1. This week, you
will get to start practicing your skills as a greenhouse scout. Please visit
the greenhouse you will be scouting and place several sticky cards there. You can either uncover both
sides or leave one side of the card covered to use the next week. Remember to place them close to
the foliage where they insects are most likely to be – and mark the plants so
you can find them again. And don't forget to put a date on them! Send us a picture in Moodle of your cards in place!
2. We would also like you to practice a technique for monitoring fungus gnat larvae in the greenhouse. You’ll need a potato for this activity. Cut a ¼” wedge or slice out of your potato. Insert the potato in the growing media of a pot in the greenhouse so that at least one cut surface is in contact with the soil. Here are two links with more information about this:
https://bioworksinc.com/wp-content/uploads/products/nemashield/protocol-for-evaluating-efficay.pdf
You can check it after a few days as you might see larvae quickly if there are fungus gnats in the greenhouse.3. Use your various magnification devices plus a phone camera or other way to document what you see. Take pictures of something you find in the greenhouse with 1) the phone (or camera) alone and no magnification, 2) whatever magnification the camera has, 3) the handlens, 4) the Optivisor plus phone (if you can) and 5) the handheld microscope. It doesn't have to be an insect or disease symptom, although something with some variation in height like a not completely flat leaf and some small characteristic to look at is best. Which one gives you the clearest and closest view? How difficult is it to get a good closeup? Even though the magnification systems are for you to see whatever you find, it is handy to have a good way to take clear and close up pictures if you need to send them in for identification. Post your comparison pictures and comments.
4. Inspect the plants in your greenhouse – including roots if you can. Do you see any symptoms or evidence of disease or insect pests? Post photos of them. Mark those plants to return to next week. These can be considered indicator plants for population development and evaluating pest management.
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