Policies & Procedures

The autoclave is available to all renters. You must be trained by the greenhouse staff in its operation before you receive a login PIN for the autoclave. The greenhouse does not supply autoclave bags but does provide autoclave tape to seal the bags. Please do not use garbage bags or plastic twist ties in the autoclave. Significant damage will occur to the machine. If you are using the autoclave after 4:30 p.m. please turn it off when finished to conserve energy. Report any malfunctions of the autoclave immediately to the greenhouse management.

Engineered plants, virus infected plants and any other biologically hazardous materials must be sterilized before disposal. An autoclave is located in the greenhouse and is available to all researchers using the facility. Please use an autoclave bag to contain all of the materials to be sterilized and seal it with autoclave tape. Dispose of sterilized materials directly into the dumpster outside the building, not into garbage cans. Please consult greenhouse management for directions to operate the autoclave.

Equipment larger than a portable device, requiring alterations to the building, a steady (24-hour) supply of electric power or a steady supply of water must be approved by the Greenhouse Supervisor. Information on dimensions, utility needs, venting and drainage requirements, hazardous materials, safety and operating instructions will be helpful in determining the compatibility of the equipment with the greenhouse/growth chamber environment. This information must be given to the Supervisor before approval can be granted.

Large equipment that will remain in the facility for a long period must be approved by the Greenhouse Committee.

The researcher will be responsible for the maintenance and the removal of waste products generated by their equipment.

Care should be taken not to alter or damage existing equipment in the facility with the installation of your equipment. If brackets or holes need to be drilled in benches, walls or floor seek the recommendations of the greenhouse staff before making alterations. Structural damage may occur to benching or to the floor heating pipes inside the concrete floor. Drilling into walls can damage hidden wiring or plumbing.

Due to State Fire Code and the lack of storage space in the building, storage of unused equipment (including large quantities of pots or trays) is not allowed. The researcher must make plans for the removal of all unused equipment.

Two general laboratories, each with distilled water and a fume hood are available for the renters of the facility.

The laboratory safety protocol developed by REHS should be followed while working in the laboratory. It is the researcher's responsibility to keep the laboratory clean and make space available for other users. Any equipment damaged in the laboratory will be the user's responsibility to repair or replace. An inventory of chemicals used in the laboratory must be submitted to the Greenhouse Supervisor to meet REHS and Fire Department safety requirements. The use or storage of any hazardous materials (radioactive, toxic, etc.) should be reported to the Greenhouse Supervisor before they are brought to the facility. The laboratory door should be locked during lunch breaks and in the evening for security reasons.

Integrated Pest Management Procedures

Evaluations made by he staff at the NJAES Research greenhouse will determine when the
implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) procedures is needed. IPM practices may include
chemical, biological, cultural or physical methods to control the problem. In some circumstances, no
action may be the best solution. The object of IPM management techniques is to resolve issues with the
least possible hazards to people and the environment. The IPM Coordinator in charge of the action will
assess the problem and decide which approach is the most effective. When a decision to use pesticides
is made, consideration for he scope of the experiment and the impact pesticides may produce will be
taken into consideration.

Development of IPM Plans

The Director of Greenhouse Operations & Planning, in collaboration with the IPM Coordinator shall be
responsible for the development and initiation of the IPM plan for the NJAES Research Greenhouse
Facilities. The plan will follow all protocol for personal safety and he safe application of pesticides
required by the NJ DEP.

Notification of Pesticide Applications, Records, Re-entry

Faculty, Students and Staff using the NJAES research facilities will be notified via postings a a central
notification site in advance of pesticide applications. Warning signs will be posted on the greenhouse
entrances that are treated with pesticides. Re-entry to areas treated with pesticides will adhere to label
instructions and will be noted on postings and warning signs. The posting and warning signs will indicate
when the pesticide spraying occurred and when it is safe to re-enter he treated area. Records of
pesticide applications will be kept according to NJDEP guidelines in the applications record book at the
central notification site of the facility.

Additional information on Pesticides

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all pesticides stored at the facility are located at the central
notification area in a binder.

See Standard Operating Procedures for the Application of Pesticides in Agricultural Research.

It is the responsibility of the researcher, graduate student or department technician to take care of plants' needs such as watering, potting, pruning, fertilizing, and insect/disease control. It is important that a member of the research group has a pesticide applicators license. It is the responsibility of the research group to keep its area of the greenhouse clean to maintain a professional image. For further information see the "Rules and Regulations", "Guidelines for Greenhouse Technicians and Graduate Students" and "Guidelines for Control of Insects and Disease in Greenhouse" sections in this manual.

When plant materials are no longer needed they should be discarded directly into the dumpster outside the building. Please avoid using the garbage cans for plant and soil disposal. The garbage cans become too heavy to lift and the plastic bag inside tears. Leaving plant materials in the greenhouse garbage cans may also lead to the spread of insect and disease problems to other locations. If you have a large amount of soil, pots or trays to dispose of see the greenhouse management for possible recycling of this material

It is the researcher's responsibility to maintain the required permits for growing engineered plants and to follow the proper isolation protocols. An inventory of the plant material is also required. All engineered plants, soil and pots must be sterilized before discarding.

The greenhouse management performs preventive maintenance on the greenhouse, growth chambers and laboratories. They may ask you if certain equipment can be turned off temporarily for maintenance. If you have a period of time in your research that allows for the shut down of equipment, please inform the greenhouse management of this time period so that preventive maintenance can be scheduled.

Safety takes the highest priority at the Research Greenhouse Complex. It is expected that all users of the facility follow the operation procedures and rules and regulations provided in this document.

There is a mandatory safety training session that all personnel working in the greenhouse must complete. At the completion of the safety training, a certificate accredited by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will be issued to each participant.

Cold storage is available by permission only. Please contact the Greenhouse Supervisor for further information. All materials put into cold storage must have a tag with the users name, date, telephone number and a description of the material. Unmarked materials will be discarded. There is no general storage at the facility. Small storage cabinets are provided for the growth chambers and the containment greenhouses only. Please do not store supplies or unused equipment inside greenhouses or growth chambers.

Before starting a project with virus inoculated plants, consult the Greenhouse Supervisor as to the scope of the project, the supplies needed and the greenhouse or growth chamber area that will be used. This will prevent accidents that can ruin your project as well as the projects of other researchers.

Do not bring plants into the greenhouse from outside the facility without having them inspected by the greenhouse management. If possible, it is highly encouraged to start plants from seed in the facility to prevent insect and disease problems from being introduced. Plants brought into the greenhouse or growth chambers without authorization will cause the principal investigator to be charged a $100.00 inspection fee. An additional fee of $150.00 will also be charged for spraying plants and decontaminating the greenhouse / growth chambers if the plants are infected with insects or disease.

If the plants being used for virus inoculation are engineered, a copy of the permit for the engineered plants must be submitted to the greenhouse supervisor.

Virus inoculation work can only be performed in the laboratories of the headhouse or at a location approved by the greenhouse management if the laboratories are in use. Notify greenhouse management of your intention to inoculate plants before you start.

Bench coat paper must be used at all times when working on counter tops and tables to absorb spills.

Gloves must be worn at all times when handling virus inoculum and virus infected plants. Be aware of what you are touching and avoid contaminating chairs, doorknobs, marking pens, doors to the growth chambers, watering cans and etc. Remove gloves when walking through the facility and opening doors to laboratory, greenhouse or restroom. NOTE: If by accident you should contaminate something, please clean it immediately!

Cleaning must be done with a 10% bleach solution that is available in a spray bottle in the main work area. The work surface where the inoculation is being performed must be cleaned when your work is completed. All other surfaces that come in direct contact with the infected plants or inoculating material such as a wall, cart or door must also be cleaned in the same manner. Please wipe down the spray bottle with its contents when you are finished using it.

All disposable materials used in the inoculation process must be placed in an autoclave bag and sterilized before disposal. After the materials are sterilized, please put them directly into the garbage dumpster, not into a garbage can.

If the virus inoculated plants are to be put into a growth chamber, wash off corundum on plants after they are put into the growth chamber. This will prevent spilling contaminated water in the work area. If the plants are to be put into the greenhouse, place them on the floor of the greenhouse near the floor drain to rinse them off. Be careful not to contaminate other plants or benches in the greenhouse.

When watering plants, make sure that no part of the watering can or hose touches the infected plants. This common mistake has caused many viral outbreaks to occur. If this should happen the hose or watering can must be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution. Also make sure your hands or gloves are not contaminated when handling the hose or watering can.

A growth chamber or greenhouse being used for virus infected plants must have a sign on the door warning that virus work is being performed. A sign for this purpose is available from the greenhouse management.

Virus infected plants cannot be repotted, so please plan accordingly. If it should become absolutely necessary to repot these plants, see the greenhouse management for the proper procedure. Do not attempt to do this by yourself or without notifying the greenhouse management.

When working on your plants, work on your clean (virus free) plants first so as to prevent contamination from your infected plants. Wearing a lab coat to protect your clothing is highly recommended.

When your project is finished, all plants including their pots must be placed in an autoclave bag and sterilized. Please place sterilized plant materials directly into the garbage dumpster, not into garbage cans. Do not leave bags of unsterilized plant materials in your greenhouse or growth chamber. Sterilize unwanted plant materials as soon as possible.

The trays used for virus-infected plants can be reused after cleaning in a 10% bleach solution. See greenhouse management for details.

When you are finished with your virus work or are planning to start a new virus project, notify the greenhouse management for cleaning of the growth chamber or greenhouse. Please make sure to inform the greenhouse management at least three days in advance of the need for cleaning so that the growth chamber or greenhouse will be ready for your next project.