The case of the onion thrips Why your thrips biocontrol program may not work on these critters
BY ASHLEY SUMMERFIELD ET AL.
What’s bugging your tomatoes?
Signs you might be housing this tiny, but devastating, invader. By Dr. Abida Nasreen | 30
Favourites 14
that stood up to the heat and heavy rains
Greens
The ‘Year of’ choice for edibles in 2022 Greenhouse Squatters 39 How to keep out overwintering pests
Cleaning up CGMMV Researchers establish a sanitation method to keep out this virus.
BY DR. OUALID ELLOUZ
Test and release How to ensure quality bios before release in the greenhouse BY DR. ROSE BUITENHUIS
FROM THE EDITOR
GRETA CHIU | @GreenhouseCan
Whitefly invasion
As you may be able to tell from this issue’s cover, whiteflies were a big issue for poinsettias this past season.
Attending the poinsettia trial open house at Sawaya Gardens in Ont. last fall, growers recounted cases of Bemisia coming in on their shipments – some in earlier weeks, others later on.
The discussion was eye-opening. Here were some of the highlights both during and post-event.
For Jeffery’s Greenhouses, head grower Albert Grimm said they observed at least five times as much whitefly pressure as they did in previous years while still on the rooting bench, early on in propagation. Based on their initial observations from weeks 30 to 32, they ramped up their biocontrol program, spending twice as much as previous years in an effort to curb a potentially devastating whitefly problem later on in the season.
As IPM consultant Mike Short of Eco-Habitat AgriServices explained, biological control methods not only help to keep whitefly from spreading in the greenhouse, they can help skew the Bemisia population towards the B-type rather than the Q-type, where the latter is resistant to most
not receive any chemical pesticides or growth regulators. Tara Celetti, biological program specialist at BioWorks, shared details of the treatments they used on the crop, including the preventative use of Encarsia and Eretmocerus, followed by Delphastus for hotspots.
Michael Brownbridge, biological program manager for disease control at BioWorks, highlighted how, using BotaniGard at the label rate in a 0.5% (v/v) solution of insecticidal soap “probably eliminates around 70 to 75 per cent of whiteflies through one dip.” Plus, the soap may also help reduce any chemical residues lingering on the cuttings.
Mention of the insecticide Rycar (pyrifluquinazon) was also brought up. While it’s available in the U.S., Cary Gates of Flowers Canada Growers tells us afterwards that their team has been working with the supplier since 2010 to get it into Canada. The product was submitted to the PMRA for registration in 2019 for whitefly and aphid management in greenhouse ornamentals, as well as a number of greenhouse vegetable crops.
Meanwhile, Sarah Jandricic,
...they observed at least five times as much whitefly pressure...
insecticidal sprays. Starting with a biological control program early on would help improve the efficacy of sprays in the fall for a final clean-up of poinsettias, if needed.
A number of poinsettia cuttings suppliers said they rely on chemical inputs to keep their cuttings clean. At Dümmen Orange however, the supplier has implemented biological control on their poinsettias lately, vastly changing up their approach to pest management.
As you’ll see in Mel’s recap of the poinsettia trials this issue, the 150 different varieties displayed did
OMAFRA greenhouse floriculture
IPM specialist, says Ference insecticide (cyantraniliprole) seems to be the only pesticide that continues to be effective against the Bemisia whitefly. Though the product was registered for greenhouse ornamentals in Canada in 2020, she has concerns about its longevity as the Q-type has been known to develop resistance rather quickly and new chemistry is hard to come by.
What was the takeaway? Scout early and take preventative action.
For more insights from this day, visit greenhousecanada.com.
Royal Brinkman acquires Kam’s Growers Supply
Royal Brinkman announced the acquisition of Kam’s Growers Supply in January.
“Like Royal Brinkman, Kam’s is a family business with employees who care about customers and their crops,” says Ton van Mil, CEO of Royal Brinkman.
Established in 2005, Kam’s Growers Supply, with its 20 employees, will continue business under the Kam’s name from the same two locations in Ontario as well as British Columbia. Kameron Fordyce,
president of Kam’s, as well as marketing and operations manager Julie Fordyce will continue to manage the business with the same team of staff.
“With the massive scale and hi-tech sophistication of North American growers, partnering with Royal Brinkman is the perfect match for us to meet the evolving demands for international horticultural technology,” says Kameron Fordyce.
Source: Royal Brinkman
SIGNIFY TO ACQUIRE FLUENCE FROM OSRAM
Horticultural lighting producer, Signify, announced that it will acquire competitive supplier Fluence.
Based in Austin, Texas, Fluence is to be acquired for $272 million USD. Signify is based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and was previously known as Philips Lighting.
This move is said to strengthen Signify’s position in the North American horticultural lighting market. “We
expect the global market for agricultural lighting to grow by more than 20 per cent per year to EUR 1.6 billion in 2024.”
Fluence will continue to operate as an entity within Signify’s digital solutions division. The company’s technology and research will be added to Signify’s portfolio.
“This includes light recipes for the legal growing of cannabis – which, due to the
Greenhouse tech funding in Ontario
Greenhouses and related businesses in southern Ontario can apply for funding from the Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN) to introduce technological solutions to their challenges.
Businesses must invest a minimum of 20 per cent cash and include in-kind contributions, while GTN matches the investment per project up to a maximum of $100,000.
According to Rita Sterne, GTN project manager, “There is no limit to the number of projects that could be funded for a small or medium-sized business in southern Ontario...We define technology broadly and this includes any tools, equipment, machines, methods, processes, or techniques across the value chain of plant production.”
Applications are open and ongoing until all funding is allocated. Projects must be completed by Mar. 31, 2024. Learn more: greenhousetechnetwork.ca
legalization in Canada and many US states in recent years, currently generates the majority of Fluence’s sales – and light recipes for the company’s fast-growing business to grow other crops,” says the release. Signify and Fluence only provide lighting products to cannabis growers who are legally permitted to do so. “Fluence’s technology also includes more than 140 issued and pending patents,
focusing on areas such as light quality, thermal management and installation methods.”
Fluence generates a majority of its sales in North America, employing more than 200 people and generated $141 million USD in revenue from Oct 2020 to Sept 2021. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.
Source: Signify
BY THE NUMBERS
Food Costs in Canada
Canada ranked 24th on the Global Food Security Index in 2021, dropping six spots down from 2019
Inflation increased to 4.4% in 2021, reaching an 18-year high
Oil prices hit a 7-year high in 2021, increasing costs for food transport
Source: Canada’s Food Price Report 2022
The Case of the Onion Thrips: An IPM Mystery
If your thrips biocontrol program isn’t working, it may be because your thrips have changed.
BY ASHLEY SUMMERFIELD, DR. SARAH
JANDRICIC,
DR.
ROSE
BUITENHUIS &
DR. CYNTHIA
SCOTT-DUPREE
Thrips were already the most formidable pest tormenting greenhouse ornamental growers in Canada to begin with, but if you’ve noticed that they are even harder to control than they used to be, you’re not alone.
Over the past few years, growers started seeing more thrips outbreaks, and their biocontrol programs weren’t always keeping up. That’s when Dr. Sarah Jandricic of OMAFRA discovered we might have a mystery thrips on our hands.
It turns out there was a new villain on the scene: onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). They make up on average around one quarter of the thrips found in floriculture greenhouses in the Niagara region of Ontario, but may account for more than half depending on the year, crop, or location.
With the culprit identified, an investigation began (in the form of a Master’s thesis) to learn more about our new foe and, most importantly, how to stop it.
ABOVE
CRIMINAL RECORD: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THRIPS IN CANADIAN GREENHOUSES
Western flower thrips (WFT; Frankliniella occidentalis) have been the primary pest thrips in greenhouse ornamentals since they found their way from the southwest coast of the US to the rest of North America and the world in the 1980s-1990s.
Onion thrips (OT) on the other hand, have been here for much longer. They were first described in North America 140 years ago. Before widespread synthetic pesticide use, OT were a common pest in greenhouses, but are now mostly associated with outdoor crops, and onions in particular.
In the 1990s, changes to pesticide spray practices in onion crops for controlling onion maggot in Ontario inadvertently led to increased OT pressure in this crop.1 Around the same time, greenhouse growers were moving away from calendar
PHOTO
sprays of pesticides and adopting more IPM tactics (e.g. monitoring-based spraying, forays into biocontrol) in response to increasingly pesticide-resistant WFT populations.
This combination of increased OT populations outside and the almost complete adoption of biological control for greenhouse pests by 20182 likely led to OT resuming its criminal activity in greenhouses. With fewer pesticides incidentally controlling this less pesticide-resistant thrips species, we now have a classic case of pest resurgence on our hands.
BREAKING & ENTERING
Thrips enter your greenhouse in one of two ways: you either bring them in on imported plant material, or they come in from the outside on their own.
Past research at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre demonstrated just how many thrips you could be bringing in on cuttings like chrysanthemums or spring annuals (up to an average of 12 thrips per 25 cuttings in certain crops3). We repeated this research to find out which thrips were coming in on propagation material. Interestingly, we only found WFT.
This led us to suspect OT were breaking in from the outside. Sticky cards set up outside three greenhouse operations from spring to fall 2019 confirmed a consistent presence of OT directly outside Niagara greenhouses. OT represented about 15 per cent of the thrips caught on the cards, on average.
Why is this important? It turns out that when it comes to thrips species composition in your greenhouse, what happens outside can have a direct impact on what happens inside
At our research sites, the greenhouse with the highest proportion of OT outside had consistent OT presence in their crop all year. The species composition in their crop was perfectly matched to what was happening outside, as well (Figure 1). Similarly, the greenhouse with the lowest proportion of OT outside had very few OT inside.
However, outside pressure isn’t the only thing that can influence species composition. At our third research site, the proportion of OT in the crop was actually a lot higher than what we expected based on outside catches. This suggests that this greenhouse’s IPM program may be less effective for OT compared to other sites.
At all sites, though, we saw thrips
ABOVE
Signs of OT damage on cut mums.
Spotted: Adult onion thrips
populations for both species peak in July and August. So, if you want to prevent OT from becoming a problem in your greenhouse (and messing up your biocontrol program for WFT), this is a good time to go bananas with mass trapping! This is especially important for side-venting greenhouses, where thrips can more easily break in.
CATCHING ONION THRIPS IN THE ACT
Mass trapping, if used properly, can be an effective way of reducing the number
of thrips that make it through your vents and into your crop.
You may have heard of study results from Europe that blue is the best card colour for trapping thrips. However, in 2016/17 trials looking at the efficacy of yellow versus blue sticky cards and tape in Ontario greenhouses, Dr. Jandricic found that yellow was better than blue for catching thrips, regardless of the manufacturer.4 But this research was done in greenhouses with predominantly WFT populations – what about OT?
RIGHT
Percent of thrips population that were OT
Figure 1. Generally, the percentage of thrips that were OT caught outside on yellow sticky cards (yellow bars) seemed to reflect the percentage collected from the greenhouse crop inside (green bars).
Outside Plant taps
Generally, the percentage of thrips that were
on
to reflect the percentage collected from the greenhouse crop inside (green bars).
Figure 2. When tested in chrysanthemum greenhouses, yellow sticky cards caught more thrips than blue cards. On average, 60% of thrips were caught on yellow cards, although this preference varied by site. At some sites, over 75% of thrips were caught on yellow, while at other sites it was closer to 50%.
Figure 2. When tested in chrysanthemum greenhouses, yellow sticky cards caught more thrips than blue cards. On average, 60% of thrips were caught on yellow cards, although this preference varied by site. At some sites, over 75% of thrips were caught on yellow, while at other sites it was closer to 50%.
To answer this, we put up yellow and blue sticky cards inside three potted chrysanthemum greenhouses throughout 2019. As it turns out, in addition to their love of chrysanthemums, OT and WFT also share a preference for yellow sticky cards (Figure 2). However, the strength of this preference can vary between greenhouses.
SURVEILLANCE OPERATION
Since sticky cards are used for monitoring as well as mass trapping, we also wanted to know how accurately sticky cards reflected the thrips species composition in the crop.
Differences in what onion thrips and Western flower thrips do inside greenhouses is where the trouble really starts.
You may notice that in late fall when it’s too cold for thrips to fly outside, WFT numbers start to steadily decline in the crop. We found that OT numbers, on the other hand, remain steady. They can even increase in number throughout the winter and early spring. Since there is no source of incoming OT (on cuttings or from the outside), this confirms that OT may be a more cunning adversary than WFT.
We collected thrips directly from the crop using plant taps and compared the ratio of OT to WFT with what was caught on the cards. Overall, when we looked at the averages throughout the growing season, the cards gave us a pretty accurate picture of thrips species composition in the crop. But, week to week there is a LOT of variation.
monitoring cards aren’t a reliable tool when it comes to pest management decisions based on how many OT versus WFT you’ve got in your crop (i.e. to spray or not to spray). If you want to get a clear picture of what’s happening in your crop, you’ll need to collect thrips directly from the plants themselves.
MOTIVE, MEANS & OPPORTUNITY
There are two possible explanations for why OT populations can increase over the winter/spring. Either 1) OT reproduce much faster than WFT on greenhouse crops, or 2) biocontrol-based IPM programs don’t work as well for OT as they do for WFT in cooler months.
Figure 3. Number of thrips larvae eaten by predatory mites, and thrips adults eaten by Orius in lab trials. This data suggests that current biocontrol products should work for both OT a nd WFT.
Unfortunately, this means that weekly
Although outside thrips prevalence plays a role in initial infestation, the differences in what OT and WFT do inside the greenhouse is where the trouble really starts.
Both thrips species have been wellstudied by researchers all over the world, and there is no indication that OT has a faster reproductive rate than WFT. As for the efficacy of biocontrol products, a lot of literature, plus all of our laboratory tests to date (looking at predatory mites, microbial pesticides, and nematodes), indicate that the biocontrol products we currently use
Figure 1.
OT caught outside
yellow sticky cards (yellow bars) seemed
Greenhouse A Greenhouse B Greenhouse C
Figure 3. Number of thrips larvae eaten by predatory mites and thrips adults eaten by Orius in lab trials. This data suggests that current biocontrol products should work for both OT and WFT.
Number of thrips larvae eaten by predatory mites, and thrips adults eaten by Orius in lab trials. This data suggests that current biocontrol products should work for both OT a nd WFT.
for WFT should work as well for OT – or maybe even better (see Figure 3)!
THE MYSTERY CONTINUES…
Which thrips are which?
Sidebar images: Both images are in folder . They were used previously in Feb 2020 issue
Sidebar image 1: Western Flower Thrips
We now understand who the new thrips villain is and where they come from, but so far we haven’t identified why they are able to evade our tiny police force of predatory mites and other biocontrol agents.
Sidebar image 2: Onion Thrips
We’ve gathered plenty of evidence in the lab, so the next step will be to examine the scene of the crime. Which is to say we’re going to conduct greenhouse trials to see how OT, WFT and thrips biocontrol agents interact on plants. Maybe this will give us the clues we need to control OT without resorting to pesticides.
Stay tuned for installments of this gripping biocontrol mystery!
Note: With the right gear (a microscope) anyone can learn how to identify the usual suspects that show up in their greenhouse. For an identification guide designed specifically for growers, go to http://greenhouseipm. org/pests/thripskey/
REFERENCES
1. MacIntyre-Allen, J., C.D. Scott-Dupree, J.H. Tolman, C.R. Harris. 2005. Resistance of Thrips tabaci to pyrethroid and organophosphorous insecticides in Ontario, Canada. Pest Management Science 61: 809-815.
2. Summerfield, Ashley. 2019. Biocontrol thriving in Canadian floriculture greenhouses. Greenhouse Canada, March 26, 2019.
3. Buitenhuis, R., Lee, W., Summerfield, A., & Smitley, D. (2019). Thrips IPM in floriculture: cutting dips to start clean. IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, 147, 130–135.
4. Jandricic, S. 2019. Making mass trapping work for you. GrowerTalks, June 1, 2019.
Western Flower Thrips
Key features: Larger than the other yellow-coloured thrips you’ll encounter, WFT have bright red ocelli (three spots between their eyes). They also have plenty of long coarse hairs on the top and bottom of their “shoulders” (called the pronotum). WFT body colour ranges from common pale yellow to a very dark brown (called a “dark morph”).
Damage pattern: Widespread, dispersed damage in crop; frequently causes damage to flowers.
Onion Thrips
Key features: Pale grey ocelli (eye spots); coarse hairs occur only on the bottom of the pronotum (none on top); their bodies range in colour from pale yellow to brown. Smaller than WFT.
Damage pattern: Crops damaged in small clusters of plants; heavy damage to the foliage that makes the plant unsellable; less damage to flowers.
Ashley Summerfield is a senior research technician in biological control at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and an MSc. candidate at the University of Guelph. Sarah Jandricic, PhD is the greenhouse floriculture IPM specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Ashley’s co-advisors on the onion thrips project are Rose Buitenhuis, PhD, (Biocontrol Lab; Vineland Research and Innovation Centre) and Cynthia Scott-Dupree, PhD, (Professor and Bayer Crop Science Chair in Sustainable Pest Management). Questions? Email Ashley at ashley.summerfield@vinelandresearch.com
Figure 3.
N. cucumeris
swirskii
degenerens
limonicus
PHOTO
CREDIT: A. SUMMERFIELD
A photo of a plug liner barely begins to summarize the hours of attention given to that plug’s success; the trials to decide on tray size, the careful evaluation of water, heat, and fertilizer requirements, and the diligent oversight of growers scouting for pests and daily needs. All of this so we can offer a consistent product rooted in customer success..
10 TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS to watch for
Tasty, elegant, eye-catching and pollinator-friendly; despite the challenging weather conditions, these varieties performed remarkably well, standing out among the many varieties trialled across three sites.
BY RODGER TSCHANZ
What do you remember of this past year’s growing season?
In my region of Ontario, I had a cold start to the planting season. A late frost damaged some of my post-May 24th plantings, followed by some very warm days over 30 °C. I also remember at least two periods with excessively high rainfall during the growing season. Recalling those wildly variable growing conditions presents a stark reminder of how our garden plants put up with a lot of uncertain weather and yet, are still expected to perform well in spite of it. The plants I am about to highlight did just that and were standouts to those judging and visiting the trials held at the University of Guelph, Landscape Ontario office
and Royal Botanical Gardens in Ontario.
Dual-purpose plants with both ornamental and culinary applications are a desirable component of the small patio or urban garden where growing space is limited. Of the edibles trialled in 2021, two from PanAmerican Seed fit this dual role perfectly. The sweet pepper, Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry [1], has variegated foliage and fruit. While immature, the fruit displays a pattern of white and green striping. It maintains its patterning as it ripens, but the stripes darken to shades of rusty red and chocolate. Fruit size is small with lengths of 5-9 cm and diameters ranging from 4-6 cm. Plants in our trial reached heights of 60 cm.
Basil Everleaf Thai Towers [2] is a sweet licorice-flavoured Thai-type basil. The green foliage contrasts well with its bronzy stems. The columnar growth habit produces tight internodes and dense foliage and works well in containers. In the ornamental landscape, it can act as a “formal-upright” addition to the garden, reaching heights of nearly 80 cm with a spread of roughly 30 cm. Like the previously introduced Everleaf Emerald Towers, Thai Towers is very slow to flower. Blooms started to appear in our trials in mid-to-late August; this lateness to bloom helps it maintain optimal basil flavouring and can extend the harvest season.
Helianthus ‘Suncredible Saturn’ [3] is the second “everblooming” sunflower from Proven Winners to enter the Guelph trial program. Blooming started in the greenhouse in mid-late May and extended until frost in October. In 2020, we had ‘Suncredible Yellow’ with its clear yellow ray florets and dark brown centre. A year later, a new colour for the series became available. Suncredible Saturn has stems of a reddish hue and yellow ray florets with a rusty base that combine to form a ring around the planetary eye of the flower. The flower diameter of the series is small (7-10 cm) and the overall growth habit of the plant is compact in both the landscape (~1m spread and height) and containers. The flowering stems worked well as cut flowers with a vase life in our trials of approximately two weeks.
The genus Calylophus was new to me before this past summer. It is a native of Texas and is commonly called Texas primrose. We trialled two selections from Proven Winners’ Ladybird series: Ladybird Sunglow [4a] with deep yellow blooms and Ladybird Lemonade [4b] in pale yellow. Blossom diameter was 4-6 cm. Garden height was approximately 25 cm with a spread
Change of scenery
The 2021 season saw a move of the Guelph Trial Garden from the old Guelph Turfgrass Institute (GTI) to the new GTI location around the corner.
The new site is on a slope and is slightly terraced. It has a different look and layout than the previous site but will continue to offer side-by-side trialling opportunities. While we were only able to have landscape trials for annuals up and running here for 2021, the plan is to return with container and perennial trials in the coming season.
Across the three trial sites, the 2021 season trialled 318 annuals, 15 edibles, 68 first-year perennials, 138 second-year perennials, and 240 containers.
ranging from 70-90 cm. These plants have fine foliage and a low spreading habit, acting as ground cover in the landscape and filler in containers. This series performed well in all the landscape and container conditions it was exposed to in the trial. It can handle frost and brief freezing periods which helps to extend the growing season until a killing frost.
It might be too simplistic to say that petunia breeding, in recent years, has trended towards producing smaller flowers
while calibrachoa breeding has leaned towards larger ones, but sometimes one does wonder.
Last year, Syngenta Flowers released its petunia ‘Itsy Magenta.’ This year, ‘Itsy White’ [5] has been added to the lineup. With flower diameters of this series ranging between 1.5 and 2.5 cm, this was smaller or equal to most of the calibrachoa cultivars in our trial and appears to be unique in the commercial petunia world. Its petunia genetics allow it to
grow well in the landscape and containers, unlike many calibrachoa cultivars that perform poorly in the higher pH soils such as those found in the Guelph area. In the landscape, Itsy had a compact, mounding growth habit, reaching heights of 20 cm and spreading to 85 cm by the end of the growing season. In mixed containers, it can be used where a small-flowered filler is desired.
Differing from my previous observation on breeding trends, the petunia
‘Headliner Banana Cherry’ [6] from Selecta One does not have small blooms –it went in the other direction with bloom diameters ranging from 4-5.5 cm. This cultivar has unusual cherry purple edge markings surrounding the inner yellow of the blossom. The colours complement each other well. This selection grew well in both containers and the landscape, reaching heights of 27 cm and spreading to 80 cm by season’s end.
Profusion Red and Yellow Bicolor [7] is a unique bicoloured addition to this zinnia series from Sakata. It was first trialled in our gardens as an All-America Selections (AAS) entry in 2020. Ultimately, this entry earned an AAS Gold medal in recognition of its unusual bloom colouration. The flower opens with brilliant gold and deep red markings, aging into different shades of orange and pink. Like other members of this series, it is resistant to powdery mildew. Its compact, mounded habit reached heights of 35 cm.
Rex Begonias have become my new favourite shade annual. In this 2021 trial season, we had 12 entries from four different series provided by Ball Ingenuity: three each from the Jurassic, Jurassic Jr., Dino and Megalo series [8]. As I write this, I can imagine the great marketing opportunities these names can offer the creative garden centre. Beyond the marketing angle, these names are very descriptive and indicative of the relative vigour of the different cultivars. A single plant from the Megalo series can easily fill a 10” container while the Dino selections may be better suited for 6” applications. Perhaps the showiest of the cultivars was Jurassic Heartbeat with its deep red foliage. Jurassic Pink Splash and Jurassic Jr. Purple Spec were judged most popular of the Rex begonias on open house day. (Pictured: Top row, left to right – Purple Spec, Heartbeat, Berry Swirl, Red Splash, Silver Swirl, Pink Splash, Polka Dot,
Black Sky, Greenie. Bottom Row, left to right: Croc, Komodo, Reptile.)
Achillea ptarmica ‘Marshmallow’ [9] is a new sneezewort from Benary. While this plant was entered into our perennial trial, what stood out was its uniform growth and early first-year blooming habit. This perennial falls into the category of “blooming like an annual” with blooms occurring on the greenhouse bench and extending through until frost. In the landscape, this plant reached heights of 35 cm and a spread of 60-70 cm during its first season. Most of the plants in the trial produced double flowers. Suitable as a filler in container applications and the
edge of a perennial border.
The new Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’ [10] is a guaranitica hybrid that has caught a lot of attention this season with its compact, semi-cascading habit. This growth habit makes it suitable for containers such as hanging baskets and planters, but also allows it to perform well in the garden in mass plantings. This species of salvia is well known for its attractiveness to hummingbirds. Chris Berg, marketing director at Dümmen Orange has commented on how this cultivar is uniquely suited to their growing collection of living hummingbird feeders. He asked, “Why not replace those
artificial hummingbird feeders in our yards with something living?” (Cuphea ‘Hummingbird’s Lunch’ would be another choice for this application). At the Royal Botanical Gardens’ trial location, RGB staff observed the hummingbirds fighting over Hummingbird Falls’ blooms. In the landscape, we saw heights reach 70 cm with a plant spread of 120 cm by the end of the summer.
Rodger Tschanz is the trial garden manager for the University of Guelph and Landscape Ontario. For more information about the trial plants and trial program, contact Rodger at rtschanz@uoguelph.ca
Taking steps against cucumber green mottle mosaic virus
Researchers develop a step-by-step sanitation protocol and test tolerant genetics.
BY DR. OUALID ELLOUZ
Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) is an increasing threat to global Cucurbitaceae crop production.
Mechanical transmission is responsible for the quick spread of the virus throughout the commercial greenhouse environment. This may occur in the handling of plants, leaf-to-leaf contact, plant wounds made with cutting tools, farm equipment, chewing insects such as the cucumber leaf beetle, and pollinators such as honeybees.
A few infected plants in a cucumber greenhouse can lead to infection of the entire crop, causing losses in cucumber production ranging from five per cent to 20 per cent at the end of the cropping cycle. High infection in the crop may force growers to terminate production in the early stages and hence reduce the overall profitability of their operations. In addition, infection may not be limited to the current crop but may also affect subsequent crops due to the long-term persistence
of the virus on contaminated crop residues, greenhouse hard surfaces and soil or soil-less greenhouse substrates.
To help determine potential solutions, a research team led by Dr. Oualid Ellouz at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry developed a management program that utilizes rigorous sanitization and tolerant cucumber varieties to decrease the impact of CGMMV in commercial greenhouse cucumber production.
TESTING SANITIZATION STEPS IN A COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSE
Greenhouse sanitization is the cornerstone of an effective integrated pest management (IPM) and biosecurity program. It encompasses processes that clean and decontaminate surfaces that may become infested with pathogens, insects, and mites. An effective sanitization program results in the reduction or elimination of active and dormant
ABOVE As its name suggests, the cucumber green mottle mosaic virus leads to a mottling, blistering and distortion of the plant, including its leaves.
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Figure 1.
These were the sampling steps used to evaluate the effectiveness of different sanitization procedures in eliminating cucumber green mottle mosaic virus in a commercial greenhouse setting.
The top two graphs quantify disease resistance using the curve of disease intensity over time (AUDPC) – the lower the value, the more resistant the variety. The bottom two graphs quantify cucumber yield in plants infected by CGMMV. Note: DR4879CE was retired from its portfolio. Clean-up Disinfection
Figure 2.
stages of pathogens and pests, as well as disruption of their life cycles. Sanitation protocols also represent low cost solutions to pest problems and reduction of the costlier pesticides.
To this end, one goal of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the sanitization and disinfection protocols against CGMMV in a commercial greenhouse and to identify commonly infested surfaces.
An extensive environmental sampling program for CGMMV was implemented on hard surfaces before and after each sanitization step utilized by the grower. The Solar-Cult Pre-moistened Sampling Cellulose Sponge Kit was used for sample (swabs) collection from the potentially infested greenhouse surfaces and structures. Samples were collected after each step of the sanitization program: crop removal, cleaning with pressure washing and alkaline sanitizer MS TopFoam, application of alkaline disinfectant C-Clean, as well as the use of peroxide disinfectant Virkon and heating the greenhouse to temperatures over 65 °C (Fig. 1). Samples were analyzed for CGMMV using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).
Following crop removal, the majority of surfaces sampled tested positive for CGMMV, with the exception of interior walls, perimeter heating pipes, wall-shade curtains and crop support wires. Surfaces directly in contact with plants were the most heavily infested areas, with tray tops and tray gutters having the highest levels of CGMMV.
Cleaning using MS TopFoam and pressure washing was sufficient to eliminate CGMMV on almost all infested surfaces, except for porous and uneven materials such as tray gutters, cement alleyways and floor mats. On average, this step reduced the levels of CGMMV infection by 85 per cent. Infection levels were further reduced by 99 per cent when surfaces were subjected to pressure washing and MS TopFoam twice.
Two sanitization steps by MS TopFoam and C-Clean were necessary to eliminate CGMMV from tray gutters and floor mats. On average, this step further reduced the levels of CGMMV infection by another 10 per cent. Cement alleyways were the most difficult surfaces to disinfect and all cleaning/disinfecting steps, including the use of Virkon and heat, were needed to eliminate
CGMMV infectivity.
Note that the most critical step in effective sanitization was the removal of organic matter, the primary source of disease-causing plant pathogens. This step should be carried out in advance of disinfection since some disinfectants can be inactivated by direct contact with organic matter.
EVALUATING COMMERCIAL CUCUMBER VARIETIES
A second goal of the project was to screen cucumber varieties for their potential resistance to CGMMV and evaluate the effects of infection on their productivity.
To test this, six Mini varieties and nine Long English cucumber varieties were chosen, where each was identified as having different levels of resistance to CGMMV based on the respective seed company’s data (Fig. 2). Overall, CGMMV rapidly spread in Mini cultivars of cucumbers compared to Long English cultivars. Among them, two Mini (Katrina and Khassib) and three Long English (Sepire, Bomber and LC13900) cucumber varieties showed reduced or delayed CGMMV infection spread in the greenhouse.
It is especially important to point out that some of the screened cultivars could still maintain meaningful productivity despite virus infection. Among the six Mini varieties, ‘Jawell’, ‘RZ 22-551’ and ‘Sunniwell’ were the most tolerant to CGMMV. These varieties showed high CGMMV infection levels, however, they also had the highest fruit yield. Among the nine varieties of Long English screened for resistance to CGMMV, ‘Bonbon’ was tolerant. This variety had high CGMMV infection levels without compromising yield, which was the highest among all the varieties tested.
The use of high-yielding Mini and Long English cucumber varieties with delayed CGMMV spread, as demonstrated in this trial, is recommended for cultivation in the greenhouses assuming that this would reduce the incidence and spread of CGMMV infection and could reduce economic losses to cucumber growers. However, growers should use efficient sanitization programs between crops, since repeated cultivation of partially resistant cultivars may increase the level of CGMMV particles on various
hard surfaces within the greenhouse and render even partial resistance ineffective. Hence there is an urgent need for highly resistant cultivars that not only perform well amid CGMMV infection but also restrict the movement of and replication of the virus.
For more information, watch the accompanying webinar at greenhousecanada.com/ webinars and/or refer to the paper below:
Ellouze,
W.;
Mishra,
V.; Howard, R.J.;
Ling, K.-S.; Zhang, W. Preliminary Study on the Control of Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus in Commercial Greenhouses Using Agricultural Disinfectants and Resistant Cucumber Varieties. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1879. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121879
Oualid (Walid) Ellouz, PhD, is a research scientist in plant pathology at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and is based in Vineland, Ont. He can be reached at oualid. ellouz@agr.gc.ca
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2021 POINSETTIA SEASON
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
BELOW
Poinsettias faced high whitefly pressure this past season.
The 2021 poinsettia season in Ontario would have been very successful had it not been for a few key problems:
• A few limited but popular varieties shipped with whiteflies on the cuttings.
• Shipping costs almost doubled due to higherthan-normal demand by other industries.
• Box prices doubled if you had not ordered and received them before the poinsettia shipping season.
• Stores did not want to give enough display area for poinsettias, which led to frequently smaller orders.
Despite these few but costly hiccups, the season wrapped up with strong demand for poinsettia which was helped by mild weather, or at least no snowstorms to stop shipping or shopping in this province. Yes, poinsettia season is as dependent on the weather as the bedding plant season.
Was there any profit in this year’s poinsettia crop? It would have been a good year except for the cost of production, which kept increasing due to the many factors you would normally have known about early on in the season, such as shipping costs, heat, packaging and imported whiteflies. With the increased costs of shipping and production, next year’s poinsettia prices should be increased by at least 15 to 20 per cent just to cover it all.
ALL IMAGES BY M. SAWAYA
On the positive side, all that was grown was sold along with a two to three per cent shortage, which is where the market should be.
I did not hear of diseases throughout the crop, even without any fungicide applications.
There was no bract edge burn, an issue we haven’t seen in the past 10 years. This coincides with the adoption of biocontrol to manage pests – mainly whitefly. This is a true success story where we solve the problems by eliminating the cause rather than concentrating on the treatment. This is also more economical and greener, avoiding the overuse of chemicals.
Previously, bract edge burn was mainly due to the use of Thiodan for the control of whiteflies in combination with high humidity in the greenhouse. Most of the time, those from academia or chemical companies would suggest a quick remedy for treating the problem rather than preventing it. The go-to cure was a ton of calcium chloride, but in my opinion, it was only a band-aid and the results were barely satisfactory. This is an example that stresses the need to find the cause of any problem, while looking for ways to remedy it in the meantime.
In our trials this past year, 96 per cent of the varieties were ready for sale by Nov. 1st.
PRODUCTION
Weather conditions were optimal for flower initiation – cool nights and higherthan-average light levels. On average, every greenhouse crop was ready a week earlier than other years. In addition to the weather, new varieties have been bred to flower much earlier. In our trials this past year, 96 per cent of the varieties were ready for sale by November 1st.
For those using growth regulators, know that micro drenches of Bonzi can be used at any stage of production and will not reduce the bracts to an unsalable condition. Proper applications of Bonzi can end up producing a much better-
quality crop. Like every treatment, if done properly, it can enhance the finished product.
The use of Bonzi micro drenches is a standard procedure, so using it correctly is important. This year, I have seen some plants treated with Bonzi without much of an effect, while in other operations, the effect of Bonzi was too great.
Here are some guidelines to consider when using Bonzi:
• Applications should be uniform,
especially if you are using a drip system. Use lower rates with high volumes so the whole root ball is covered. This is also important in nonPGR irrigations with drip systems.
• Treatments are more effective when the plants are in the fast-growing stage. This goes for any growth regulator use.
• Avoid any Bonzi applications overhead, but if that is the only way you can apply it, then rinse with clear
FEEDING THE WORLD
ABOVE
With proper programming and cultural practices, one can produce a multi-bract poinsettia over seven inches tall.
water using your sprayer and not watering nozzles.
• Timing is the best growth regulator. Having said that, you cannot delay planting too much in order to get shorter plants because the bracts will not colour properly in low light conditions.
• If a later crop sale date is required, use a later flowering variety in its own section where you can control the temperature without affecting other cultivars. Some crops that were shipped later in the season, but were not programmed for it, showed signs of Botrytis on the bracts, flowers or both.
• If you are spraying Cycocel, be aware of your clear water EC. Because high water ECs adds to that of Cycocel, it could lead to phytotoxicity and leaf damage.
Overall, the best form of Botrytis control is still lower humidity. But to produce the best crops, it’s important to have all aspects of production done on time. Yes, I am saying it again and it will
Not long ago, we had at most 20 varieties to choose from. Last year, we had over 150.
not be the last time: Growing crops is 15 per cent knowledge, 15 per cent knowing how to apply this knowledge, and 70 per cent completing tasks on time. Timing is a major part of growing green because fewer or no chemical treatments will be needed.
TRIALS
This is the first year where the poinsettia trials took place at our brand-new greenhouse and location at Sawaya Gardens in Waterford, Ont.
Over 150 varieties were propagated by Linwell gardens, then planted in 6” pots at week 31 and pinched during week 34. We had 24 pots of each variety, all watered the same way, with no growth
Attendees discussed whitefly issues and management options at the poinsettia trial open house.
BOTTOM Brokers, breeders, and growers gathered in person.
regulators used. This way, the true growth habit of every variety was clearly evident. The following were some of my observations.
All trialled varieties could be commer cially acceptable for shipping. The first shippable dates recorded varied from Oct. 15 to Nov. 25, but most of them were still shippable past December 15.
Not long ago, we had a maximum of 20 varieties to choose from. In our trials
TOP
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this past year, we had over 150 varieties, and that is not even all of them. The choices are vast, which makes the trials more crucial. This way, we can decide on cultivars that suit our production practices, and more importantly, our customers’ needs.
It’s only when we try some of these varieties in our own production that we can present them to our customers. With unique colours and habits that the breeders come up with, we can capitalize on different packaging options. We can change up the look of poinsettias and go beyond the red, the white and the pink. In bedding plants, mixed containers are so popular that they have almost 50 per cent of the large container market – so why not in poinsettia? In my opinion, the reason why 85 per cent of the poinsettia sold are red is because we are not introducing new cultivars in the same way we do with bedding plants.
After we were done with the trials, we opened the greenhouse to the public for two days. The majority of the consumers came looking for red poinsettia. Instead, many left with four colours and only one that was red. There were so many different options in the trials that they could not leave without selecting two to three of the other colours or shapes. Poinsettia sales could increase by another 10 per cent if we market them like we do bedding plants – well-displayed while taking advantage of all these new varieties.
In our trials, no chemicals were sprayed to control whiteflies, even though some of the varieties had whitefly eggs and
ABOVE
An unpinched Early Polly’s Pink reveals a 13” diameter bract.
management, and by the time of the open house, I could not see a single whitefly.
The bracts on most of the trialled varieties were larger than normal, most probably because:
No growth regulators were used.
The greenhouse was heated to 19 °C and vented at 22 °C. They received full sun from sunrise to sunset, independent of temperature.
There was no delay in bud set. Full sun, which increases the average temperature and maximum light intensity, is a recipe for large bracts.
PROBLEMS
Diseases: All in all, growers experienced no issues with any kind of diseases except for a few Erwinia incidents that were related to plant stress before sticking.
There were no known issues with rooting problems and no preventative fungicides were applied. Diseases generally do not want anything to do with happy plants, and happy plants do not welcome diseases. Proper watering, checking EC and pH, along with growing in proper environmental conditions all set the stage for healthy plants and lessen the need for fungicides.
Insects: If it had not been for a couple of varieties during certain weeks, then the biocontrol program would have been sufficient to carry the crop all the way to market without any whitefly concerns.
My advice for next year is to check the cuttings thoroughly upon arrival and to discard them if whiteflies are detected. No biocontrol or chemical is going to clean heavily infested cuttings.
ABOVE
The team from BioWorks took care of pest management for the poinsettia trials and ended with a clean crop at the shippable stage.
Before propagation and planting, the planting areas should be cleaned thoroughly. Ensure that there are no pet plants or other crops around. Here are some general steps to take:
1. Open the boxes of cuttings in a cool room and place the cuttings into the BotaniGard solution. Then, put them in a cool room at 10 °C overnight or at least four hours before sticking, making sure the cuttings are never dehydrated.
2. Before sticking, dip the cuttings in BotaniGard again.
3. Before planting, dip the cuttings in a mixture of horticultural soap
4. Start your bio program soon after sticking the cuttings until October around the 10th to the 15th.
5. Bios will help keep the crop free of whitefly, or at least leave a negligible amount. This is unless they are overwhelmed by eggs that were heavily loaded on the leaves before the bios had a chance to do their job.
6. Scouting and proper management of bios are the main tools to effectively combat whitefly.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Here were some key lessons from previous seasons:
• Grow varieties that you are familiar with and try new ones on a small scale.
• Calculate your cost for any required specs and do not forget about packaging and shipping.
• Take an order while there is still some profit margin and not just dollar sales.
• Never grow on pure speculation.
• When you run out of plants at the end of the season and need to buy more, that is when you are starting to make headway profit-wise.
• Do not cheat on what the crop needs to grow properly. It will cost you much more in the end if you do.
Start a study group with the growers in your vicinity. If you are in southwestern Ontario, send me an email and join us. Hopefully, we will be able to make it happen this year.
Any suggestions for the next poinsettia trials are welcome. This year, the open house is scheduled for November 15, 2022.
VARIETAL HIGHLIGHTS
Selecting the highlights among 150 varieties was extremely hard. Suitability ultimately depends on the application. Members of the public who visited the trials chose many varieties that I probably would not have picked.
In selecting these varieties, then, I went with a balance of economics and consumer satisfaction:
[1] Selecta Christmas Bells is a V-shaped variety that does not require a ring and has good lasting quality.
[2] Selecta Alaska White is a very vigorous white variety that needs ringing and if growth is regulated early enough in production, it will become an excellent product at shipping time.
[3] Syngenta Superba New Glitter is a particularly good glitter variety that flowers early with good shelf life.
[4] Syngenta Mirage Red is a great variety that breaks well, is semi-V-shaped and offers long-lasting quality.
[5] Dümmen Orange Imperial Red is a great V-shaped variety that does not need a ring, is easy to sleeve and has great shelf life.
[6] Dümmen Orange Ferrara is another V-shaped variety that is vigorous and ideal for large pots.
[7] Rinehart Pure White is the purest white I’ve seen on the market with a controlled growth habit. It can be grown in any size with proper programming
[8] Dümmen Orange Runway Red is my favourite red poinsettia because of the strong even breaks and layered bracts with the best and largest cyathias I have ever seen. I recommend including a small trial in your production for 2023 as it could become a new favourite.
[9] J’Adore series is a different poinsettia that you can market, not as a variety in a mix, but as a different package altogether to really make a sales impact.
[10] A sample of different poinsettia colours through the years. Red poinsettia accounts for over 90 per cent of production, but with the many colourful varieties now on the market, we can easily increase sales by marketing these colours as we do with bedding plants.
Melhem Sawaya is a greenhouse consultant and owner of Focus Greenhouse Management in Ontario. He can be reached at mel@focusgreenhousemanagement.com
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WHAT IS THIS BUG in my tomato crop?
Once inside the greenhouse, Engytatus modestus leaves feeding rings on stems, which lead to other potentially devastating consequences for the crop.
BY DR. ABIDA NASREEN
Earlier this year, we received a call from one of our customers: despite being a long-time greenhouse tomato grower, they had encountered an insect they had never seen before. And, worse yet, it was terrorizing their plants.
After sending in our IPM specialist to check out the problem, they observed that these tiny insects were exceptionally active and most present at the top of the plant canopy. The next step was to take a few samples back to the lab for a closer look.
Just under 4 mm long as adults, these bugs are very small. Nymphs can be easily confused with adult aphids to the untrained eye. The long, slender bodies of adults are straw-coloured or yellow-green, and a look under the microscope will reveal semi-translucent wing tips (similar to any hemipteran species), as well as small dark spots on the wings, legs, and antennae. The closer inspection helped us identify the insect as one we had seen a few years ago with a different tomato grower: the tomato bug, Engytatus modestus
Despite being a potentially devastating pest to crops including tomato, tobacco, squash, eggplant, and beans, most Canadian growers are not familiar with the tomato bug. First reported in Hawaii, this insect thrives in hot, dry regions, and so is more common in the southern United States than in Canada. It also became less common in many areas of North America after the relentless use of DDT to combat tomato bug infestations in the 1940s and 1950s. However, we still see infestations periodically during warmer summers.
severity of the infestation meant that a lot of damage was being done. Tomato bugs feed on plants by inserting their piercingsucking mouthparts into the vascular layer of the stem, which damages the plant and results in a dark-coloured feeding ring around the stem or petiole. This section becomes weakened considerably and will snap easily if the stem is bent. If this section of the plant survives, it will later become thickened and resistant to breakage as the damage heals.
This unique damage pattern is caused by a combination of
ABOVE
Adults are straw-coloured or yellow-green with small dark spots on the wings, legs, and antennae.
The damage this grower had seen on their plants further confirmed our identification.
The tomato bug has a very specific pattern of damage. The
the toxic salivary secretions of the insects and their habit of feeding in the same location many times. This causes a characteristic ring pattern on the affected plant tissue. It is suspected that the insects are drawn back to the same feeding sites because the plant tissue around the feeding rings increase in protein and dextrin content as the plant’s regenerative systems are activated, providing the insects with valuable nutrients.
While it is possible to minimize the snapping of branches caused by feeding ring damage, the effects of this injury could lead to many other indirect consequences that could be just as devastating. These include slowed flower production, fewer and smaller flowers, increased flower shedding, bushy plants, increased number of abnormal fruits, and lower yields. These indirect effects may be avoided if damage occurs when the plants are young enough, however.
In tobacco, specifically, tomato bugs feed on the leaves and stems of young plants, which sustain little to no permanent damage. As the plant matures, however, they switch to feeding on flower and seed stalks, which results in significant, lasting damage.
Overall, the tomato bug has a high potential for damage, so prevention plays a key role in mitigating the problem.
Bugs can come in with imported fruits and vegetables, harboured by part of the attached stem. It can also enter the greenhouse on plant seedlings or plants from other countries such as Mexico and the U.S. where Engytatus is a problem. Usually, it survives on tomato, eggplant, and other crops in the open field, entering the greenhouse around mid-season.
Once inside, they cause a lot of indirect damage to plant stems and leaves, moving quickly and spreading easily.
They may go undetected or underdetected at first due to their nymphs’ similarity in appearance to aphids and other Mirid bugs. Regular scouting of the upper crop canopy and checking of sticky cards can help identify any adults that make their way into the greenhouse, putting a stop to the problem before it can spread.
Because this insect likes to feed on the top parts of growing shoots, scouting of these areas and use of sticky cards at the top of the plant canopy can help to spot it before it becomes a problem. Seedlings should be checked thoroughly if coming from other countries or areas. If it can be controlled on seedlings, the crop can be protected from damage.
There are no known commercialized natural enemies available to manage it. Selective insecticides that are safer for
biocontrol programs can be used. Pathogenic fungi could also be a good alternative to chemicals for managing this pest. Note that neem oil is not registered for use in Canada.
Nasreen, PhD, is director of research and development at GrowLiv Ltd., based in Ontario.
Abida
LEFT To the unfamiliar eye, tomato bug nymphs can be easily confused with adult aphids.
RIGHT This unique ring-patterned damage is caused by a combination of the bug’s salivary secretions and their habit of feeding in the same location many times over.
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breathing and at the right temperature while using the fastest shipping options available.
Nevertheless, a lot can happen in the time between shipping and release into the crop.
Biocontrol agents are living organisms, sensitive to transport, storage conditions and duration. Any variations in these factors can lead to declined quality upon arrival, however, sometimes the reason is a mystery. This is why the ideal time to perform one last quality check is the moment when the biocontrol agents arrive at the greenhouse, just before they are released.
ABOVE
A lot can happen between shipping and release into the crop. The best time to perform one last quality check is upon arrival and just before release.
Once the bios are dispersed into the crop, the only signs of their presence will be the successful suppression of pests and occasional sightings of the predators and parasitoids themselves or their products, such as parasitized aphids or whiteflies. By then, it would be very late in the game to react to sub-optimal performance due to quality issues, and overall pest control may suffer.
To tailor the guidelines towards end users, we collected, tested and compiled methods that could be completed by staff at commercial greenhouses using minimal materials and a bit of crafting or DIY. Over time, we added a few new protocols including ones for predatory mite sachets. Each species has its own protocol, with details on steps to take for quality
Read the Grower Guide to Quality Assurance of Biocontrol Products
BOTTOM
Watch the webinar on quality assessment of biological control agents
assessment at arrival based on the packaging, as well as signs of activity in the crop.
In addition to the guide which was updated in 2017, several videos demonstrate how to conduct the tests. The videos can be found on Youtube channels by Vineland Research & Innovation Centre as well as Greenhouse Canada, and include ones on nematodes and slow release sachets. Additional videos will be finalized in early 2022.
ABOVE
Boekestyn Greenhouses sieves out larger pieces of bran, leaving the smaller pieces and predatory mites at the bottom. They use this method to check for quality on most of the mites they receive in bulk and sachet form.
Note that pest control can still fail, even with high-quality biocontrol agents. In these cases, ask yourself the following:
• Are your expectations too high? Keywords for biocontrol are prevention and patience.
• Is there any interference from pesticides? Check the sideeffects tables from the respective companies for compatibility and residual time.
• Did you release the right biocontrol agent for the pest? Make sure you properly identify the pest and match it with the right biocontrol agents.
• How did you release the bios? Timing and placement are important to set bios up for success.
A recorded webinar, available on GreenhouseIPM.org, provides more details and answers to these questions.
FEEDBACK FROM INDUSTRY
To learn more about the importance and impact of grower QC on biological use in commercial greenhouse operations, I spoke to IPM staff at three companies in Canada and the US about their experiences.
Boekestyn Greenhouses: Boekestyn Greenhouses, located in the Niagara region of Ontario, has been growing potted ornamental plants using biocontrol for many years. The growing team would regularly conduct simple visual and smell checks to see if their shipments of biocontrol agents were okay.
When the Grower Guide was initially published in 2014, they worked with IPM consultant Graeme Murphy to test several of the protocols and to provide feedback. They also wanted to compare different suppliers. In doing so, they discovered that conducting QC on all of the products on a weekly basis was very time consuming.
On the other hand, through their tests, they also realized that predatory mites in bulk product tend to aggregate at one end of
ABOVE
the package, which means it is important to mix the product well to get an even distribution.
Overall, they say the process helped them become more familiar with the products and that it was a great way to learn more about biological control.
Today, they still do quick checks of their bios on arrival to ensure everything looks normal. Only when something seems off, do they use more in-depth methods to investigate further.
Wholesum: Dr. Harumi Kuniyashi is director of research and development at Wholesum, a large organic vegetable greenhouse in Arizona.
She and her team developed their own quality control methods to determine the viability of whitefly parasitoids from cards and predatory mite sachets. They wanted to demonstrate to the production side of the company that biocontrol was actually working. In addition, they wanted to compare products from different vendors.
From their tests, they found that quality could fluctuate significantly, including at different times of the year. Having reliable data enabled them to communicate their problems to suppliers, who then sent product replacement.
Harumi says conducting QC on a regular basis allows them to trace the source of the problem.
For example, they once detected an issue when a shipment of bios was
stored under incorrect conditions.
To compensate, they adjusted their biocontrol order for the next week. This helped them ensure that there were
enough biocontrol agents to keep pests under control.
Harumi says she would like to perform quality checks on more products, but acknowledges that it is a time-consuming process.
Costa Farms: Michele Opela, IPM manager at Costa Farms in North Carolina, says they started a biocontrol program in their ornamentals production about three years ago.
They decided to perform quality checks on all of their biocontrol shipments when they ran into problems implementing their IPM program. They also wanted to determine which vendors and product formulations gave them the best results, adjusting their purchases accordingly.
Michele says they continue to check every product they receive.
Some products, including larger predators like lacewings, get a quick eyeball to see if they are alive and moving. Others, like aphid and whitefly parasitoids, are checked thoroughly using methods from the Grower Guide
Hydra Sprayer
At Costa Farms, one of their scouts is spotted conducting a quick QC check on cucumeris.
This can take up to one full day if there is a lot of material to process, and checking predatory mite bulk product is especially time consuming. However, she says it is worth the effort. They identified a problem with a predatory mite product where they found fewer predators than stated on the package and consequently changed suppliers.
She says an added benefit to the quality checking process is that their IPM scouts are becoming more familiar with biocontrol agents, gaining a better understanding of their use and biology, and are building professional expertise.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on these discussions, it is clear that conducting QC on a weekly basis on all incoming biocontrol agents may be excessive, especially when given limited resources and time.
However, if a problem is suspected, the methods in the Grower Guide can provide IPM staff with standardized ways to investigate and, if necessary, communicate with suppliers. When regular QC is required, methods can be adapted or the focus can be narrowed to a few critical products.
While the protocols are designed to be simple, those interviewed for this article agreed it does take some practice. However, testing is a great way to become familiar with biocontrol agents and products.
Rose Buitenhuis, PhD, is the senior research scientist in biological control at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Have questions
ABOVE
While quality control testing on bios can become timeconsuming if performed on a regular basis, it allows staff to become familiar with the various products and provides ways of investigating any issues that may arise.
or feedback on the Grower Guide to Quality Assurance of Biocontrol Products? Contact Rose at rose.buitenhuis@vinelandresearch.com.
Canadian and Buyers’ Guide
The Canadian Greenhouse Growers’ Directory & Buyers’ Guide is designed to help buyers source Canadian cut flowers, potted plants, bedding and nursery plants, cuts and plug propagation and industry suppliers and services from a wide array of flower growers, wholesalers, distribution centres, supply and service companies located across Canada.
For a FREE COPY, email directory@fco.ca (postage may apply) or visit our official website theflowerdirectory.com.
The 2022 edition is now available
2022 is the Year of the SALAD GREENS
Consumers have taken an increasing interest in their health during recent years. With the pandemic and new year’s resolutions in tow, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore salad greens as a potential new offering.
BY DIANE BLAZEK
For 2022, the edible in the spotlight is Salad Greens. Is it any wonder?
According to a 2021 survey, 73 per cent of consumers are dedicating themselves to a healthier diet after gaining what has been dubbed “The Quarantine 15,” meaning the 15 pounds they gained during COVID. Among those surveyed, a full 34 per cent say they try to make salad a part of their daily intake in hopes of reaching the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Is there any easier way to sell more plants? With many greens only needing 40 to 70 days to reach maturity, and even fewer for baby greens, this edible has one of the quickest turnaround times. Transplants or larger “bowls” of greens can be a great impulse buy for customers who may like the idea of growing their own healthy salad. Educating your customers on succession planting will keep them coming back for more.
With so many types of salad greens to choose from, you can educate and cater to every personality and taste:
• Marciano is a compact red butterhead with nice buttery leaves that showcase a deep burgundy exterior surrounding a well-filled interior of fresh bright green leaves.
• Jara is a dark green romaine that produces beautiful compact heads and is slow to bolt in the heat.
• Eliance is a heat-tolerant, smooth-leaved, self-bleaching escarole (endive). It is an easy-to-grow introduction to chicories, offering high yield and tender leaves.
• Redbor is a tall kale with impressive deep purple colour. A vigorous grower with deeply serrated leaves and sturdy stems, Redbor is an excellent choice, especially for cooler climates, as its colour strengthens and flavour sweetens with looming frost. Beyond the salad bowl, Redbor makes a great garnish or addition to floral arrangements.
• Cheap Frills Mix is a diverse, frilly mix that is a great introduction to different leaf types, and a visual stunner with beautiful red and green colour variations.
• Oceanside is a dark green spinach featuring nice thick leaves with a round/oval shape and versatile enough to be used for baby leaf or full-size leaves.
• Ezpark, part of the Eazyleaf series, is a vibrant green incised tango. An excellent choice for all seasons, Ezpark grows well
HOW TO GROW SALAD GREENS
According to National Garden Bureau (NGB) members, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and PanAmerican Seed, greens are quick, easy crops that can be produced year-round.
These plants can be grown during shoulder seasons, when traditional vegetable starts such as tomatoes and peppers may not be in-season.
Many types are best grown in the cool weather of spring and fall, and in the winter. Depending on your climate, greens can be grown in an unheated or minimally heated greenhouse. There are certain greens that thrive in warmer conditions so make sure you are choosing the correct type for the time of the year.
For most red and green leaf lettuces, along with Asian greens, follow these general plug production guidelines:
• Grow in partial sun or sunny conditions
• Recommended for 128-cell plug trays
• Plug crop time is 2 to 3 weeks
light is 1,000-2,5000 f.c.; fertilizer is between 100-175 ppm N
• Stage 4: moisture level 2-3; temperature between 17-18 °C (62-64 ° F); light is 2,500-5,000 f.c./ fertilizer is 100-175 ppm N
Note: total crop time can be reduced by one week by directly sowing into the final container.
If growing to finish, daytime temperatures should be between 17-21 °C (62-70 °F) and nighttime temperatures should be between 13-16 °C (56-61 °F). Media pH should fall between 5.8-6.2. Fertilize with less than 100 ppm N.
Salad greens are crops with some of the
quickest turnaround times possible.
These are general guidelines, and it is recommended that growers conduct their own trials of various varieties under their own production conditions. Crop times can vary depending on climate, location, time of year and greenhouse environmental conditions.
‘YEAR OF’ PROGRAM
NGB does extensive work creating marketing content, which can help you save time and money, especially during the busy spring season!
NGB members provide numerous photos of varieties that are posted on the NGB website for use by industry growers, brokers and retailers. Fact sheets, flyers, handouts, signage, posters, and social media graphics can also be downloaded for use at no charge.
• Days to germination is usually 2 to 3 days
• pH for germination is 5.8-6.2 pH
• Lightly cover seed
Here are some general guidelines based on several varieties from PanAmerican Seed. This may vary for different crops.
• Stage 1: moisture level 4; temperature
between 18-23 °C (65-73 °F); light is optional; fertilizer is less than 100 ppm N
• Stage 2: moisture level 3-4; temperature between 20-21 °C (68-70 °F); light is 1,000-2,500 f.c.; fertilizer is less than 100ppm N
• Stage 3: moisture level 2-3, temperature between 18-21 °C (65-70 °F);
Growers, brokers and garden centres can take advantage of the publicity from this program and use the marketing collateral in their 2022 catalogues, websites, advertisements, presentations, trade show booths, event exhibits and other materials.
Stay tuned to this space when we introduce the ‘Year of’ bulb for 2022.
Diane Blazek is executive director of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau. Find out more at ngb.org.
TOP Ezpark is a vibrant green incised tango from the Eazyleaf series. BOTTOM Bowls of Simply Salad Global Gourmet Mixes resemble actual salads.
Keeping Your Greenhouse Squatter-Free This Winter
Is your greenhouse at risk for overwintering pests?
BY ALICE SINIA, PHD
With wintertime in full swing, it’s critical to be mindful of overwintering pests and how they affect your greenhouse.
Unfortunately, greenhouses offer all the things that pests need to survive during the winter –warmth, shelter, food and water. To build the best mitigation plan for winter pests, it is important to know what overwintering is and for which pests your greenhouse is at risk.
Overwintering is a commonly used term to describe the survival habits of pests during the colder months. As it relates to pests (and plants) specifically, overwintering includes the activities that these living things do to make it through the winter.
For pests, this typically means finding shelter to wait out the harsh temperatures and snowy climates. Bugs and rodents will enter structures and/or utilize foliage for shelter and protection
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from the elements during the winter months. Signs you may have pests seeking refuge in your greenhouse include:
• Rodent droppings, which are small, black and rod shaped in appearance, have sizes that depend on the species – about 4 to 6 millimeters long for mice and 10 to 20 millimeters long for rats
• Gnaw marks or chewed holes through cardboard, paper or wooden structures as well as wiring
• Gnaw marks or holes on stems, roots, leaves, vegetables and fruits on plants
• Nests within your greenhouse, active or discarded nesting materials nearby
• Wet or dirt footprints on the floor
• Presence of active crawling or flying insects on warm sunny winter days, especially on south walls of the greenhouse
While rodents are year-round pests, they like to sneak indoors during the colder months. Look out for droppings and gnaw marks inside the greenhouse.
• Large number of insects congregating on walls and entry ways, attempting to go inside, particularly in the fall
Even if you don’t find active evidence of pest activity, it’s important to know which pests are hoping to take up residence in your greenhouse and how to proactively (or reactively) keep them out through the remainder of the winter.
Below is a list of the most common winter pests and ways to protect your greenhouse and product throughout the season.
RODENTS
While rodents are technically a year-round pest, and therefore do not overwinter, they will still attempt to migrate indoors when temperatures drop outdoors – their desire to seek warmth and safety in shelter is strong, and they’ll want to be closer to readily available food sources. The rodent’s body structure allows them to squeeze through openings much smaller than their body size, so sealing up any cracks, holes or crevices at the base of your greenhouse is critical to keeping them out.
BIRDS
Non-migratory birds seek warmth and shelter to survive in the winter. You may find bird nests inside of your greenhouse, or these types of birds may nest on the outside or edge of your structure and gain entry into the greenhouse whenever possible or necessary. Ensure that all vents or openings in your greenhouse stay sealed for the winter. If they must be open for
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Other insects such as wasp queens, stinkbugs and more, can migrate into the greenhouse.
airflow, confirm that a properly secured mesh screen is in place over the opening to impede birds from nesting inside.
OTHER INSECTS
Other insects to look out for in the winter months include stinkbugs, particularly the brown mamorated stinkbug, boxelder bugs, cluster flies, ladybugs and wasp queens. All these insects will try to migrate inside your greenhouse as they look for the warmth and shelter used to keep growing plants alive and flourishing. The best defence against insects is indeed a good offence – you want to stop them from ever getting inside your greenhouse. In the early fall, inspect the exterior of the building for exclusion and identify potential entry points – such as gaps, holes and cracks in walls around utility lines or intakes, window frames or vents. Seal and insect-proof accordingly. With the help of a professional pest control provider, perform an exterior perimeter repellent or residual treatment around the building to create a buffer zone that will prevent the insects from going inside. Spot treat potential exterior entry points that cannot be insect proofed. Inspect everything you bring into your greenhouse to ensure insects are not hitchhiking inside.
NEXT STEPS
Knowing what pests to look out for in your greenhouse this winter goes a long way to help you avoid unwelcomed guests.
If you find evidence of rodents, birds, and bugs, search the perimeter to check for any potential points of entry and seal them off as soon as possible. Contact your pest management provider to ensure they can properly handle the situation in conjunction with your overarching pest management plan.
As always, the best defence against pests is to work proactively with your pest management provider before the winter temperatures set in so you can start the season well prepared. Don’t forget to schedule an appointment with your pest management provider going into the spring so you are well prepared for peak pest season in the warmer months as well.
Alice Sinia, Ph.D. is quality assurance manager of regulatory/ lab services for Orkin Canada. For more information, email Alice at asinia@orkincanada.com or visit orkincanada.ca.
Silver Sponsor
IPM 2.0 The role of AI and robotics in pest management programs
As greenhouses continue to grow in size and human resources continue to dwindle, artificial intelligence and robotics fill a widening gap in the horticultural sector.
BY DR. SABER MIRESMAILLI
Since its inception in the 1950s, the concept of integrated pest management (IPM) has revolved around defining acceptable levels of pests and diseases and preventative cultural practices. Typically, this has involved extensive monitoring and record-keeping, mechanical and biological control of pests & diseases and if necessary, responsible use of pesticides, preferably in limited areas. This core philosophy is still relevant today but since the 1950s, the size of operations has changed dramatically and with that, the size of the problem.
There was a time when we had fewer greenhouses and enough people to manage them, but the number of greenhouses has increased globally yet the level of human resources has not increased at the same rate. In these operations, knowledgeable humans cannot be everywhere at once and things can get out of hand. Couple that with limitations posed by plant viruses and the global pandemic, access to plants and farms is even more limited now than it was a few years ago.
This is where technology can help.
Over the past two decades, robots and automation, and more recently AI and machine learning, have entered farms and greenhouses. While some areas have fully embraced these technologies (i.e., sorting machines based on computer vision, automatic trollies, climate computers, irrigation management) some areas are still in their early stages of research and development (e.g. robots for harvesting, de-leafing and plant lowering).
see on a piece of paper or simply memorizing and discussing them with their managers.
At a minimum, monitoring applications use mediums such as phones or tablets to record and digitize human observations. Some allow the user to snap and save a picture along with their notes. These apps can create a digital archive of human observations, and their records can be used to generate historical trends. They can facilitate some administrative aspects of IPM record-keeping, but these applications entirely rely on human input.
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A crop yield assessment feature. The camera analyzes the colour of the tomatoes to determine ripeness, estimating yield in the next 10-14 days. This data can be collected year over year or crop over crop for comparison.
Technologies supporting IPM are more mature in comparison. As many know, monitoring is essential for IPM success, and many applications can now digitize human observations on the ground. The conventional practice consists of humans walking the crop, recording their location, and jotting down what they
The second tier of monitoring technologies consists of sensors and cameras that passively or actively collect information from the crops to determine the health of the plants. These technologies range from high-resolution visible RGB to thermal, infra-red, multispectral, hyperspectral and UV cameras, as well as climate, chemical, and electrophysiological sensors. The
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A sample dashboard of IPM management software. It shows hot spots for infestations and areas affected in the greenhouse over time. The darker the colour, the greater the infestation.
sensory data and imaging information is usually coupled with a machine learning/ AI engine that either flags anomalies in the data sets or detects specific patterns or objects. Some of these platforms capture the data and send it to the cloud for further analytics and some use edge computing (data processed live on a chip) based on CPU or GPU to provide
real-time analytics. All these technologies require extensive training and a model monitoring platform to ensure their accuracy and performance are maintained. These cloud-based systems must address connectivity and bandwidth available on the farm as well as data security and privacy matters.
Most farms are in rural areas where
high-speed internet is not available. Therefore, alternative solutions such as edge-based tech are a better fit compared to cloud-based solutions because they depend less on high-speed internet. Since, in edge-based technologies, the data stays on the farm, the possibility of hacking, data leaks and cyber-security breaches is significantly lower compared to cloud-based solutions where data is broadcasted beyond the farm.
The third tier of solutions combine the digitization of human observations with automatic data collection through a series of sensors and cameras. They offer a comprehensive and holistic description of verified pests and status of diseases in the greenhouse. Equipped with edge computing, these solutions can produce real-time risk alerts. Furthermore, these solutions can provide outbreak projections and predictions.
No matter what tier of technology is used for monitoring pests and diseases, one must use the incoming data to formulate a proper course of action and treatment to fix the problem. This is
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Through this virtual crop walk, an owner or operator can look at the rows being scouted, as well as note any structural damages to plants or the greenhouse itself. It allows the user to zoom in as well.
also an area where technology can significantly help growers. Using IPM analytics and additional measurements such as micro-climate, physiological state of the crop, pest and disease threshold levels, and age of the crop, AI systems can calculate the most optimized course of action that provides the best control for the lowest price.
But this is not the end. Even if accurate information is gleaned through good monitoring and the most optimized treatment is prescribed, one still needs to administer the treatment properly, in the right place, while following the correct instructions to
achieve the desired results. This is yet another area where robots can help. Robotic sprayers have been in the market for more than a decade and now alternative solutions such as UV-C treatments, biopesticide sprayers and robotic systems for dispersal of biological control agents are becoming commercially available. We even have technologies that physically remove pests from the greenhouse, such as giant vacuums and moth-killing drones.
Combining all these technologies provides an opportunity for a new age of IPM programs where an end-to-end solution can be offered as a service. As a first step, growers should first
determine their operational needs, their specific issues of interest, and their budgets. Service providers can then put together a package that consists of the right monitoring technologies, prescription algorithms and treatment platforms that take care of the problem. Human knowledge and influence will still be part of this new system, but the sheer size of the operation or its geographical location shouldn’t be limiting factors.
The human expert should still have the option to veto the machine’s recommendations and adjust them based on their insights or other considerations. The digital nature of these platforms and their ability to verify the effectiveness of a certain decision will allow growers to perform micro-experiments and fine-tune their knowledge while keeping a large crop clean and pest- and disease-free. The best way to ensure AI and robots can help and benefit your operations is to invest in a very knowledgeable IPM manager who can train and utilize these technologies and if necessary, overwrite their recommendations. In the same way that most sophisticated and technologically advanced airplanes still need a human pilot to fly, the most advanced platforms for IPM still need a human supervisor.
Every year, more pesticide products are removed from horticulture’s IPM arsenal and every year, we are faced with new pests and diseases. Consumers are demanding pesticide-free food; retailers have higher standards and use cosmetic damage as grounds for returning produce. And well, there is this pandemic that we all want to go away but won’t! In this environment, IPM tech is no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a necessity.
Whether you go all in and invest in the full fleet of robots and AI or do the bare minimum of digitizing your practice through apps, it’s important to take action now to remain on top of your game and future-proof your operation.
Saber Miresmailli, PhD, is a former greenhouse grower, Canada Clean50 Leader, Top 40 under 40, award-winning biologist/ IPM specialist and the founder and CEO of ecoation, a company with headquarters in British Columbia and offices in Ontario, Brazil, India, and Belgium that focuses on AI and robotics in horticulture. He can be reached at saber@ecoation.com. CLASSIFIED
INSIDE VIEW
GARY JONES | Gary.Jones@kpu.ca
Murphy’s Law
When COVID-19 hit hard in early 2020, growers faced issues driven by government lockdowns to reduce transmission of the virus. The full implications of this action took some time to really come to fruition, but the challenge has, or already is, more one of a regular management change to a new ‘norm’ from its original sudden nightmare. Not so with the unbelievable flooding in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley caused by an initial ‘atmospheric river’ over one weekend around November 14-15, followed by a series of several more some 7 to 15 days later. For many individuals, the filling of the Sumas flood basin caused loss of homes, property and livelihoods. The initial massive downpour saturated soils and broke flood defences, and for the wider population caused untold damage to the vitally important infrastructure of roads, railways, gas pipelines, electrical lines and many other ‘taken-for-granted’ services. Of course, there is no good or better time for this to happen, but for growers of seasonal Christmas lines, the timing could hardly have been worse: poinsettias and Christmas added-value planters had consumed all their expenses. They should have been providing growers with income, but sat on pack-house floors unable to be shipped because of drastically ruptured transport systems. One grower told me he had nine semi-trucks scheduled for deliveries one day, but managed to only get three out between intermittent highway closures. And the cost of that trucking skyrocketed, making it debatable if it was even worth doing. But the impact of not supplying big box customers is an equally difficult pill to swallow in the long term. I asked how it compared to COVID, and his response was ‘way worse, off the charts worse.’ Similarly, for our agricultural colleagues, fields upon fields of cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other kale crops just reaching maturity for winter sales were thrown away – sitting in contaminated water for several weeks clearly made them unsaleable. And livestock farmers were hit very hard, with over 400,000 poultry, hogs and cattle lost. Heartbreaking is an understatement. The radio was saying many farmers are likely to
take this opportunity to try and get out altogether, especially as we have an aging farming community.
A couple of weeks before the B.C. floods, I happened to visit a fabulous nursery right in the heart of the Sumas basin: flood ground zero. With four great sites, they have a diverse range of products and several specialised production departments. One of the rapidly expanding areas of their business is retail online orders/delivery. Not surprisingly, this has exploded during COVID, as people look for purchases with easy home delivery. But when your business becomes an island, how does one manage that? Staff still need to pick orders, pack boxes, and arrange for pick-up; parcel carriers need to be able to get to you. Even this ‘new’ retail practice already seems vulnerable.
They sat on packhouse floors, unable to be shipped.
Of course, nothing is a sure bet. There is always going to be risk. That’s part and parcel (no pun intended) of being an entrepreneur running your own horticultural business. I suppose we could encourage more people to grow their own plants at home, and we have seen a vast uptick in ‘COVID Gardeners’ over the past couple of years. But that doesn’t work for everybody, and there is always going to be demand for the high quality plants and produce grown by professional growers. As for vegetables, there are many options now for growing herbs and leafy veg right in supermarket stores for direct retail. Check out ‘Infarm,’ for example (Infarm.com).
Alternative delivery methods such as drones (UAVs) are being trialed for many applications. If it’s good enough for delivering hearts and other human donor organs between hospitals, surely it is good enough for delivering plants, flowers and vegetables. With further automation and A.I., we’re probably not far off from having robots receive and sort the orders, pack shipping boxes and set these out for drones to pick up and deliver. Somebody is going to tell me they’re already doing it. Technology to the rescue – what could go wrong?
Gary Jones is a faculty member in the School of Horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, BC. He sits on several industry committees and welcomes comments at Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.
ENHANCING YEAR-ROUND TOMATO PRODUCTION WITH A REFINED LIGHTING STRATEGY
Guido van het Hof knew his greenhouse could do more. Grow more. A student of plant science, van het Hof and his team at Great Northern Hydroponics have been growing more than 10 varieties of tomatoes in Ontario, Canada, for more than 20 years. For van het Hof, decades of greenhouse experience have demonstrated the benefits of assimilation lighting, but could tradition be enhanced in the quest to optimize the farm’s more than 20 million pounds of tomatoes per year? After installing Fluence’s VYPR solution with broad R4 spectra across 10 acres of his tomato glasshouse, van het Hof was able to increase production and save on energy costs.
Visit www.fluence.science/case-studies or scan our QR code to learn more.
