Category: Biosecurity

Growing Roses? Export Rules to the U.S. Have Changed.

In the efforts to prevent a quarantinable strain of Ralstonia from entering the United States, USDA-APHIS has changed importation rules for rose material for planting. This includes rose material coming from Canada.

Under the new federal order, roses (Rosa spp.) grown in Canada must now have been grown entirely within Canada or the U.S.. This includes root stock and graft material.

This is to reduce a potential pathway for Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 biovar 2 (Rs R3bv2) into the U.S., which can devastate solanaceous crops such as potato and tomato, as well as geraniums.

Read on for more details about RS R3bv2 and the new export regulations.

Continue reading “Growing Roses? Export Rules to the U.S. Have Changed.” →

Your Yearly Reminder of Japanese Beetle Requirements: Get Those Treatments on Before May 15!

Anyone following this blog for the last few years knows I like to remind y’all to make sure you treat your plants for Japanese beetle before May 15! This is because NO pesticides are allowed when Japanese beetle (JB) pupae are present (generally, May 15-June 15 in Ontario),which has gotten some growers into a pickle during spring shipping in the past.

Note that if you’re a nursery crop grower also treating for boxtree moth, you may surpass the maximum allowed applications or rate of Acelepryn per year if you also need to treat for JB. In that case, it might be better to time your treatments for JB in order to use intercept (imidacloprid) instead. So make sure to check out the pesticide timing chart in the JB Infographic in the full post.

This year, I’ve updated the JB Decision Tree and Infographic to include shipping requirements to different areas in the United States. So, if you or your staff need more clarification on any of these points, make sure download the latest PDF.

Continue reading “Your Yearly Reminder of Japanese Beetle Requirements: Get Those Treatments on Before May 15!” →

Upcoming Greenhouse, Nursery & Floriculture Biosecurity Workshop in March

OSCIA is offering a free two-part webinar will explore practical steps growers can take to strengthen biosecurity in greenhouse and plant production operations.

A technical expert will highlight key practices that help reduce risk and protect plant health.

Participants will also learn about potential cost-share opportunities and will receive a Greenhouse Biosecurity workbook to help develop a biosecurity plan.

Workshop details

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Participation in both sessions is required.

Growers can register here:
https://workshops.osciaportal.org/workshop/registration/48?workshopEventId=2225

To help with planning, we encourage participants to register by March 17.

Questions can be directed to Jenn Nash, East Central Region Field Representative. You can reach her at 705-991-3909 or jnash@ontariosoilcrop.org

In Case You Missed It: Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper – a New Pest of Hibiscus.

Fig. 1. Two-spot cotton leafhopper. Photo by A. Revynthi, University of Florida.

Just when we think we have Thrips parvispinus under control, a new pest is threatening tropical ornamentals. The two-spot cotton leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula) is mainly a pest of – you guessed it, COTTON – but also attacks hibiscus. Growers in Ontario should be aware of this pest if importing hibiscus cuttings from the Southern U.S., where this pest has currently invaded.

There’s been lots of good information shared on this pest recently. Read on for a summary relevant to ornamental growers, including what to look for, effective pesticides and what actions you should take NOW.

Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper – a New Pest of Hibiscus.” →

Your Yearly Explainer of Japanese Beetle Requirements: Get Those Treatments on Before May 15!

For those of you planning on shipping ornamental products out of Ontario anytime between May 15 and June 15, this is your yearly reminder to get your curative application of Acelepryn on BEFORE May 15! Recall that no pesticides are allowed when Japanese beetle (JB) pupae are present (generally, May 15-June 15 in Ontario). So, if you haven’t already curatively treated your plants that are about to go out the door (either after Aug 15 in 2024 or before May 15 2025) they may not meet shipping requirements.

For more details, check our our updated infographic for JB control products and timing to know what to apply when. Not sure if you need to treat for JB or not? This post also contains a decision tree and a quick reference table for applicable JB programs when shipping outside Ontario.

Continue reading “Your Yearly Explainer of Japanese Beetle Requirements: Get Those Treatments on Before May 15!” →

In Case You Missed It: “Scouting your Ornamental Crops like a Pro” Webinar is Now Up!

If scouting has been a challenge for you or your employees in the past, you’re a new IPM scout, or you feel like you could use a refresher, then this webinar is for you!

This recorded webinar is applicable to garden retail centres as well as ornamental and some nursery crop producers. I cover topics such as how best to spend your time, tools of the trade, what data you should be recording, as well as tips and tricks from the pros!

Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: “Scouting your Ornamental Crops like a Pro” Webinar is Now Up!” →

“COMMUNITY” PEST ALERT: Spotted Lanternfly

Originally published on the ONgreenhousevegetables blog on  by Cara McCreary

A spotted lanternfly adult. Photo by APHIS.

They may be pretty, but they aren’t our friends. Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive sap-feeding planthopper with potential to harm agriculture and forestry in Ontario.

But I only grow greenhouse fruits and vegetables, so why does it matter to me, you ask? Read on to learn more about why this pest matters to everyone.

Continue reading ““COMMUNITY” PEST ALERT: Spotted Lanternfly” →

Greenhouse Biosecurity Workshop – Now in Vineland!

Register for the OSCIA Greenhouse Biosecurity workshop held in-person in Vineland, on August 7th, 2024! Seats still available!

Continue reading “Greenhouse Biosecurity Workshop – Now in Vineland!” →

Pesticide Rotation Guide for Thrips parvispinus in Canadian Greenhouses

By Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA) and Judy Colley (Plant Products)

A female (left) and male (right) Thrips parvispinus on a mandevilla flower.

With the arrival of mandevilla, dipladenia and hibiscus cuttings, now is the time to start planning your management program for Thrips parvispinus. Unfortunately, it looks like this pest is here to stay in North America, and in the tropical plant industry at large.

In this post, we’ll focus on pesticide rotations to manage pesticide resistance, as well as a few tips and tricks to make sure your pesticides stay working.

Continue reading “Pesticide Rotation Guide for Thrips parvispinus in Canadian Greenhouses” →

“How-to” Video of the Week: Plant Washes and Other Tools to Make Detecting Parvispinus Easier

OMAFA Summer Student Avery Johnson demonstrating plant washes on-farm.

In this week’s “how-to” video, we’ll explore using plant washes on-farm.

Plant washes are a simple but effective method to detect low levels of critical pests, such as Thrips parvispinus.

Once you’ve washed out your pests, we’ve also developed a quick “decision tree” to help you easily determine if you’re dealing with Thrips parvispinus or another thrips pest.

Keep reading to find the link to the video and additional resources.

Continue reading ““How-to” Video of the Week: Plant Washes and Other Tools to Make Detecting Parvispinus Easier” →