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It's time to start your scouting program.

Use these tips to get started on the season ahead. Scouting, monitoring, and early detection play a key role in preventing major crop losses each year.

Select a scout.

Identify a scout and designate time for them to spend on monitoring each week. Once a week is standard.

Write out your layout.

Create a layout of your operations and divide them in a way that makes sense to you. The scout should follow the same pattern each time they go scouting. A zig-zag pattern is the most efficient.

Use your background knowledge of the growing area to help you inform this layout. Write down the following:

Major entrances: areas of high traffic are sources for pests and diseases.
Locations of sticky cards.
Indicator plants: the first plants to fall prey to an infestation.
Any ongoing infestations or damage.

Establish a record.

A scout should have a table that outlines at least a few of the following.

Pest counts. Which pests were observed and where?
- The number of pests caught on a yellow sticky trap.
- The number of pests found in a sampled area.
- The types of pests found, and where they are.
Disease symptoms and signs such as spotting, mildew, oozes, lack of vigor, etc.
Pesticide usage; which pesticides were used and when were they applied.

Keep these records to examine trends in your crop and predict when pests and diseases will become a problem.

Choosing the right tools.

Scouting can save you time and money in the long run. Consider arming your scout with the following tools for early detection and identification.

Hand lens (10x or greater).
Proscope for your smartphone or tablet.
Notebook or clipboard and paper.
Flagging tape
Sticky traps
Marking pens
Plastic bags for plant samples
pH meter
TDS/EC meter

See our cannabis scouting guidelines here

30X Clip-on Microscope
$10.00

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Yellow sticky traps

$15.75

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ProScope Micro Mobile Kit
$228.00

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