Even if you follow all of the tips and best practices for pest and disease prevention, it’s still possible for a pest to slip through the cracks.
Controlling pests early is key to a successful pest management program. Starting clean will help make the rest of the growing process a lot easier. If you’re bringing in high quality stock from a well-regarded liner producer, you’re on the right track. But buying from a certified pest-free supplier is only the first step.
When new plant material is brought into your operation, inspect the plant material thoroughly. It is imperative that your employees inspecting the plant material can identify diseases and insects. If they have that specialized knowledge, they will be well-equipped to make the decision to reject the shipment or send the plants to a quarantined area.
These also should look for injury symptoms on arriving plants as injured plant material is much more susceptible to some diseases.
Suspicious plants that are not rejected or discarded should be tested for diseases immediately either with in-house testing or sent to professional labs.
If possible, keep plants from different suppliers in different areas of the nursery. This way, pests and problems on plants from one producer don’t spread to clean plants from another producer. Once you are sure the new plants are clean, the plants can then be moved together.
For more: Michigan State University Extension