IMPLICATIONS OF LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE FIRM PROFILES FOR ADOPTION OF PEST-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Firm characteristics and managers' attitudes and opinions about pesticide safety were used to classify lawn care and landscape management firms into four categories and compare them using the logit procedure. Survey data obtained from 223 firms was used in the empirical investigation of the adoption of the IPM techniques. Results showed the need for continued transfer of new technology to independently owned firms, multidisciplinary assessment of IPM methods before their transfer to ascertain the economic viability of proposed methods, public investment in programs training workers in knowledge-based pesticide applications, possible assistance in obtaining capital, and investment in consumer education.attitudes, cluster analysis, IPM, logit model, management, survey, Agribusiness,

Effects of diet, temperature and photoperiod on development and survival of the bigeyed bug, Geocoris lubra

Bigeyed bugs (Geocoris spp., Hemiptera: Geocoridae) are common predators in Australian agricultural crops yet the development and reproductive biology of Australian geocorids has not been described before. Here we present the effects of diet, temperature and photoperiod on the development and survival of Geocoris lubra Kirkaldy from egg to adult. Nymphal survival of G. lubra reared on live aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) was very low but improved slightly on a diet of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) eggs. Development was faster and nymphal survival improved significantly at 27 degrees C compared with 25 degrees C. Further investigation at 27 degrees C showed photoperiod influenced development time, but not survival of immature G. lubra. Development time was significantly longer at 10L:14D. Fecundity of first generation G. lubra was not affected by photoperiod, although egg viability was greater at 12L:12D