VCR – Vegetable Crop Report – June 16th, 2022

Temperature – All counties continue to match or slightly surpass their 10 year average GDD trend. Daytime temperatures are expected to fluctuate throughout the week between the low- to mid-twenties and thirties in Southwestern Ontario and mid-teens to mid-twenties in other regions

Precipitation – Simcoe and Peterborough have now surpassed their 10 year precipitation averages for June and many counties are catching up. Most received some rain again over the past week. Many counties may see some rain mid- next week and some with a risk of thunderstorms.

Crop Updates

Brassica Crops – Cutworms continue to be an issue this year. Damage found on the lower leaves of plants with no sign of lepidopteran pests may be the result of early-morning slug feeding. Continue to scout for imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moths, tarnished plant bugs and aphids. If wilted plants are found, dig up the transplant and inspect the root ball for cabbage maggot larvae.

Carrots – Carrot seeding has wrapped up and most fields are now between the 2-4 leaf stage. Carrot weevil remains a main concern on muck soil as adults are out laying eggs currently. The 1^st generation of carrot rust fly has also emerged. There are two new herbicide options for weed control in 2022. Read more about them here: New Carrot Herbicide Options for 2022 – ONvegetables

Celery – Transplants are establishing well. Scout for leaf damage caused by tarnished plant bug. Dig up wilted plants and inspect the roots for cutworm larvae, nematode cysts, or carrot weevil larvae (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1. Dig up wilted plants and look for carrot weevil larvae – June 15, 2021

Figure 2. Carrot weevil larvae in the base of a celery plant – June 15, 2021

Garlic – Plants showing tip dieback / yellowing of the leaves are likely from a lack of adequate moisture at some point over the past five weeks. Scapes have emerged in most fields across the province and should be removed shortly for the best yield potential. Leek moth counts are still low, but the second flight is likely to be occurring over the next two weeks. Scout for holes and feeding damage from leek moths as scapes are removed. Destroy all scapes with leek moth feeding damage as the larvae may still be inside (Figure 3). Target the next wave of leek moth larvae a week after the peak of leek moth adults have been trapped.

Register for the next Garlic Production and Pest Management workshop near Janetville, ON, that takes place Friday, August 19th from 9:30-4:30. Register by calling 1-877-424-1300 or filling out this online form: https://survey.clicktools.com/app/survey/go.jsp?iv=1y59n0qcz8rld.

Figure 3. Leek moth larvae inside scape/stalk, June 14, 2020 – David Bianchi

Onions – The largest direct seeded onions are reaching the 6^th leaf stage while most fields are still around the 4^th leaf stage. Cutworm damage is sporadic, and some fields are showing high amounts of damage this year (Figure 4). Monitor for thrips and dig up wilted plants to confirm onion maggot damage.

Figure 4. Cutworm next to direct seeded onion – June 14, 2022

Peppers – Planting should be wrapping up in the next week or so for processing peppers. With some recent storms in parts of Ontario there are sections of fields that are still very wet. Prolonged exposure to high soil moisture can cause an increase in Pythium, Fusarium and even early infections of Phytophthora in young plants. These storms have also caused quite a bit of sandblasting damage. If transplants are damaged and regrowing from the root, then they are not likely to produce much this season. If the transplant is starting to green up and has some foliage left, then it should rebound. Sandblasting can also leave tiny scratches and holes in stems and foliage. This can open plants up to disease infections. Make sure to scout fields for the early signs of soil borne diseases, like stem rots and wilting, and be sure to stay on top of your fungicide program throughout the year.

Potatoes – With planting completed the focus turns to crop protection. Later planted fields are just emerging while early seeded fields are already in flower. Many fields are filling the rows and beginning tuber initiation. In general growing conditions have been good this spring, with the plants benefiting from the cooler temperatures prior to this week. The recent spotty rains have put some fields on the wet side. Colorado Potato Beetle adults have emerged and are currently mating and laying eggs in the new crop. Monitor your populations to ensure the insecticide at planting is still having an effect. CPB resistance testing will continue this season if you are concerned about tolerance building. With a wet fall last year and cool/wet conditions this spring some soft rot might be an issue. Monitor for any signs of blackleg early this season like wilting, spotty emergence and inky black stems.

Tomatoes – Planting is completed for processing tomatoes in Ontario and early plantings are already flowering (Figure 5). Similar to peppers, saturated soils and high winds have left transplants vulnerable to many disease including soil borne disease like Pythium, Fusarium and Phytophthora, which spread through standing and splashing water (Figure 6). Tomatoes are a bit tougher than peppers and can bounce back from sandblasting as long as there is still some green at the growing point. Make sure to stay on top of your fungicide programs through the growing season.

Adult looper moths are already being captured in pheromone traps. They do not often cause a significant amount of damage in tomatoes, but you should still be aware and look for ragged feeding holes and “window panes” on leaves.

Figure 6. Water stressed tomato transplant (left) versus healthy tomato transplant (right)

Pest Degree Day Forecasting

*NOTE: Data as of June 15, 2022

County	Carrot Rust Fly	Onion Maggot	Carrot Weevil	Aster Leafhopper	Tarnished Plant Bug	Cabbage Maggot	Seedcorn Maggot	European Corn Borer
THRESHOLD	329-395, 1399-1711	210-700, 1025-1515	138-156, 455+	128+	40+	314-398, 847-960, 1446-1604	200-350, 600-750, 1000-1150	See legend below
Essex*	874	792	567	445	299	637	792	392
Chatham-Kent*	744	667	461	351	206	526	667	305
Norfolk**	756	680	474	357	204	540	680	306
Huron***	664	593	398	290	154	458	593	244
Wellington**	637	567	375	269	139	435	567	227
Simcoe County***	640	569	380	274	145	440	569	230
Durham***	686	610	409	299	154	472	610	249
Peterborough	627	557	365	262	125	425	557	216
Kemptville***	700	622	423	317	172	483	622	269
Sudbury***	516	462	313	227	114	361	462	189