Texas A&M AgriLife Hosts Greenhouse Pest Symposium in Dallas Oct. 1

Greenhouse growers across Texas face a unique challenge. In the controlled environments of high tunnels and hydroponic facilities, pest outbreaks don't just spread—they explode. A single undetected aphid colony can engulf an entire operation in days, turning carefully managed climate systems into accelerants for infestation.

Texas A&M AgriLife is convening a targeted response. On October 1, the agency hosts the Integrated Pest and Pathogen Management Symposium for Controlled Environment Agriculture at its Research and Extension Center in Dallas, bringing together entomologists, plant pathologists, and agricultural engineers to share advances in biological control, disease-resistant crop varieties, and automated monitoring systems.

The one-day program runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dallas center on Coit Road. Registration stands at $50, with three general continuing education units offered through the Texas Department of Agriculture—credentials that matter for licensed applicators and crop advisors tracking their certification hours.

Moving Beyond Chemical Sprays

Arash Kheirodin, a controlled environment entomologist with AgriLife Research, will co-lead sessions on biological control methods alongside Carlos Bográn of BioWorks Inc. Their focus: reducing grower reliance on conventional pesticides through strategic deployment of beneficial insects and microbial agents in enclosed production spaces where chemical residues can persist and accumulate.

The timing aligns with broader industry pressure. Consumers and retailers increasingly demand produce grown with minimal synthetic inputs, yet greenhouse operators can't afford the crop losses that come with inadequate pest suppression. Biological control offers a middle path—if growers understand how to establish and maintain predator-prey balances in artificial environments.

Breeding for Resistance

Krishna Bhattarai, a plant breeder working with AgriLife Research in Dallas, will present progress on host resistance strategies targeting powdery mildew in lettuce and strawberries—two high-value crops particularly vulnerable to fungal infection in humid greenhouse conditions. He's also developing varieties with enhanced resistance to thrips-vectored viruses, including tomato spotted wilt virus, which can devastate tomato production with a single infected vector.

Kevin Ong, director of the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostics Laboratory, takes a systems-level view. His presentation addresses disease management across nursery and greenhouse operations, emphasizing how sanitation protocols, environmental controls, and scouting routines combine to prevent the establishment of pathogen populations.

Artificial Intelligence Enters the Greenhouse

Perhaps the most technically ambitious segment involves Azlan Zahid, an agricultural engineer with AgriLife Research, who will demonstrate applications of artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technologies for automated pest detection. The systems under development don't just count insects—they track population trajectories, predict outbreak timing, and generate treatment recommendations based on real-time environmental data.

Paulo Cremonez of Auburn University and Jermaine Perier of Mississippi State University round out the technology track with presentations on field-based monitoring networks and scouting techniques adapted to vegetable production systems.

Why This Matters for Texas

Controlled environment agriculture represents one of the fastest-growing segments of Texas horticulture. From leafy greens grown in repurposed shipping containers to ornamental production in high-tech glasshouses, these systems offer year-round production insulated from weather extremes. But that insulation cuts both ways—pests and pathogens thrive in the same stable conditions that protect crops from freezing and drought.

The Dallas symposium offers growers access to research-based solutions before problems become emergencies. Registration is available online at tx.ag/PestPathogenManagement.