Identification and Biological Control of Top Pests and Diseases in the Morris Arboretum Greenhouse Complex

Pest and disease management is one of the major challenges faced on a daily basis in the Morris Arboretum greenhouse complex. However, the relatively high turnover rate of interns, volunteers, and seasonal staff means that many of the people working in the facilities aren’t trained to be effective scouts or agents of pest and disease control. Increasing the number of people who are able to identify key pests and diseases has the potential to reduce the number and severity of pest and disease outbreaks that are faced each year. The purpose of this project is to create a guidebook for identifying and controlling the pests and diseases that are encountered most often in the greenhouses. Aside from illustrative photographs, the guide includes concise information on appearance, life cycle, common hosts, and characteristic damage, as well as a consolidated list of control options that are suited to our particular site. Due to the limited use of chemical pesticides in the greenhouse complex, emphasis is placed on biological control methods.