ABSTRACT
Scouting or monitoring is an important component of any pest management program in greenhouse production systems. Furthermore, scouting greenhouse-grown horticultural crops helps prevent outbreaks of insect and mite pest populations from occurring. The goals of a scouting program may consist of one or a combination of the following factors:
1. Reduce Pesticide Use: Decreasing the use of pesticides (insecticides and/or miticides) may reduce selection pressure placed on insect and mite pest populations, and lead to a reduction in populations developing resistance. A reduction in pesticide use will allow susceptible individuals to escape mortality and breed with resistant individuals, thus maintaining susceptible genes throughout an insect or mite pest population. Furthermore, a reduction in pesticide use can lead to fewer problems associated with plant injury (such as phytotoxicity) or negatively affecting plant physiology, resulting in healthier plants.
