Join us for a GrowON webinar tomorrow (Tuesday May 30th) on potential solutions for Thrips parvisipinus from “boots on the ground” folks. This includes technical reps, industry consultants, and extension specialists.
Read on for more information and how to register.
Continue reading “REMINDER: “Potential Solutions for Parvispinus” Webinar TOMORROW!”Webinars on Thrips parvispinus are coming fast and hard lately, as scientists and extension agents try to get you the very latest information on this serious pest of ornamentals and peppers.
Join us for a GrowON webinar next Tuesday on potential solutions for this pest from “boots on the ground” folks. This includes technical reps, industry consultants, an your friendly neighborhood extension specialist in Ontario.
Read on for more information and how to register.
Continue reading “Upcoming GrowON Webinar on May 30th! “Potential Solutions for Parvispinus: Lessons from the Field””
Please join us for another GrowON lunch and learn event in person (at Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers in Leamington, ON) or online on Friday May 12 from 12:00-1:00. Lunch will be provided compliments of OGVG. You will hear about dynamic LED lighting and it’s effect on the circadian rhythm of crops from University of Guelph researchers.
Keep reading to register for this upcoming webinar, as well as links to webinar recordings on Hop Latent Viroid in cannabis and greenhouse automation.
Continue reading “Upcoming GrowON Webinar on Dynamic LED Lighting plus Other GrowON Webinars you Might have Missed”
I’ve written about the tropical pest Thrips parvispinus, now being called “pepper thrips”, infesting certain tropical ornamentals in Canada before. But it appears this pest has become widespread in Florida.
As Ontario sources much of its plant material from Florida, it’s a good idea to exercise caution, even on non-tropical plants. The known host range of this pest is evolving, and thrips have the potential to hitch-hike on less-preferred plant hosts and spread to more preferred hosts in your greenhouse.
Read on for information on the situation in Florida and what you can do to help protect your greenhouse from this pest.
Continue reading “Thrips parvispinus (“Pepper Thrips”): The Importance of Inspecting Plants and Dipping Cuttings from Florida”
Hop Latent Viroid disease (HLVd) is a virus of hops has recently starting causing serious issues in cannabis production.
To help growers learn how to spot this disease and minimize it’s impact on cannabis yields, OMAFRA’s GrowON webinar series is cohosting a talk with Niagara College’s Commercial Cannabis Program.
Keep reading to register for the webinar.
Continue reading “Cannabis Webinar on 4/20: All You Need to Know About Hop Latent Viroid”
The recent boom in tropical plant production over the past few years means growers are encountering different and more challenging pests in greenhouses. Please join me and Judy Colley (Biological Technical Rep for Plant Products) for an upcoming webinar with Michigan State University Extension, where we talk about how to manage the “usual suspects” on various tropicals, as well as some of the more unique problems!
Keep reading for more information on registration.
Continue reading “MSU Webinar: “The Trouble with Tropicals” – March 16th”This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic
It’s hard to believe, but as the first snow hits the ground here in Niagara, that means its time to think about spring crops again!
This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse, including ordering inputs, preventative maintenance, and your pest management and PGR plans!
Think of this post as your “to-do” check list for the month of December, as the time to plan all this is NOW, before your spring production begins.
We’ve also linked to some helpful videos we’ve recorded from our GrowON webinar series that are relevant to spring crops. They’re worth a re-watch – or a first watch – if you haven’t seen them before!
Continue reading “Looking Ahead to 2023: Preparing for Spring Crops”
(This post was co-written by S. Jandricic and A. Summerfield.)
Sometimes your thrips biocontrol program is working great. Other times, it seems to get completely overwhelmed. Thrips often get out of control in Summer, when fall crop production is ramping up. But why is this?
Several factors can contribute to rising thrips numbers, but the major reason involves HOW and WHEN thrips like to invade your greenhouse. Read on to learn about this, and what you can do to stay on top of thrips this summer!
Continue reading “Where Do Most of Your Thrips Come From? The Answer May Surprise You.”This post was co-written by A. Summerfield (Vineland Research and Innovation Centre) and S. Jandricic.
Increases in global trade, along with decreased use of harsher broad-spectrum pesticides makes it easier for insect species to move around the world. Because of this, it is becoming more common to find unusual pests coming in on plant material. It’s important that we are prepared and know what to do when something like a new thrips species makes an appearance.
The tropical thrips species Thrips parvispinus has been popping up in various parts of the globe in recent years and was intercepted on plant material in two Ontario greenhouses in 2021/2022. Read on to learn what we know about this species and what you should do if you suspect you have them.
Continue reading “Tropical Thrips Species Intercepted on Plant Material in Ontario: Be Aware – But Don’t Panic.”
Poinsettias are almost here! Instead of covering the whole crop cycle, this year we’re breaking posts down into 4 key growing periods: Receipt/Propagation, Early Production, Late Production, and Finishing.
This post on propagation will cover things you can do now to treat pests and diseases in your cuttings to prevent BIG problems later. And make sure to check out Dr. Chevonne Dayboll’s post from last week, on ensuring cutting quality.
Continue reading “Poinsettia Pest Management Pointers: Receipt Through Potting Up.”