Join our LAST Thrips Identification Workshop on March 4th in SIMCOE!

As control measures differ depending on the thrips species you’re dealing with, the very FIRST step in learning how to manage thrips effectively 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 technical reps or government specialists), then keep reading!

This will be our LAST in-person workshop, so make sure to take advantage of this free learning opportunity!

Read on for more details and how to register.

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Which Microscope Should you Buy for Your Greenhouse?

With new invasive species popping up, the need for growers to more closely inspect pests and damage is at an all time high. This has led to interest in on-farm pest identification.

When it comes to thrips identification, specifically, investing in a microscope is a necessary evil. But a decent microscope is now a LOT cheaper than it used to be. Here, we’ve provided a video to walk you through what features to look for.

The full post will also provide you with model numbers and links, to make microscope shopping easier!

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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!

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High Quality Photos for Thrips Identification: Rating Phone Attachments.

This is a guest post by Avery Johnson (former OMAFA summer student and current M.Sc. student studying Thrips parvispinus) and S. Jandricic.

Having difficulty identifying thrips on sticky cards and need clear photos to send to your consultant or extension agent? Don’t want to invest in a microscope? Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve done the legwork to find some good alternatives to get high quality photos.

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Points for Points! Production Pointers for 2024 Poinsettias

This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist, with contributions from Chevonne Dayboll.

Christmas in July? Not quite, but poinsettias are making their way into greenhouses across Ontario, and they always arrive at the hottest time of the year.

Nutritional issues, environmental stress, PGR mistakes and early diseases can all be costly in this high-value crop. Read on for common pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as links to pest management information in early production.

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“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.

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Thrips Identification Workshop for Growers: Coming to an Ontario Town Near YOU!

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!

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Thrips: Going Dark for Winter

It turns out thrips and I have something very important in common – we both like to change up our look depending on the season!

Although you (probably) have no trouble recognizing me with a change of hair colour, different colour morphs within certain thrips species can throw growers for a loop when it comes to identification.

Read on for which thrips like to shake it up seasonally, so you don’t get fooled.

This post was written by Dr. S. Jandricic (OMAFRA) and A. Summerfield (Vineland).

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OMAFRA CEA Webinar Series: Smart Sensors for Floriculture

Ever thought your plants were looking a little chlorotic, but didn’t want to waste time or money on tests? **What if an smartphone app could tell you their nitrogen leve**l? What if low cost sensors could **help you monitor plant growth** and tell you when PGRs are needed?

Having previously covered topics such as artificial intelligence and smart spraying, OMAFRA is continuing it’s CEA Webinar series, **looking specifically at smart sensors**. And they don’t have to be anything fancy to help you monitor your crop.

Although “floriculture” is in the title, the sensors and apps Dr. Krishna Nemali from Purdue University will discuss have applications across all avenues of controlled environment agriculture. Keep reading for details on the webinar, and how to register.

Knowing when to apply PGRs to crops like poinsettia is critical. A smart phone app could help make things easier with less staff training.

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Water DNA Tests: Pros, Cons and Interpreting Results

This post was written by S. Jandricic and A. Wylie.

This is the fourth article in a series about water sanitation. The goal of this series is to get you reflecting on your own irrigation system before you are faced with a problem. The first post covered where problems are likely to occur in your greenhouse ; the 2nd covered the types of pathogens found in water and the 3rd covered where and how to sample your water.

Once you’ve got your water sample, this post will cover why water DNA tests are useful, and how to interpret the results. This is the next step towards identifying and then treating your water issues to prevent unnecessary fungal or bacterial disease in your greenhouse crops, and potentially save you thousands of dollars in crop losses or fungicide applications.

These posts make good refresher resources, so make sure to bookmark them!

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