Like me, many of you may have been feeling the absence of Dr. Chevonne Dayboll, who has temporarily taken a Research Analyst assignment with OMAFRA. To help fill the gap, we welcome Sophie Krolikowski, who will be the Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Specialist until June 2023.
To learn more about Sophie, and how to contact her, keep reading.
Are you a Canadian greenhouse ornamental grower? Then the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is currently looking for your feed back on your pest management practices. Whether you practice biocontrol or lean more heavily into chemical control, your answers help set benchmarks for where are industry is at, and help guide research needs.
The survey only takes about 15 minutes, and can be accessed here. The deadline for the survey has been extended to January 21st, and you can win $400 prize for completing it. (How often can you win money talking about bugs?!?!).
More information on the survey, including contact info, is below.
Missed our latest Controlled Environmental Agriculture Webinar by Dr. Nemali? That’s OK. We recorded it for you!
Just register for the webinar using the link in the original posting, and you’ll have access to the recording right away. (Note there’s a few minutes of dead air in the recording – don’t worry! Exciting content starts at about the 2 minute mark.)
You can learn more about Dr. Nemali’s exciting research by checking out his CEA website!
You can also find the link to the webinar recording here:
Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) adults are starting to take flight in southern Ontario! They have been spotted in Hamilton and Toronto this week.
Look for these shiny green and copper beetles feeding on grape leaves, roses and many other trees and shrubs. Where possible, homeowners can knock adults into a bucket of soapy water (to smother them). Several insecticides are registered for the adults in greenhouses and nurseries, including BeetleGONE.
European chafer (Amphimallon majale) adults are also starting to emerge. Look for medium brown scarab beetle swarming blooming Linden trees (e.g. Tilia cordata). Historically we see them around Canada day in the Guelph area.
And don’t forget about our little friends, the Rose Chafers (Macrodactylus subspinosus), pictured above. They are also out in full force. These scarab beetles feed on the flowers, fruit and foliage of several ornamentals. The larval stage feeds on roots of grasses and weeds (usually a sod nursery pest). Like most scarab beetles, females are more likely to lay their eggs in sandy soils and will avoid egg laying in clay soils. Insecticides for the grub stage of other scarab beetles will also reduce larvae of rose chafer.
Preventative applications of Intercept and Acelepryn are registered for white grubs in nursery and greenhouse production and the application period begins now. (Above photo: European chafer larval feeding damage).
Have questions regarding pesticide applications for this pest? Then check out this post from a few weeks ago on JB control and export regulations.
The first installment of OMAFRA and MLTSD’s monthly webinar series is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, 12 – 1pm ET. These webinars will occur on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at noon.
Next week’s webinar is: Using Temporary Help Agencies and Employment Standards Webinar
When faced with a labour shortage, many employers in the agriculture sector turn to a temporary help agency (THA) for assistance. But did you know clients of agencies have legal obligations when using a THA? Before speaking with an agency, clients of agencies should find out what their responsibilities are under the ESA.
This post was contributed to by Drs. Sarah Jandricic, Andrew C. Wylie and Chevonne Dayboll.
Summer is getting underway, and so too are garden mums! Although generally an easy crop, there several tweaks you can make to help save headaches AND money.
This post has updated information to help you optimize your irrigation, fertilizer and pest managementprograms in garden mums.
New Resources for Mum Production
Hit your exact ship size on your ship date using Graphical Tracking
Track and even out the growth of your mums using a graphical tracking tool with a few easy steps:
Thrips got you down? Not sure what you can do to beef up your thrips-management program? Then this new webinar is for you!
Drs. Sarah Jandricic (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) and Rose Buitenhuis (Vineland Research and Innovation Centre) have combined their respective knowledge into a “systems approach” for thrips management.
Want to know what that means, and how it can work for you? Then keep reading!
On May 14, 2020 the ministry announced the launch of the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program for Producers. However, many in the greenhouse sector had already made pro-active improvements to workplace safety in light of Covid-19.
If you fall into that category, the program is now accepting applications for changes made as far back as March 15 2020. Applications are being accepted until funding runs out.
This post was contributed to by Drs. Sarah Jandricic and Chevonne Dayboll.
Summer is in full swing, and so too are garden mums! Although generally an easy crop, there several tweaks you can make to help save headaches AND money.
This post has information to help you optimize your irrigation, fertilizer and pest managementprograms in garden mums.
Nursery and Floriculture Growers, Landscapers and Retail Garden Centres are all working hard to provide the kind of excellence in service and plant material that Ontarians have come to know and expect. As more horticultural businesses are opening up, we thought it would be helpful to review some of the resources that have been developed […]