Trap Plants as a Tool Against Thrips parvispinus in Tropicals

*Sweet alyssum (Lobularia) as a trap plant for T. parvispinus.*

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.

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Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SRED) tax incentives

Are staff at your greenhouse conducting research, solving problems, and promoting development on site? Then you may be eligible for a tax incentive!

Read more about the SRED program and how you can participate.

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Pesticides for Parvispinus: Results of an On-Farm Trial

*Female T. parvispinus (left) on a mandevilla flower; a smaller male (yellow, right) can also be seen.*

Although the invasive pest Thrips parvispinus continues to threaten tropical ornamental crops, the good news is that the sky isn’t falling. Producing crops like mandevilla, schefflera and hoya is still possible, at least in a closed greenhouse setting.

Although developing a reliable biological control program for this pest is probably a few years off, a suite of pesticides is available in the U.S. and Canada to successfully manage T. parvispinus.

This post covers these pesticides, their relative efficacy and demonstrates outcomes when used in an 8 month on-farm trial in mandevilla.

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The Whitefly “Tipping Point”and Testing Pesticides in Poinsettia

It’s that time of year again where you have to make a choice with your poinsettia. Do you stay the course with natural enemies, or abandon your bio program and spray for whitefly? And spray with WHAT?

This post has tips on how to test pesticides NOW, so that when it comes down to the wire, you’ll know what is – and isn’t – working.

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Poinsettia Problems 2020: The “Tipping Point”and Testing Pesticides

This post has tips on how to test pesticides NOW, so that when it comes down to the wire, you’ll know what is – and isn’t – working.

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LED Lighting Incentives can help with On-Farm Trials

Thanks to the IESO for contributing to this post.

Are you aware that the Save on Energy program can help you to complete energy efficient upgrades in your greenhouse? You may have participated in this program in the past, but the current iteration can help you to retrofit items like ventilation fans and upgrade to LED lighting in the warehouse and the greenhouse.

The IESO has developed tools that can help you identify areas where an upgrade might be able to help you save energy. These include a checklist that walks you through the greenhouse, and some videos and other information on their web page.

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“Bug Dorms” – an incredibly useful tool to help answer pest questions in your greenhouse

Bugdorm1 — A basic “Bug Dorm” from Bioquip.

Today I want to share with you one of my favourite things of all time – the Bug Dorm. Basically a mini, insect-proof tent, Bug Dorms are an amazingly useful tool for conducting quick-and-dirty experiments in your greenhouse. By containing (or excluding) insects, they can help growers answer SPECIFIC pest questions in their SPECIFIC crop or operation, without needing to wait for researchers to find the answers.

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