Poinsettia (and whitefly) season is almost upon us! So we thought it was fitting that this week’s “how-to” video focuses on on-farm quality control tests of parasitic wasps.
We’ve also got a few videos on how to scout your poinsettia crop for whitefly and implementing a whitefly biocontrol program. Although these are older videos, they still have lots of relevant info, especially for those newer to whitefly biocontrol programs.
Keep reading for the videos and links to further readings.
About These Videos
Whitefly scouting and biocontrol program videos were made by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). This three part video series covers a wide range of IPM techniques for addressing whitefly, a serious pest of several GH crops. The videos are available on the GreenhouseIPM YouTube Channel and on Quebec’s Agri-Réseau website (in French only).
The parasitoid quality control videos were made by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), and are applicable to both greenhouse floriculture and vegetable crops.
Disclaimer: the appearance of any products in these videos does not constitute endorsement by OMAFA or the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Videos contain current information as of the initial release date. Some products or procedures that were not available or widely used at the time of filming were not included in these videos. Any products featured in the videos may currently be unavailable or discontinued.
Video 1: Quality Checking Biocontrols: Parasitic Wasps
Initial Release Date: 2020
Details: This video outlines how to quality check parasitic wasps in a commercial greenhouse with limited materials when receiving your order of biocontrol agents. Parasitoid formulations covered in this video include loose pupae/mummies, adults in vials, and parasitic wasps on cards.
More information relating to this video
- You can find the Quality Assurance Guide by the Vineland, Research and Innovation Centre here: https://www.vinelandresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Grower-Guide.pdf
- Learn more about biocontrol product quality standards used by the industry: https://anbp.org/about/quality-assurance/
- Where to purchase an aspirator, if you don’t already have one: https://shop.bugdorm.com/index.php?cPath=2_28&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8diwBhAbEiwA7i_sJajMMevXGLvldWok6JtwVCV4qqsSKzjQnNe3UJpFQwyceN40k6IzaBoCJDQQAvD_BwE
- Where to purchase emergence cages: https://shop.bugdorm.com/index.php?cPath=2_20&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8diwBhAbEiwA7i_sJTP3aw6Fl7xffqSIVVdwv0u7-TaS7o3e8jRmv0-Kcl-DudW77LUPOhoC1s8QAvD_BwE
Just a reminder that purpose of these videos and the quality control guide is to help you learn more about what a “normal” emergence rate looks like, week-to-week, and to determine if any problems may have occurred with a particular product or shipment. Always work with your biocontrol supplier if you feel there is a potential issue.
Video 2: Monitoring for Whitefly in Poinsettia Crops
Initial release date: 2016
Description: Video 1 addresses Monitoring for Whitefly in Poinsettia Crops – This video demonstrates how to accurately identify and monitor two species of whitefly pests [Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and Silverleaf/Sweet Potato Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) on poinsettia at multiple stages of greenhouse production. Viewers are shown the morphological difference between the two pests and how they can cause damage to the plants.
Video 3: Implementing Biological Control for Whitefly in Poinsettia
Initial release date: 2016
Description: This video presents several currently available biological controls that can contribute to an IPM program for the management of whitefly. Viewers are shown the type of packaging the agents arrive in; how best to store them and how long their efficacy should last in the greenhouse. They learn how, when and where to apply the agents in the greenhouse in order to obtain successful results.
Video 4: Success Stories from Greenhouse Growers using Biocontrol for Whitefly
Initial release date: 2016
Description: In this video, growers that are successfully using biological controls in their greenhouse production share their experiences and discuss the advantages of using biological controls over conventional chemical pesticides to manage pests. It has been shown that increased adoption rates of IPM techniques such as biological control is greatly influenced by grower to grower exchanges.
Acknowledgements
The whitefly management videos and website were made possible with funding provided by AAFC-PMC, the International Organization for Biological Control- Nearctic Regional Section and the Ontario Farm Innovation Program, with the collaboration of Flowers Canada Growers, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and OMAFA.
The quality control videos were funded by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance (previously the OMAFA-U of G Partnership). This is a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness and the University of Guelph to advance research and innovation that contributes to the success of the province’s agri-food sector and promotes rural economic development. Videos were made as part of the KTT Funding Program stream.
Funding was also received by the Canadian Greenhouse Conference.
We sincerely thank those that contributed to the making of these videos, including: Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (Vineland), Jesse DeHaan (Vineland), Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA), Laxmi Khadka (Vineland), Cara McCreary (OMAFA), Caitlin MacDonald (Vineland), Ashley Summerfield (Vineland) and Taro Saito (Vineland).