Growers in Ontario continue to struggle with Thrips parvispinus on tropical crops like mandevilla, anthurium and schefflera. Unfortunately, reports out of Europe also indicate this invasive pest species can also attack poinsettia.
Read on for what you need to watch out for, and potential management strategies.
Continue reading “Parvispinus on Poinsettias? It’s Possible.”
Broad Mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) seem to be a regular occurrence nowadays in spring crops, especially Reiger begonias and New Guinea impatiens. Other crops that are commonly affected include torenia, exacum, ipomea and gerbera.
Broad mite are often difficult to detect and control. Read on for tips on monitoring and the latest management strategies for this pest.
Continue reading “Battling Broad Mite in Spring Crops”
MSU Extension has updated a 16 page guide to biocontrol agents that are commercially available to control greenhouse pests.
Developed in collaboration with Kansas State University and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, this fantastic resource includes pictures of each organism, their active temperature ranges, and key facts that will help growers find success using biological control. Read on to download your copy now!
Continue reading “Guide to Biocontrol Agents for Greenhouse Pests Available for Download”
It’s no secret that recent outbreaks of thrips species other than western flower thrips (WFT) have made producing greenhouse crops in Ontario harder than usual. This includes species such as onion thrips, Thrips parvispinus, and chrysanthemum thrips.
As control measures are different depending on the thrips species you’re dealing with, the very FIRST step in learning how to manage these pests is proper species identification. If you’re interested in having someone in your greenhouse operation learn how to do this (so you don’t have to rely on government specialists), then keep reading!
Continue reading “Thrips Identification Workshop for Growers: Coming to an Ontario Town Near YOU!”
In case you missed the GrowON webinar by myself and Judy Colley from Plant Products on Jan 29th, we’ve now uploaded to Youtube!
You can find it the ONFloriculture Youtube page, along with lots of other useful videos and webinars.
Are recorded webinars not your thing? Well, then you have two additional options!
Continue reading “In Case you Missed it: “A Pain in the Parvi” GrowON Webinar Recording (Plus, Another Thrips parvipsinus Webinar with GrowPro!)”This guest post was written by Ashley Paling, a research technician at the Horticulture & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) and part-time instructor at Niagara college.
Using biological controls to control aphids as part of an IPM strategy is a popular choice among growers (Jacob, 2023). Aphid parasitoids can, of course, be purchased weekly from suppliers. However this is an expensive option that leaves you at the mercy of waiting for weekly deliveries to control your greenhouse pests.
Enter the Banker Plant System: a relatively inexpensive option that provides you with a constant supply of beneficial biological controls. This article covers the ins and outs of how to use a banker plant system properly, and what you need to consider if you are going to set up a banker plant program in your greenhouse.
Continue reading “Saving “Bank” with Banker Plants”
Are you a Canadian floriculture grower Planning your IPM program for Spring crops soon? Then look no further! Ontario’s new Crop Protection Hub combines pesticide data from a plethora of sources and combines them into one convenient location.
Types of data (for both chemical and microbial insecticides/fungicides) include:
Keep reading to find out how to access this new application.
Continue reading “Introducing Ontario’s Crop Protection Hub – Your One Stop Shop for Pesticide Information for Greenhouse Crops”
Thrips parvispinus has become a serious pest of tropical ornamental crops in North American since 2020. Due to the severity of the damage, IPM strategies are needed to complement chemical control until an effective and economical biocontrol program can be developed for this pest.
Mass trapping through traps, lures, or trap plants can be an effective strategy for thrips. We’ve already seen that mass trapping cards REALLY help with this pest (more on that, later). And, it seems that trap plants may also be an effective strategy when used properly in vegetative crops.
Read on for what we did and how to implement it on YOUR farm.
Continue reading “Trap Plants as a Tool Against Thrips parvispinus in Tropicals”
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing over $8 million to support the mental wellness of farmers and their families.
This investment will ensure that key programs continue to be available to Ontario growers through December 31, 2024.
To learn more about the resources available, keep reading.
Continue reading “New Farmer Mental Health Initiative”
It’s that time of year again, when problems early in the crop may have caught up with you. This includes root rots, Lewis mite, and Bemisia whitefly.
Now, you’ll be forced to make a choice with your poinsettia crop. Do you stay the course with a biocontrol program? Or spray for pests? And, as always, the question is “spray with WHAT”?
This post has tips on pest management decision making when it comes to common poinsettia problems in October.