July 4, 2016, Portland, OR – Biological control in propagation will be one of the topics at next month’s Farwest Show (Aug. 25-27).
Ronald Valentin, technical lead for North America for Bioline Agrosciences Inc. will discuss “Biocontrol: Starting BCAs in Propagation, Starting with a ‘Clean’ Plant and Understanding Life Cycles,” giving greenhouse growers a better under- standing on the impact of BCAs as a first line of defence for plugs.
Valentin will discuss a range of issues related to BCAs, including when to start them, defining what “clean” young plants/plugs really are, implications of pesticides used on stock plants in propagation, and the consequences for growers planning to use BCAs once plugs have arrived at the greenhouse.
He will discuss the changes that can work positively to be successful with starting BCAs.
Valentin was born in the heart of the greenhouse industry in the Netherlands, growing up in a family owned greenhouse operation that started using biological control in 1971. He developed an early interest for the “bugs” and as a teenager he managed and produced the biological control agents for the family operation.
With an education in crop protection management, biochemistry and vegetable production at State Secondary College of Agriculture in De Lier the Netherlands, he embarked on a career in biological control in 1986.
Over the years Valentin has worked with many growers to set up sustainable and effective pest management programs with a focus to use BCAs as a first line of defence. He also has trained and managed technical support teams in Europe, Canada and the U.S.
He is passionate about IPM and biological control approaches and reducing the use of pesticides for the better of the environment.
For more information and to register for the show/conference, visit www.FarwestShow.com.
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