MSU floriculture insect wall chart and disease wall chart are updated for smartphones

The MSU “Insect Controls for the Greenhouse Industry” and “Chemical Disease Controls for the Greenhouse Industry” posters are now updated and available on a smartphone optimized website.

Photo 1. The insect controls website as seen on a computer screen.
Photo 1. The insect controls website as seen on a computer screen.

The Michigan State University Extension publications “Insect Controls for the Greenhouse Industry” and “Chemical Disease Controls for the Greenhouse Industry,” traditionally available for purchase as paper posters on the MSU Extension Bookstore website, are now updated and offered on websites. Each application is a reference guide for commercial pesticides approved for use in greenhouses, with filtering and search capabilities, for commercial greenhouse growers who are primarily raising ornamentals or vegetable transplants.

The insect control information was first converted to a website in 2012. It is now updated with current data as of June 2014, and also includes biological control organisms as well. To access the webpage, visit http://flor.hrt.msu.edu/IWC/. From a computer, the first screen will look like a lot of empty space (Photo 1). This is because the website has been optimized for smartphones. When viewed from a smartphone, the website real estate is optimal (Photo 2). If you have accessed this website either from a computer or a smartphone in the past, the older version of the website may be cached on your device. You may need to close the browser, force a refresh, or delete the saved icon in order to force the device to refresh (re-read the new website data and format).

Phone screen
Photo 2. The insect controls website as seen on a smartphone.

The disease control information was last published in 2009 as a paper poster. This year, it is now updated with current data as of June 2014, and is also a smartphone optimized website available at http://flor.hrt.msu.edu/DWC/.

Both websites have the same layout and capabilities. The main page of each website (Photos 1-2) starts by listing the available control agents in alphabetical order. Click on any one of the control agents to learn more about that product, including what other pests it is labeled to treat, reentry intervals (REI), etc. To search for a control by what pest it is labeled to control, click the filter button in the upper left corner of the screen. A filter page will appear on the left side of the screen where you can select filters by clicking on the plus sign and choosing an option (Photo 3). After choosing which options you want to filter upon, click the Done button at the bottom of the filter portion of the screen (you may have to scroll down to see it). To clear the filters, click the Clear Filters button on the main screen.

Phone screen
Photo 3. The disease controls website as seen on a smartphone with the filter activated. Click on the plus icons to expand a filter option and be sure to click the Done button when finished. You may have to scroll to the bottom of the screen to see the DONE button.

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