Tag Archives: integrated pest management

Insects, Pest Management, Vegetables

Lassoing Loopers: why you NEED to care about caterpillar control

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Adapted from ONfloriculture by Sarah Jandricic, Greenhouse Floriculture IPM Specialist, OMAFRA

This article was originally written for the floriculture industry, but I have adapted it, with permission, as an awareness article for vegetable growers. — Janice

Know which looper species this is? Are you SURE? If not, keep reading, as some species could get your shipments detained at the border. Photo: Steve Hatch, Bugwood.org.
Know which looper species this is? Are you SURE? If not, keep reading, as some species could get your shipments detained at the border. Photo: Steve Hatch, Bugwood.org.

At this point, most field vegetable growers are focussed on getting the crops in and juggling early season field activities. If you’re thinking about caterpillars right now, it would probably be black cutworm.  But recent alerts put out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), bring a new emphasis to caterpillar control.  Read on to understand what’s happening, and — for those with US customers — how to control occasional pests like cabbage looper, and avoid potential issues at the border. Continue reading Lassoing Loopers: why you NEED to care about caterpillar control →

Brassica Vegetables, ONveg in The Grower, Pest Management, Vegetables

Samples requested for clubroot survey

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By Travis Cranmer, Vegetable Crops Specialist
OMAFRA

First appeared in ONvegetables in The Grower, April 2017.

Clubroot, caused by the soil-borne pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae can cause yellowing, stunting, wilting and club-like roots on susceptible Brassica species including broccoli, cabbage, canola and cauliflower. Clubroot causes an estimated yield loss of 10-15% in Brassica crops worldwide and in severely infested fields a 30-100% yield loss can occur. There are different races of clubroot known as pathotypes and the resistance of many cultivars is pathotype dependent.

severe clubbing, six weeks after seeding
Figure 1. Pak choy with severe clubbing, six weeks after seeding.

Continue reading Samples requested for clubroot survey →

Crop Protection, ONveg in The Grower, Pest Management

Sprayer Math for Banded Applications

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Jason Deveau, Application Technology Specialist, OMAFRA

Banding allows producers to save on chemical costs, reduce the potential for wasted spray and to make targeted applications, where they are most effective. Banding can be particularly useful in fungicide applications on small seedlings or transplants.  For the mechanics (and mathematics) of banding, read more at sprayers101

Sprayer Math for Banded Applications

Cucurbits, Downy Mildew

2016 Downy Mildew Control Strategy for Cucumber Crops

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The 2016 Downy Mildew Control Strategy for Cucumber Crops contains an updated list of fungicides, including the newly registered Orondis Ultra. The restricted entry interval for Bravo has also been updated to reflect the new Bravo ZN label.

Due to the development of resistance and concerns about efficacy, Tattoo C and Presidio have been removed from the 2016 strategy. These products may provide  suppression under low risk conditions, however research results indicate that they are not sufficient controls under higher disease pressure.

For more reading:

Research Update – Fungicide Efficacy on Downy Mildew in Cucumbers

Ontario CropIPM – Downy Mildew

Angular, tan-to-brown lesions caused by cucurbit downy mildew
Cucurbit Downy Mildew