Flowers Canada Growers (FCG) has recently been hosting a webinar series on Thrips parvispinus. This series goes over what we’ve uncovered about this pest here in Ontario during a joint project by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-business (OMAFA)
The first webinar covered the Start Clean approach for cuttings infested with Parvispinus (that recording will be made available shortly). The next webinar will be held on Thurs, July 16th, and will go over interesting behaviors and ecology we’ve learned about Parvi that could help us better manage this pest.
Read on for more details.
Flowers Canada Growers Webinar Series
What: “Getting to Know Parvispinus To Better Manage This Pest”
Biocontrol programs developed for western flower thrips do not appear to be effective against Thrips parvispinus. This webinar will examine what makes T. parvispinus different and how insights into its biology and behaviour—including chemical ecology, host plant preferences, and defensive responses—can help improve monitoring and management strategies.
When:
The webinar will be held live on at noon (EST) on Thursday, July 16, so mark your calendars! No prior registration is required. Simply click on the link below!
Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87019270889
A recording will made available at a later date, but we encourage attendance at the live event so you can get your questions answered!
Who:
Flower Canada Growers will be hosting a diverse line up of speakers to cover the different aspects of Parvispinus biology and ecology we’ve been investigating in Ontario:
- Avery Johnson is a University of Guelph Master’s student working with AAFC for her project focused on thrips genetics and management strategies.
- Laxmi Khadka has been working as a Research Technician at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre for the past five years. She holds a Master’s degree in Plant Agriculture with a specialization in Entomology.
- Jessie deHaan (M.Sc. Ecology) is a Research Technician in Biological Crop Protection at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Jessie’s current area of research is investigating methods of boosting the efficacy of aphid biocontrol in greenhouse crops.
- Dan Bath is a Research Scientist in Horticultural Engineering at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. With a PhD in Biology and an academic career building hightech tools for biology, Dan specializes in computer vision, spectral sensing, robotics, and digital modeling, driving practical innovations that enhance production efficiency and sustainability in Ontario horticulture.
- Sarah Jandricic is the Greenhouse Floriculture IPM Specialist for OMAFA. In this role, she helps guide and conduct the latest research on pest issues facing the industry.
More Info:
Questions about this webinar series and other FCG webinars can be directed to margaret@fco.ca