Winning With a Good Defense

Aaron Hobbs

Pest management, at its core, is playing defense. It’s not as flashy or exciting as big offensive scores, but it’s also impossible to win a championship without it. In nurseries and greenhouses, you’re not defending against strong three-point shooting, but you’re protecting your high-value plants from insects and diseases that prevent them from thriving and surviving. Certainly, pest damage to your plants also damages your business and impacts customer satisfaction.

Every grower is well versed in the core tenants of sound pesticide practices and application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Monitor and, if possible, prevent pest problems. Identify pests before treating. Use the right product. Read and follow label instructions. However, in the middle of the game, so to speak, we often don’t take the time to make sure we’re helping customers and others understand our commitment to these sound practices. That’s why RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) is focused on understanding how to best communicate about grower pesticide use and helping all applicators effectively and proactively share their perspective and views.

Just like on the basketball court, good defense can go unnoticed. It’s when the defense is absent or breaks down that its value is more evident. Consumer research we’ve conducted consistently shows pesticide use is similar. Pest management and plant health is not top-of-mind for most consumers until they have a problem that needs to be solved or until they consider what to purchase and plant in their yards and containers. As a result, advocating for the reduction or prohibition of specific pesticides is easy—it’s easy to position the products as unnecessary when their value is far from thought.

When confusion becomes a cause
Our research also shows questions about pesticides are prevalent. In addition to training employees about how to properly implement an IPM approach, we can educate them on how to answer questions and demonstrate their knowledge of sound pest management practices. In an environment where business regulation continues to be a popular local and state concern, our demonstration of responsible use is essential to maintaining access to products and approaches essential to production and meeting customer expectations.

For example, in Montgomery County, Maryland, it only took one instance where a resident’s misunderstanding about a neighbor’s pesticide application led to sweeping changes for one municipality. One year later, a county council member introduced legislation to ban pesticide use on public and private property for the entire county. And, in Boulder, Colorado, a group of anti-pesticide activists is asking the city of Boulder to ban the use of neonics on public landscaping, trees, parks and playing fields. Local issues like these have reached the horticulture industry.

Recently in Minnesota, local garden centers pledged to limit—and even phase out—a class of pesticides thought to harm bees. It’s a complex topic, with proponents asserting plants pre-treated with neonicotinoids sold at retail are a factor in bee die-offs and colony collapse disorder (CCD) in agriculture. This movement has prompted lawmakers in Minnesota to consider various incremental prohibitions on neonics. A law passed last year restricts labeling and advertising of treated plants. A bill introduced this year would prohibit the purchase and planting of treated plants and treatment of plants on certain conservation lands. And, most recently, a judge ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Minnesota to devise a plan for phasing out any remaining use of neonics at wildlife refuges by January 2016.

A recent survey conducted by AgInfomatics of 750 turf and ornamental (T&O) professionals finds that neonicotinoids are the top-ranked products used in their management program to control pests in greenhouses, nurseries, lawns, landscapes and trees. Nearly 60% of all T&O professionals identify neonicotinoids as their “most used” insecticide and 73% say there are no acceptable alternatives. Most professionals fear the loss of these products would reduce the quality of their plants and services, increase costs, limit their ability to manage insect resistance and negatively impact their ability to safely manage pests—especially around people and pets. Education, not regulation, is a more appropriate response to this issue.

Addressing concerns that may be discussed in a public forum, such as a city meeting or social media—before they gain momentum—is important to effectively communicate key information to consumers, communities and policy makers. Social media, for example, has rapidly become an effective tool for activism on a national scale. People speaking out against treated plants and retailers are largely passing along opinions created from one social channel. Groups and individuals can drive their agenda and stir up what is a perceived controversy about an issue at a moment’s notice.

We have the same opportunity to share information about growing practices and the tools necessary to produce the functional and beautiful plants customers and consumers seek out season after season. Horticulture, with its direct connections to consumers and retailers, is a leader in the social space. I urge you to consider creating and amplifying content about your production practices that helps consumers better understand your professionalism and use of inputs.

Collaboration among industry
Our research shows that as an industry, we need to communicate early and often to deliver our message effectively. Most consumers—and I include policy makers—don’t think about the role pesticides play in delivering the healthy plants and landscapes they desire and enjoy. Our first communications goal is always to learn what people think, understand what their questions are and to provide answers.

RISE is working with growers and applicators to do just that. We’re collecting feedback from you and your national and state associations, and providing resources to help you tell your story. To support good public policy about pesticide use, our outreach is extended by grassroots efforts, public affairs activities, social media campaigns and industry events in priority locations across the country. RISE is active on the state and local levels to bridge the gap in consumer understanding about grower inputs, plant health and the environment. Access our resources for growers and applicators at www.debugthemyths.com/ambassador.

Protecting your business
Continuing the discussion with your customers and starting one with your community’s leaders now is a good first step on offense. You’ll lay the groundwork for a balanced discussion when pesticide use and plant health is the topic and won’t have to play defense. GT

Aaron Hobbs is President of RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment).