something so simple can really introduce a problem when you’re not paying attention,” she says.

Don’t wait for disease. Gauthier reminds growers: “With plant disease, once infection occurs, we can’t cure it. We can suppress. At that point, we’re using fungicides to protect healthy tissue. So sometimes we shouldn’t wait.” If you have a susceptible crop, a history of disease in a house, or an outbreak in a nearby house, she advises being proactive with your fungicide program.

Staying clean, healthy and COVID-compliant

Greenhouse sanitation fundamentals represent a necessary starting point for fighting COVID-19. Rosa Raudales, assistant professor and greenhouse extension specialist at the University of Connecticut, clarifies that sanitation basics can’t be skipped. Steps such as removal of organic debris prior to disinfection are essential to successful surface sanitation against SARS-CoV-2.

Shahid works extensively with growers navigating coronavirus compliance and working to keep staff healthy and facilities COVID-free. While he sees many growers well-trained and excelling at sanitation, others aren’t — but he’s quick to say growers aren’t reluctant; they just need more training on what to do.

Extension educators and agents have become prime resources for accurate, timely information on best practices for preventing and managing coronavirus infections in your growing operation. USDA.gov, EPA.gov, state extension websites, and sites such as e-GRO.org (Electronic Grower Resources Online) are excellent sources for videos, seminars and fact sheets.

These COVID-related sanitation and compliance tips can also help:

Look to the EPA for chemical guidance — with a hand from extension. The most common question Shahid fields about COVID-19 sanitation is about which chemicals to use. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of surface disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 contains nearly 500 EPA-registered products. Extension educators can help you find and focus on the most effective products for you.

Follow EPA directions and keep records. Once you’ve selected an EPA-approved and listed product, Raudales emphasizes the importance of following EPA disinfection directions for use against SARS-CoV-2. Remember to keep records and include them in your safety operation procedures.

Do not use COVID surface sanitizers near plants or in irrigation systems. Raudales stresses that some surface sanitizers may be toxic to plants. Plus, application rates for coronavirus surface disinfection exceed levels plants can tolerate.

Extend sanitizer contact time, when possible. Raudales reports that EPA-listed contact times for approved SARS-CoV-2 surface sanitizers reflect minimums needed for control. She recommends extending contact time to increase the product efficacy, if possible in your operation.

Alternate products, if desired, but don’t mix. As with all chemicals, Raudales warns against mixing products, unless specified on all product labels involved. Unapproved mixtures and unexpected reactions can yield toxic results. Alternating surface sanitizers at approved intervals is fine.

Educate with videos. You may think you have masks, hand washing and social distancing down, but videos on how to wear masks and other PPE, wash hands and stay socially distant can illuminate where you’re wrong. Shahid recommends using visual training tools to educate and reinforce best practices for these basic coronavirus precautions. This holds for applying chemicals and sanitizing surfaces as well.

Practice what you learn. Follow-through is critical. “Remind people this is a different time. You need more focus on cleaning — cleaning your hands especially,” Shahid says. “And practice social distancing everywhere. In your propagation area, your shipping area and your packing area — everywhere.” Consider taking employee temperatures at the beginning and end of shifts.

Increase your cleaning frequency. Extra effort counts. Shahid advises increasing cleaning frequency of “touch places,” such as equipment and door handles, to keep your workplace clean and hygienic. “If you’re cleaning one time a day, then increase your cleaning frequency to two or three times a day,” he says.

Embrace alternative means of communication. Take steps to minimize face-to-face contact and go virtual instead. Shahid recommends broadening avenues of communication with tools such as private social media groups, video conference calls and communication apps for mobile phones. “These could be very helpful for effective communication with employees and customers,” he says.

Explore ways to sell — while social distancing. You may be used to face-to-face sales, but there are other ways to sell plants and honor social distancing. Shahid suggests using online ordering, limiting the number of customers or visitors on site, and setting individual appointments for pickups. Knowing how many people your facility can accommodate with proper social distancing is essential, especially if you have a retail garden center segment.

Expand touchless payment options. Shahid explains that many people are concerned about spreading coronavirus through hand-to-hand cash and credit card purchases. Online payment networks offer touchless options. These include online or advance credit card payments, as well as services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp, Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Take touchless interactions further. Shahid says many growers are moving to touch-free systems throughout their facilities, including touchless doors, water faucets, water fountains and paper towel dispensers. All these advances eliminate would-be touch points for pathogen spread.

Innovate at break time. For small growers with tiny breakrooms, social distancing at lunch and break times is still possible. “In this COVID scenario, we don’t have to do the 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. breaks. We can do shorter breaks and we can be wiser,” Shahid says. “If I’m a grower in this situation with 10 employees, I can divide into smaller groups and do three at a time instead.”

Plan, prioritize and designate responsibility — before infection hits. Shahid recommends having remote work plans in place, including communication plans between managers and staff, and designating next-in-line employees to step in if people in key positions fall ill. “If you have infection at your farm, you should know who the next person is to have that responsibility or assignment. And be sure to notify that person beforehand,” he says.

Cultivate confidence. Staff need to have confidence they can stay home if they’re not feeling well and not worry that their job is at stake. “Gain the confidence of your staff. This means there should be no attendance compulsion,” Shahid says. “Look also at your responsibility to your healthy staff members. If someone gets sick, separate them from others.”

Looking toward post-COVID sanitation practices

While media reports show some Americans dismissing COVID precautions, Shahid is hearing the opposite from growers he works with one-on-one. “They say, ‘We’ve had a lot of modification in our production systems in terms of cleaning, sanitation, disinfection and our sale points. We think that these things should have been done before COVID.’ They say these are very useful, not only due to COVID, but due to their own health and their workers’ health,” he says.

Gauthier encourages growers to develop relationships with their extension educators or extension agents and take sanitation seriously, from greenhouses basics to COVID and what comes next.

“I want to encourage everyone to take some time to look through their SOPs and find ways to improve their sanitation,” she says. “Think about every leaf, every old debris, every soil particle, every mechanically transmitted cell, everywhere hands touch. Make improvements and continue to make improvements. It’s nothing revolutionary. It’s just being clean.”

The author is a Minnesota-based freelance writer specializing in the horticulture industry. Reach her at jolene@jolenehansen.com.