IPM Webinars

These recorded webinars let you hear directly from experts – on YOUR time!

Available Webinars:

To see the current and previous content brought to you by OMAFA staff, scroll through the talks below with their full descriptions, or use our quick-reference list to jump to the recording you’re interested in. You can also check out more videos (including our “How-to: video series with the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre) on our ONFloriculture YouTube channel!

From the GrowON Webinar Series: Talks from North American experts, hosted by OMAFA

  1. Demo of Ontario’s Crop Protection Hub for Greenhouse Ornamental Crops with Dr. Sarah Jandricic and friends (March 2025)
  2. Managing Insecticide Resistance in Greenhouse Crops with Hannah Fraser, OMAFA (Aug 2024)
  3. A Pain in the Parvi” – Progress on Thrips parvipsinus IPM with Dr. Sarah Jandricic and Judy Colley (Plant Products) (Jan 29th, 2024)
  4. Comforting Lies and Unpleasant Truths about Pesticide Application Methods Dr. Jason Deveau, OMAFA (July 27th, 2023)
  5. Potential Solutions for Thrips Parvispinus with Suzanne (The Buglady) Wainwright-Evans, Dr. Steven Arthurs (Biobee) and Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFA) (May 30th, 2023)
  6. Hop Latent Viroid in Cannabis Production – Niagara College/Grow ON Webinar (April 20th, 2023)
  7. Squeaky Clean Start to 2023 – MSU /Grow ON Webinar with Cara McCreary (OMAFA) and Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (Vineland Research and Innovation Centre) (Jan 19th, 2023)
  8. Onion Thrips as a Greenhouse Pest with Ashley Summerfield (Vineland Research and Innnovation Centre) (Aug 24, 2023)
  9. Battling Botrytis in Your Greenhouse: Environment, Nutrients and Fungicides with Nikki Lukasko, Michigan State University (June 9, 2022)
  10. Root Rots: What You Can’t See Can Hurt You with Dr. Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University (March 24, 2022)

Related Content from OMAFA Staff: Invited talks on Other Platforms

GrowON Webinar Series:

This webinar series is run by OMAFA greenhouse staff, to bring you the latest information on IPM in greenhouse crops. Although this series started as a response to the Covid Pandemic, we continue to bring information from around the world into the greenhouses of Ontario growers.

For talks relating to greenhouse production (rather than pest management), check out our Production Webinars page.

Demo of Ontario’s Crop Protection Hub for Greenhouse Ornamentals with Sarah Jandricic and Friends, OMAFA

Recorded March 12th, 2025.

This webinar by Dr. Sarah Jandricic shows you how to get the most out of Ontario’s Crop Protection Hub. Crop Hub is an online tool by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness that contains critical information on registered pesticides. This includes legal rates, REI’s, phytotoxicity warnings, compatibility with natural enemies, and even efficacy rankings. Follow along while Dr. Jandricic walks you step-by-step through the greenhouse ornamental module.

Managing Pesticide Resistance in Greenhouse Crops with Hannah Fraser, Horticultural Entomologist, (OMAFA)

Recorded Aug 15th, 2024.

Don’t grow resistant pests that will get in the way of selling quality produce or beautiful plants! This talk will provide growers and IPM specialists with a solid review of resistance management best practices. This will include an in-depth explanation of the “why’s” for what we should (and shouldn’t) be doing when it comes to stewardship of insecticides in the greenhouse IPM toolbox. 

A Pain in the Parvi” – Progress on Thrips parvipsinus IPM with Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFRA) and Judy Colley (Plant Products / Biobest Group)

Recorded Jan 29th, 2024. Running time: 1 hr 37 min

Recorded Jan 29, 2024: This webinar covers on real-world solutions for this invasive pest in greenhouse ornamentals. Information comes from “boots on the ground” IPM practitioners who’ve been working with this pest for 2 years in commercial operations in Ontario. Crops covered include mandevilla/dipladenia, hoya, and anthurium, with a focus on non-chemical controls.

Comforting Lies and Unpleasant Truths about Pesticide Application Methods with Dr. Jason Deveau (OMAFRA)

Recorded July 27th, 2023. Running time: 1 hr 18 min

Recorded July 27 2023. Our speaker is Dr. Jason Deveau, OMAFRA’s Application Technology Specialist and one half of the popular Sprayers 101 website! Description: Application methods used to test and generate data for fungicide labels can be significantly different from those employed by end users – particularly in horticultural crops. This can affect pesticide value, leading to compromised efficacy, increased risk of pest resistance, variable residue levels, wasted resources, and unnecessary environmental loads. An understanding of how product testing is performed can help operators interpret the label’s intent, and lead to better choices when applying fungicides.

Potential Solutions for Thrips Parvispinus, with Dr. Steve Arthurs (Biobee USA), Suzanne “The Buglady” Wainwright Evans, and Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFRA).

Recorded May 30th, 2023. Running time: 2hrs

This webinar covers potential biological, mechanical and chemical solutions for Thrips parvispinus from “boots on the ground” folks. This includes technical reps, industry consultants, and government extension agents working directly with farmers.

Hop Latent Viroid in Cannabis Production – Niagara College/Grow ON Webinar, with Dr. Zamir Punja, Simon Fraser University.

Recorded April 20th, 2023. Running time: 1h 28 min.

Hop Latent viroid (HpLVd) has emerged as a widespread infectious pathogen causing stunt disease on cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) that has severe economic impact through reduction in growth of affected plants and reduced cannabinoid production. Symptomology, spread, impact on THC and terpene production, and response of cannabis genotypes will be discussed. Presence of the viroid in different tissues, survival over time, and options for management are reviewed.

Squeaky Clean Start to 2023 – MSU /Grow ON Webinar, with Cara McCreary (M.Sc.), OMAFRA and Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (Vineland). 

Recorded January 19th, 2023. Running time: 90 min. Viewing is FREE.

To bleach or not to bleach? Cara McCreary (Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Canada) will discuss the benefits of cleaning and disinfecting a greenhouse structure and equipment to minimize pest outbreaks. Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (Senior Research Scientist Biological Control at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Canada) will then provide tips on how to reduce incoming insect pests by dipping vegetative cuttings in reduced-risk products.

 

Onion Thrips as a Greenhouse Pest, with Ashley Summerfield (M.Sc.) (Vineland). 

Onion thrips outbreaks in greenhouse crops have been on the rise. Unfortunately, typical IPM programs for western flower thrips don’t seem to be as effective for this thrips pest. Ashley will discuss the results her Master’s research comparing the efficacy of common thrips IPM tools on onion thrips versus western flower thrips, and what growers should be doing NOW to manage their onion thrips populations.

Recorded August 24th, 2022. Running time: 54 min. Viewing is FREE.

 

Battling Botrytis in Your Greenhouse: Environment, Nutrients and Fungicides, with Nikki Lukasko (Ph.D. Candidate, Michigan State University). 

Nikki Lukasko is a PhD student in Dr. Mary Hausbeck’s plant pathology lab at Michigan State University. Her current research is focused on management, fungicide resistance, and population genetics of Botrytis cinerea in ornamental greenhouses. The goals of her research are to provide greenhouse growers with improved tools for controlling Botrytis blight and a better understanding of the pathogen’s behavior.

Recorded June 9, 2022. Running time: 52 min. Viewing is FREE.

Root Rots: What You Can’t See Can Hurt You, part of OMAFRA’s 2021 Controlled Environment Agriculture Webinar Series.

Dr. Maury Hausbeck, Plant Pathologist from Michigan State University, fills us in on cultural and chemical controls you can use to make sure your spring crop and beyond are free of disease.

Recorded March 24, 2022. Running time: 1 hr. Viewing is FREE.

Related Content from OMAFRA Staff:

(Click the title of each talk go directly to the recorded content!)

Spraying in Cannabis Crops: an Art as Much as a Science, hosted by Niagara College. Features Dr. Jason Deveau (OMAFRA), AKA the “Sprayer Guy”!

Biology and Management of Western Flower Thrips: a Canadian Perspective, hosted by Crop Talk Media. Featuring Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFRA) and Dr. Rose Buitenhuis (Vineland).

Recorded July 25, 2020. Running time: 1hr 38 min. Viewing is FREE. 

Dr. Sarah Jandricic from OMAFRA, and Dr. Rose Buitenhuis from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, take you on an in-depth walk through thrips management – from propagation through to finishing.   

Thrips webinar promotion 2020

Tips for Thrips Control: from Propagation to Pocketbook from Greenhouse Canada Magazine . Features Dr. Sarah Jandricic (OMAFRA)

This webinar also addresses economics of thrips management, and how to keep track of what you’re spending.

Recorded October 2016. 40 min running time. Available or FREE – just register with your email address.