Gerardo (Gerry) Spinelli
Production Horticulture Advisor for San Diego County
530-304-3738
Pest Control
Predatory Phytoseid mites to control Agave Mite?
What does Agave Mite really look like?
Agave Mite
Optical Sensing Workshop
Associate Professor Christian Nansen, Department of Entomology, UC Davis gives a practical and commercial-oriented presentation and discussion about how applied research into optical sensing of plant stress and predator release can benefit your business operations.
Hot Water Treatment Video
A hot water system using a prototype system that can deliver a hot water “shower” to plants in an enclosed insulated trailer. The hot water system consists of a metal shipping container on a trailer with two water tanks (hot and cold) and 2 propane tankless hot water heaters. Heated water is pumped into the shipping container and applied to potted plants through spray nozzles located on pipes mounted on the walls and ceiling. The floor of the trailer is slanted to allow all water to drain out. Working with engineering professors at UC Merced to refine the electrical and physical components of the system, we tested the system on a spectrum of nursery crops and pests to determine appropriate time and temperatures to control the pests but not injure the crops.
See a summary of the project here.
See the full report with photos here.