Vineland is offering practical application tips and tricks, information on new technologies and how it all fits within an overall IPM program. | 24
Editorial 4
Industry News 6
New Varieties 8
Business Issues 10
Teambuilding: here are three common approaches – and why they often don’t work.
Technology Issues 12 U of Guelph studying a promising new option for pepper weevil control.
Grower Day preview 18 Up for discussion next month? The seven habits of highly effective growers.
24 28 34
Designing an IPM program
Vineland begins six-part series on thrips.
The results of our sixth annual Grower Survey: another solid year for the industry. | 14
DRS. ROSE BUITENHUIS AND MICHAEL BROWNBRIDGE
Thrips control
Making the case for mass trapping.
Biocontrol trends
What are some of the new items being added to the IPM toolkit.
DR. SARAH JANDRICIC
BY GARY JONES
‘Good’ and ‘bad’ news in survey
The industry remains quite vibrant. Not everyone is celebrating record-setting years, but most growers we’ve heard from have been satisfied with their sales and prices.
But it’s not all “blue skies” and “clear sailing.” There are some unsettling conditions that need monitoring, but more of that later; first the good news.
This issue includes our sixth annual Grower Survey. Echoing surveys of the past few years, respondents remain generally quite positive. Sales in 2016 were up over 2015, and many growers were eyeing price hikes this year.
The year-over-year sales growth was impressive, with 23 per cent registering increases of more than 10 per cent, and a further 32 per cent with increases of between five and 10 per cent.
noted by the recently released report Agriculture 2025: How the Sector’s Labour Challenges Will Shape its Future research by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC).
“The gap between labour demand and the domestic workforce in agriculture has doubled from 30,000 to 59,000 in the past 10 years and projections indicate that by 2025, the Canadian agri-workforce could be short workers for 114,000 jobs,” noted the report authors. “Among commodities, the ‘greenhouse, nursery and floriculture’ industry will continue to have the largest labour gap. With an expected gap of 27,000 workers in 2025, this commodity group will account for nearly one-quarter of the sector’s labour gap.”
Account Coordinator MARY BURNIE mburnie@annexweb.com
Most respondents are raising prices, and that’s always positive news. Only 27 per cent said they were holding the line this year; the remainder are implementing hikes of “more than 10 per cent” (six per cent), “between five and 10 per cent (15 per cent), and “less than five per cent” (52 per cent).
The cap and trade cloud was – at press time – still looming over the Ontario greenhouse sector. Unlike colleagues in British Columbia and Alberta, who have 80 per cent rebates from their governments, Ontario growers have not yet been
One estimate pegs cost of cap and trade at about $6,200 per acre.
Electricity price concerns were raised in the survey, with almost a third of respondents listing it as the input cost that rose the most in 2016 compared to 2015. One growth area for virtually all growers is in extending the growing seasons, especially for vegetable growers. That means lighting, and electricity rates will influence those decisions.
Labour costs came second. The need to automate where possible has never been greater. But there is a bigger problem looming, as
offered similar assistance. One estimate pegs the cost at about $6,200 per acre. That’s a tough cost to try to pass on to customers.
But there is a silver lining, of sorts, that has been introduced in the province. In late March, the $19 million Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative was announced by the Ontario government.
Even with its many hurdles, the industry is more than holding its own. It remains a jewel of Canadian horticulture. And the more that policymakers understand that, the more the industry will grow.
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Grower Day at IOBC Canada 2017
Mark the date: the Grower Session of IOBC Canada 2017 will be held on June 7.
The program will be held from 12:30 until 5 at the Marriott on the Falls hotel in Niagara Falls. The cost is $25, with lunch included.
As the website notes: “The Grower Session is a program geared specifically toward providing growers the opportunity to discuss pest issues and research needs with the world’s leading greenhouse
researchers.”
The International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) is a global organization of biological control workers that promotes environmentally safe methods of pest and disease control.
IOBC Canada 2017 runs June 4-8. The conference was last hosted in Canada in 2002 in British Columbia. For more information, visit the conference website at iobccanada2017.ca.
NEW WEBSITE FOR NGB
National Garden Bureau, the non-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to marketing the horticulture industry, has launched a newly redesigned, consumerfocused website at www.ngb.org.
Key features of the new website include:
• A new “Inspiration” blog.
• Social media feed imbeds.
• A new tagline/focus of: Inspire, Connect,
Grow.
• A bright, clean attractive design incorporating the look of NGB’s new watercolour logo.
• An enhanced user experience and simplified navigation.
• Mobile friendly, responsive design.
As NGB continues on a growth pattern and quickly adopts industry and communication trends, this website will accommodate new programs to highlight
members and their products through the introduction of new promotional activities. The primary programs highlighted on the landing page include:
• New Plants, both edibles and ornamentals.
• “Year of …” (for 2017 it’s Brassica, Daffodil, Pansy and Rose).
• Shop Our Members; featuring NGB members who sell direct to consumers.
• Garden Products.
• Therapeutic Garden Grant.
National Garden Bureau, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to disseminate basic instructions for home gardeners.
National Garden Bureau has also taken an active role in supporting therapeutic gardens through fundraising and grants.
BY
THE NUMBERS
13%
$27.5 B of all fruit and vegetable sales are organic.
Global exports of cut flowers, cut foliage, living plants and flower bulbs in 2013, compared to $11.4B in 2001. (Rabobank)
431 MILLIGRAMS of potassium in one large tomato, about 10 percent of your daily requirement.
15% The percentage of Colombian cut flower exports that were shipped by sea. (Rabobank)
B6
45 157% Bell peppers contain vitamin B6, which is essential for the health of the nervous system and helps renew cells.
9000
Number of years bell peppers have been cultivated, originally in South and Central America.
Number of calories in a cup of bell peppers: Daily requirement of Vitamin C from a cup of raw bell pepper:
33% Daily requirement of Vitamin C from one cup of raw tomatoes.
RODENT CONTROL trapped like rats » They’ll be
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GREAT PALATABILITY BAITS
• Low or no wax formulations
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Celosia Sunday® Gold
The Sunday series is the first professional cut version of the popular plume-shaped celosia. Its full plumes and long, strong stems enhance high-end retail mixed bouquets. The short programmable production time and high yield make it ideal for high-density programs. Sunday has excellent shipability and vase life. New ‘Sunday Gold’ has a brighter yellow-gold colour than ‘Sunday Yellow.’ Best for greenhouse and high tunnel production. panamseed. com/cut-flowers.aspx
Mattiola Aida Apricot
Bred for specific seasonal performance, the Aida series offers an outstanding lineup of greenhouse-grown selectable matthiola for year-round production. Well matched for timing and plant performance. panamseed.com/cut-flowers.aspx
Confetti Garden® Safari Series
Introducing the beautifully innovative Confetti Garden® Safari series by Dümmen Orange. Headlined with the richly textured new Great Falls Coleus series, Safari has been tested across North America for matched vigour and habit with excellent results. Looking ahead, 2018 is the year we reinvent Confetti Garden®. na.dummenorange.com
Dianthus Sweet Deep Pink Maxine
Sweet Dianthus offer year-round production – no vernalization needed. This top-notch filler series features large, fragrant and long-lasting blooms on strong, straight stems. New ‘Deep Pink Maxine’ has a more intense colour than ‘Sweet Pink.’ Expect high yields of saleable stems; the series has excellent holdability. Suitable for production in the field. Best for greenhouse or high tunnel. panamseed.com/cut-flowers.aspx
Mathilda delivers the most uniform series on the market for habit and timing, with the best seed quality of any selectable matthiola. This series’ important upgrade assures more programmable production, higher production per square metre in the greenhouse and fewer losses. Best suited for greenhouse production. panamseed.com/cut-flowers.aspx
Snapdragon Cool Orange
The Cool series of cut flower is the best, most uniform winter-flowering snapdragon. Across the series and within each colour, Cool is matched for timing, height and spike quality. The plants have strong, sturdy stems on long, tight spikes. The tapers are long and colourful. Best produced under cool conditions – a dependable harvest during cool months. Ideal for greenhouse and high tunnel production. panamseed.com/cut-flowers.aspx
Superbena® Royale Romance Verbena
For designers looking for just the right shade of red that falls between the fire engine red blossoms of ‘Royale Red’ and the purple blossoms of ‘Royale Plum Wine,’ there is ‘Royale Romance.’ Its deep red blossoms will remind you of red velvet cake or merlot as it blends seamlessly into jewel-toned combinations. You can expect the same exceptional resistance to powdery mildew as the rest of our popular Superbena line with ‘Royale Romance.’ Its beautiful blossoms are a bit smaller than typical Superbena but are bred to completely cover the canopy of dark green foliage all summer without going out of bloom, even in hot, dry climates. This plant makes a perfect 4” Grande™ but becomes a vigorously spreading plant for the consumer as it matures. It is an excellent spiller in combination planters and hanging baskets. Part sun to full sun. provenwinners.com
Matthiola Mathilda
When seeking the ideal balance between air porosity, drainage capacity and water retention, PRO-MIX HPCC MYCORRHIZAE is the solution growers select. With unique chunk coir reducing soil compaction and carefully selected peat moss, this formulation provides qualities promoting growth and offering a delicate, well-calculated control over the growing environment. PRO-MIX HPCC MYCORRHIZAE will give growers what they need to optimize the quality of their hanging baskets and long-term crops.
Better teambuilding
Here are three common approaches – and why they often don’t work
Over the many years that I’ve helped teams strengthen trust with their customers and co-workers, I’ve discovered that typical approaches to enhancing teamwork not only don’t work –they’re actually counter-productive. Here are three common approaches to strengthening teamwork, and why you should take a different approach to
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Teamwork is a byproduct of your efforts to create a culture obsessed with delighting customers.
building stronger bonds within your team.
Forced socializing: Employers often assume that staff will build stronger bonds by getting to know each other better socially, so once or twice a year they host a company picnic or seasonal dinner. These events may be great for social butterflies, but they’re agony for introverts. At a forced social event like a company-wide dinner, people tend to sit with workplace friends (so they don’t have to work so hard at small talk). Meanwhile, shy ones will be wondering how soon they can leave without being rude. If your real goal is to reward employees (as opposed to building teamwork), ask everyone if they’d prefer to either have a pizza lunch brought in several times a year or have one fancy sit-down dinner in December. I guarantee pizza will win. Managers are wise to think of company-supplied meals as the perks they are – but not as team builders.
Obstacle courses: A more novel approach to
enhancing teamwork is to take the staff off-site for a “team building event,” such as an obstacle course, paint-ball battleground, or fire-walk. The theory is that since people will be making group-decisions under pressure, there will be lessons in group dynamics and overcoming obstacles. The reality is for some people these lessons are more than offset by the shame and resentment they feel because they lack physical prowess, or because they appear to be overly timid.
Sensitivity Training: There are a plethora of courses to train employees on how to be more inclusive and more aware of how their words and actions may inadvertently offend others. These are indeed worthwhile; particularly where you’ve had incidents of workplace bullying or harassment. What these courses won’t do, however, is get to the core of why certain employees don’t understand that their coworkers are in fact their (internal) customers; and treat them as such.
The solution – focus on the real goal: On a men’s pro hockey team, imagine the potential that exists among teammates for rivalries and conflicts. These gifted athletes have learned from boyhood that they are (physically at least) superior. When they play on opposite teams, a single offhand remark can literally lead to fisticuffs. Yet when they play on the same team, these individuals set their differences (and their potentially massive egos) aside, because they all share a common purpose –to win games.
Similarly in your workplace, when employees are so focused on achieving their goal – delighting internal and external customers – they no longer have time to be distracted by minor interpersonal issues.
Trying to enhance teamwork is like trying to fall asleep. You can’t (and shouldn’t) force it. Teamwork is not a goal – it is a byproduct of your organization creating a culture that is obsessed with delighting customers. You end up with devoted customers and reduced conflicts. The bottom line is this – managers achieve a more motivated and cooperative workforce when they focus less on teamwork itself, and more on delighting customers and coworkers.
Jeff Mowatt is a customer service strategist, Hall of Fame speaker, and bestselling author. For more tips, training tools or to inquire about engaging him for your team visit www.JeffMowatt.com.
Studying pepper weevil control
U of G, Bruce Power and Nordion team up for research using Cobalt-60
A high-tech form of insect birth control connected to nuclear power could solve a devastating pest problem for Ontario farmers, says a University of Guelph researcher.
Bruce Power, the world’s largest operating nuclear facility located in Tiverton, Ont., and Nordion, a global health science company that provides
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The cobalt rods spend up to two years in Bruce Power’s nuclear reactors.
market-leading products used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, is supporting a multi-year study led by U of G Professor Cynthia Scott-Dupree on sterilizing pepper weevils using Cobalt-60.
The researchers hope to control pepper weevils, which can burrow into farmed peppers and destroy them from the inside.
“It is very difficult to control these insects when they are hidden inside the pepper,” Scott-Dupree explained.
Cobalt-60, which is produced in four of Bruce Power’s eight nuclear reactors, is used for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which could be a powerful strategy for controlling the weevil, said Scott-Dupree, of the U of G’s School of Environmental Sciences.
“We want to move away from insecticide as much as possible, and SIT provides us another tool in our pest management toolbox,” she says. “It fits
well with biological control programs that growers already have established in their greenhouses. While no strategy is 100 per cent effective, using nuclear energy to sterilize insects is an environmentally friendly method of controlling these pests. There is no danger of the pepper weevils spreading any radiation following sterilization, so it is also safe for people.”
Scott-Dupree, the Bayer CropScience chair in Sustainable Pest Management at U of G, will send pepper weevils to Nordion, an Ottawa-based supplier of medical isotopes and gamma technologies, which receives its Cobalt-60 from Bruce Power. Gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 will sterilize the insects before they are released to mate normal, unsterilized pepper weevils in greenhouses.
“We will only release pepper weevils that have all the attributes of normal, unsterilized weevils, except that they are sterile,” says Scott-Dupree. “When they mate, the eggs will not be viable, no progeny results and the pest population will decrease.”
Pioneered in the 1950s, SIT has been successfully used to control the codling moth, a pest of apples, in the Okanagan Valley in B.C. since 1992. Scott-Dupree has also recently conducted research that has found that SIT has potential to control American serpentine leafminer, an insect pest that feeds primarily on chrysanthemums.
“This innovative research could improve Ontario’s agricultural sector by reducing the impact of pests on produce, while also providing a possible gateway to the future of farming,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s president and CEO.
Scott-Dupree and her team plan to determine the optimum radiation dosage that ensures the sterilization of pepper weevils before testing SIT releases in greenhouses.
“The study will take some time, but the potential it has makes it worthwhile,” she said. “It is exciting to think of all the benefits this study could mean for farmers, Ontario’s economy and the environment.”
“We are excited to see a technology like SIT, which has had wide and successful application in other areas of the world, help us here in Ontario,” said Ian Downie, vice-president of Gamma Technologies at Nordion. “Our partnership with Bruce Power helps us support these kinds of scientific advances using Cobalt-60.”
THE SURVEY SAYS: Another good year for growers
Sixth annual Grower Survey finds higher sales in 2016 along with strong profit margins for many respondents…and a good dose of optimism for the current year.
BY DAVE HARRISON
Combine anecdotal feedback from growers mingling at industry events with results from our sixth annual Grower Survey, simmer and stir, and you’ve got a recipe for another fairly successful year (2016) in the commercial greenhouse sector.
Sales were solid, or at least above average for many, and the weather last year was largely on the side of growers.
Energy costs are becoming an issue, as growers tend to use lighting to extend the season and serve new markets. Electricity costs in most regions have been rising. Helping buffer those challenges is the fact natural gas prices remain at relatively low levels, and the pundits are calling for this trend to continue for some time. But cap and trade (or carbon taxes) costs are coming into play; the impact is now being felt and will be reflected, no doubt, in next year’s survey.
Our survey is far from scientific, and provides only a cursory glimpse of what’s going on in the sector. (Numbers in brackets are percentages. All numbers are rounded off.)
Who filled out this year’s survey?
About half were wholesale growers, followed by vegetable growers (23 per cent), retail growers (20), and seven per cent were in propagation.
And where are they from? Ontario represented 60 per cent of the respondents, followed by British Columbia (19), Alberta (9) and Saskatchewan (7). We also had respondents in New Brunswick (2), Nova Scotia (2), and Quebec (2).
What are the “Primary” crops represented in the survey? Some 27 per cent grow “Greenhouse Vegetables,” while about 22 per cent grow “Ornamental Bedding Plants” and a similar percentage grow “Flowering Potted Plants.” Rounding out the survey were “Perennials” (seven), “Herbs and Vegetables as Bedding/Container Plants” (five), “Fresh Cut Flowers” (five), “Trees” (three). Filling out the list were “Tropicals,” “Woody Ornamentals,” and “Plugs and Propagation Material.”
Size of operations: As in the previous five surveys, most of those taking part have smaller operations. About a third were less than 50,000 square feet, with 13 per cent between 50,000 and 100,000, and a further 13 per cent were between 500,00 and a million square feet. At 11 per cent each were those operations in the range of 100,001 to 200,000, and 201,000 to 350,000 square feet, while about nine per cent of respondents had between 350,001 and 500,000 square feet. About 11 per cent were over one million square feet.
Serving which market: On the question “Who Is Your Primary Customer,” 21 per cent listed “Own Retail Shop,” followed
Among “minor” crops grown were: “Herbs and Vegetables as Bedding/Container Plants” (45 per cent); “Flowering Potted Plants” (36); “Ornamental Bedding Plants” (32); “Greenhouse Vegetables” (25); “Perennials” (25); “Foliage” (19); “Plugs and Propagation Material” (19); and “Fresh Cut Flowers,” “Woody Ornamentals,” and “Trees,” all at about 11 per cent. (Respondents could select more than one “minor” crop.)
Sales up or down: Last year was definitely a good year for most respondents with 23 per cent having year-over-year sales increases of more than 10 per cent, and 32 per cent recording increases of between five and 10 per cent. Thirteen per cent had sales up by less than five per cent, while 23 per cent had 2016 sales levels that were about the same as 2015. Only eight per cent had lower sales in 2016.
Taking a look back three years ago, growers listed the following margins: Over 20 per cent (eight per cent); 11-19 per cent (16); five to 10 per cent (33); less than five per cent (6); no profit margin (12); and “Do Not Know” (24 per cent).
Sales forecasts: Again, on the question of sales forecasts for this year, only one per cent of respondents say they’ll have lower
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About 27 per cent of respondents listed “vegetables” as their primary crop.
levels in 2017. Thirty-nine per cent are eyeing a stand-pat year, while of those anticipating increases, 31 per cent are hoping for hikes of up to 10 per cent, while 29 per cent are looking at increases of over 10 per cent.
Crop threats: We were also curious about pests and disease pressures in each quarter of 2016 compared to 2015, with the following feedback.
• Early Season of January through March: Worse in 2016 (Pests – 11 per cent, Diseases – seven ); About The Same (Pests – 70, Diseases – 76); and Not As Bad (Pests – 19, Diseases – 17).
• Spring (April through June): Worse in 2016 (Pests – 22 per cent, Diseases – 11); About The Same (Pests – 54, Diseases – 74); and Not As Bad (Pests – 24, Diseases – 15).
• Summer (July through September): Worse in 2016 (Pests – 24 per cent, Diseases – nine); About The Same (Pests – 63, Diseases –78; and Not As Bad (Pests – 13, Diseases – 13).
• Autumn (October through December): Worse in 2016 (Pests – 17 per cent, Diseases – seven ); About The Same (Pests – 65, Diseases – 83); and Not As Bad (Pests – 17, Diseases – 11).
Labour: There was a slight increase in employment, with 20 per cent having increases of up to 10 per cent last year, while five per cent welcomed more than 10 per cent. Seventy per cent held staffing levels to those of 2015, while about five per cent saw decreases of less than five per cent.
Off-shore workers remain an important resource for the industry, with a little more than a third of respondents (36 per cent) employing off-shore workers.
Looking ahead to this year, there will be a modest gain in employment from among our respondents. Most (68 per cent) are maintaining employment levels, while 25 per cent are anticipating staffing increases of up to 10 per cent.
Investing in facilities/equipment: Our respondents reported little expansion last year, with only 18 per cent citing projects of 10,000 square feet or less. Some 76 per cent did not have projects last year.
On the question of “Investing in New Equipment/Technology in 2016,” about 27 per cent had nothing to report. However, there were new installations/replacements at a number of greenhouses. Twenty-three per cent invested more than $100,000, while 14 per cent had $25,000 to $100,000 in purchases, and an additional 14 per cent spent $5,001 to $10,000. Nine per cent invested between $10,001 and $25,000, seven per cent spent $5,000 or less, and another seven per cent spent $1,000 or less.
Business threats and opportunities: We asked about “Business Threats in the Coming 3-5 Years.” Leading the way was “Energy Costs,” followed by “Market/Prices.” Rounding out the top three was “Taxes/Regulations.” The other threats included “Labour Shortage,” “Currency Fluctuations,” and “Imported Competition.”
On the question of “Business Opportunities in the Coming 3-5 Years,” it was virtually a dead heat among “Non-Traditional Products,” “Buy Local Movement” and “Organic/Green Products. All three are definitely strong contenders. Finishing a little behind the pack this year was “Export Markets.”
Pricing forecasts: A good indication of market confidence are pricing forecasts. Among survey respondents, the majority are hiking prices, with only 27 per cent holding the line. Of those increasing prices, 52 per cent are making adjustments of less than five per cent, while 15 per cent are looking at hikes of between five and nine per cent and six per cent are increasing by more than 10 per cent.
Thanks to all growers who participated this year, and we look forward to reconnecting next January…and hopefully to equally positive survey results.
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2017 GROWER
$1,000,001 - $3M
•
•
•
DAY SURVEY
FUELS
The seven habits of highly effective growers
They’re no different than the habits of other successful professionals.
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
This year’s Grower Day (June 21) is focusing on what we view as the top seven issues that are not just important but are essential to the long-term viability of any greenhouse operation. I know there are many more issues but due to time limitations we only focusing on the following topics:
• Which greenhouse operations will thrive in the year 2025?
• Where we stand with LED lighting?
• Greenhouse future labour.
• Water treatment systems.
• Ingredients of a successful family business.
• Modern marketing.
• Mechanization and effective efficiencies.
I will expand on these topics, but before I do I’d like to discuss the essential habits people need to effectively communicate and interact with other people, and these are the seven habits of highly effective people.
The common characteristics of highly effective growers are no different than the characteristics
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of successful doctors, engineers, carpenters or teachers. The principles are flexible enough to apply to any profession as long as you are aware of them and put them prominently in everything you are doing and, more importantly, share them with your employees and peers.
Here are the principles from the book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by FranklinCovey (www.franklincovey.com) and how we can apply them as owners, growers and employees working in an effective greenhouse operation. The “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” program of FranklinCovey is one of the best investments you can make in helping employees achieve their full potential.
Habit 1 – Be Proactive: The most effective way to do a job is to do it right the first time. This requires research, observation and visiting other people who have already done this specific project to try to learn from their mistakes and their successes. The thriving companies are the ones
Grower Day features morning and afternoon sessions. (FILE PHOTO)
that most of the time prevent problems and do not have many problems to solve.
Habit 2 – Begin With The End in Mind: With any task you are doing, know your goal and how you are planning to achieve it. Make your production schedule based on what your customers want, not what you like to grow. Always have the end consumer in mind. It is very important to work with your customers and ensure the end consumer is priority number one.
Habit 3 – Put First Things First: For
any greenhouse operation to function properly, clear job descriptions need to be in place. It may be that one person is mainly responsible for a task, but all co-workers can help. Knowing what is expected and how to execute any function is essential for a smoothly running operation, especially if it is primarily a family business.
Habit 4 – Think Win-Win: For a business to thrive, everyone needs to be a winner, including the owners, managers, employees and especially the consumers.
Kills Powdery Mildew on Contact
If everyone is winning, you have a recipe for long-term success and a company that will thrive even after the year 2025!
Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood: The key for growth in any operation is the distribution of knowledge, from the manager/owner to the employees and vice-versa.
Habit 6 – Synergize: Synergy is always prevalent in any teamwork operation and this is carried out on all levels. Nothing tears apart a company more than when everyone is pulling in different directions.
Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw: Being successful means that you always have to look for a better way to run your operation. Search for the latest information – try it and adopt it or drop it.
Successful companies are always striving to do better. They are continuously looking for new ways to do things.
This has been the basis for Greenhouse Canada’s Grower Day over the years. The goal is to provide as much knowledge as possible. So this year, reflecting the “Seven Habits” theme, we are presenting seven topics that are high on the list of successful operations.
Which Greenhouse Operation Will Thrive in the Year 2025 (Melhem Sawaya): Greenhouse operators are farmers and they often take a gamble. They take big risks every time a decision is put into action. Even though this is the nature of the business, many steps can be taken to increase the odds of success.
Through my 39 years in the greenhouse industry I have seen many successful operations and some disasters … and many in between. The degree of success always reflects the foresightedness of the managers, who invariably also have an ability and willingness for effective planning.
In my presentation I am going to discuss:
• Setting goals.
• Establishing resources.
• Establishing goal related tasks.
• Establishing time lines.
• Being flexible.
• What is important.
Where We Stand with LED Lighting (Dr. Chevonne Carlow, OMAFRA): This presentation will include the latest information on LED lighting, to help you decide when you should be thinking about adopting this technology.
Meet Graham
In 12 years at FCC, Graham’s helped hundreds of Canadian producers build their dreams. Like everyone on your FCC team, Graham knows your industry and he’ll get to know you. 1-800-387-3232 fcc.ca
Graham Bolton FCC Senior Relationship Manager
Recognizing the next generation of the Greenhouse industry!
Greenhouse Canada’s annual search for young industry leaders is again underway! Canada is full of young, skilled knowledgeable people helping to drive the industry towards higher goals. From commercial growers and wholesalers to manufacturers, equipment suppliers and allied trades, they are the best and the brightest in our industry. Join us as we celebrate the future of greenhouse horticulture in Canada.
WHO CAN BE NOMINATED?
Anyone in the horticulture or associated industries who is under the age of 40 as of December 31, 2017. Equipment and technology suppliers welcome.
ALL NOMINEES SHOULD:
• demonstrate a strong work ethic
• show leadership and initiative
• actively seek new opportunities for training and education
• be involved in industry associations NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
To nominate someone to be recognized as one of the Top 10 Under 40, visit greenhousecanada.com/top-10-under-40 to fill out a nomination form. Nominations close on August 11th, 2017.
The Top 10 Under 40 will be featured in the November issue of Greenhouse Canada magazine.
Greenhouse Future Labour (Albert Grimm, of Jeffery’s Greenhouses): Where is the future labour pool for greenhouses, including general labourers, growers and managers? How do we keep the employees we have now and how do we attract the next generation? Whose responsibility is it? Grimm will outline his experiences and discuss what the ornamental sector is doing to raise the new generation that will take the industry into the future.
Water treatment systems (Shalin
Khosla, OMAFRA): This presentation will look at the many treatment systems available for water quality, including how each works, and their advantages and disadvantages. Khosla has experience with almost every type of water treatment used in the greenhouse vegetable sector where water sanitation is more rigorous due to the production practices. Which water treatment system will work best for you?
Ingredients of a Successful Farm Family Business (Jim
Meyers, of aMeyers Fruit Farms and Greenhouses): Learn how to make a family business work and be successful. It’s all about organization, responsibilities, teamwork and positive attitudes. Successful family businesses are continuously looking for new opportunities and are never stagnant. Meyers will stress how teamwork results in improved synergies – the alternative is chaos.
Modern Marketing (Will Heeman, of Heeman’s Garden Centre): Social media is essential in marketing your business successfully. But what are the keys to an effective social media program? Heeman will share his experiences and explain the key social media ingredients you can apply to your operation.
Cheer Up!
The Vincent series offers extra rings of rounded, overlapping and upward facing petals on strong stems and necks. Plus, pollenless flower heads and increased percentage of saleable stems are more reasons to smile.
Mechanization and Effective Efficiencies (Chris Newhouse, of Waldan Gardens): Labour efficiencies and quality products are the backbone of a thriving business. Mechanization is the most impact factor with ensuring both labour efficiencies and quality products. Waldan Gardens is always looking to to mechanize where they can.
Vincent’s
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Vincent Sunflower
I go back to my old saying about following the LALA theory, which stands for “Look, Ask, Listen, Act.” If you apply LALA, you are well on your way to thrive in 2025 and beyond. Next month’s Grower Day format is a good opportunity to practice this theory!
Grower Day will be held Wednesday, June 21, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites St. Catharines Conference Centre. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the talks begin at 9:15. A mini trade show will be set up with many leading industry suppliers. Pre-registration is available via greenhousecanada.com/grower-day, or register at the door. We hope to see you there.
Melhem Sawaya of Focus Greenhouse Management is a consultant and research coordinator to the horticultural industry –mel@focusgreenhousemanagement.com.
GROWER DAY AT A GLANCE
Registration: Online preregistration is encouraged via greenhousecanada.com/growerday/registration, or at the door beginning at 8:30 a.m. on June 21.
More Information: greenhousecanada.com/growerday, greenhouse@annexweb.com
Join us for a day of leading edge presentations on a variety of topical issues that are impacting – or will soon impact –your greenhouse business, and enjoy numerous networking opportunities with key industry suppliers and specialists.
WHERE DO WE STAND WITH LED CROP LIGHTING
Speaker: Dr. Chevonne Carlow, OMAFRA greenhouse floriculture specialist
THE FUTURE OF GREENHOUSE LABOUR
Speaker: Albert Grimm, Jeffery’s Greenhouses, St. Catharines, ON
Speaker: Will Heeman, Heeman Greenhouses and Strawberry Farm, Thorndale, ON
INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL FARM BUSINESS
Speaker: Jim Meyers, Meyers Farms & Flowers, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
MECHANIZATION AND EFFICIENCIES
Speaker: Chris Newhouse, Waldan Gardens, Wainfleet, ON
WHICH GREENHOUSE OPERATIONS WILL THRIVE IN THE YEAR 2025
Speaker: Melhem Sawaya, Focus Greenhouse Management, Simcoe, ON
DESIGNING Your Greenhouse IPM Program
Right control agents
Effective pest control
Right plant
There are many interactive variables that affect the growth of greenhouse crops, the incidence and impact of pests and diseases, and the performance of biological and chemical controls.
BY DRS. ROSE BUITENHUIS AND MICHAEL BROWNBRIDGE
In this six-part series of articles on thrips integrated pest management, we will provide practical application tips and tricks, information on new technologies and how it all fits within an overall IPM program. Each article will be accompanied by a short video demonstrating a technique or principle. The content of this series is based on research performed at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and is supplemented with ‘information from the field,’ contributed by colleagues using biocontrol strategies in greenhouse production. For more information on specific biocontrol agents or IPM in general, see www.greenhouseIPM.org.
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Right environment
PART 1. A CHECKLIST
The effective use of biologicals (bios) requires a different approach and philosophy than for chemicals. Biological control agents are better at preventing than curing pest and disease problems.
Use of tools such as ‘action thresholds,’ which guide the timing of pesticide sprays when pest populations reach a certain level, don’t work for biocontrol. Why? Because if you wait until these thresholds are reached before initiating a biocontrol strategy, it’ll be too late; pest populations will be too large to be brought under control
The ‘Systems Approach’: Utilizing different elements in plant production that collectively enable successful pest and disease control – plant, environment and control agents.
using a biological agent.
The efficient use of biocontrols requires different assumptions and timing of actions. In addition, rarely does one biological serve as a ‘stand-alone’ control agent; rather, they need to be deployed within a system that supports their success. This first article highlights key aspects of a pest management system and future content that will provide more detailed insights to the use of biocontrol, in particular for thrips.
THE SYSTEMS APPROACH
There are many interactive variables that affect the growth of greenhouse crops, the incidence and impact of pests and diseases, and the performance of biological and chemical controls. These include:
Different pests (and diseases) can be problematic at different stages of crop development, and at different times of year. Understanding of the effects these factors have on the plant, pests and their control agents, is essential to the production of a healthy crop, and successful management of pests and diseases. Since biological control agents are living organisms, they are directly affected by all of these changing factors. It is critical for a successful IPM program to understand how these organisms function efficiently and the issues that can impede their activity.
IPM FROM START TO FINISH
It is important to prevent insect and disease pressure from the very beginning of crop production. The best pest management plans start before young plants come into the greenhouse and are adapted to the different crop production stages. While an IPM program must be conceived and implemented for the entire production cycle, different approaches may be considered for different phases in the crop cycle.
Preparation: “Think before you act.” Take a critical look at the plant species and cultivars you are planning to grow, your fertilizer, irrigation schedules and general layout of the greenhouse. This will help identify potential problems. Part 2 of this series will go into more details, but here are some thoughts to keep in mind:
• What do you know about the plants you will be growing?
Are they attractive to pests? Are they susceptible to damage? If possible, select pest-resistant cultivars. If not, then use pestsusceptible cultivars as indicator plants for early warning in your scouting program and also group more easily damaged varieties together as a focus for your biocontrol releases.
• What do fertilizer and irrigation have to do with pest problems?
For certain crops, there is a direct link between the fertilizer rate and infestation by pests like thrips and aphids.
Although most greenhouse crops are on high-fertilizer regimes, not all plant species require these elevated rates. Research suggests that in some crops, fertilizers can be reduced by 33 to 75 per cent without affecting the quality of the finished plants, and reducing their susceptibility to pests.
As well, plants that are over-watered or water-stressed are more susceptible to pests. More research is needed to provide recommendations on balancing plant growth and pest resistance.
• Based on previous years, where are the trouble spots in your greenhouse operation?
Design the greenhouse layout so that (supposedly) clean
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plant material is kept separate from plants that are more likely to be infested.
Propagation: “Begin as you mean to go on.” Part 2 of this series will address the principle of starting clean. This is one of the basics of an IPM program and propagation is the ideal place to nip pest problems in the bud.
• How clean are your cuttings or plugs?
Pests travel the world on plant material, including propagative cuttings. Even if you are producing your own cuttings, you may be recycling your pest problems. Cutting dips can help reduce pest populations on propagative material and buy valuable time for bios to establish.
• Front-loading of bios: Propagation is the time to build up your ‘army’ of biocontrol agents.
Since plants are close to each other, only a small amount of product is needed to cover all plants. Some biocontrol agents, such as Dalotia (=Atheta) and soil predatory mites, will establish without the need for further releases, others will have to be released on a regular basis throughout the production cycle.
• At this stage, thrips biocontrol programs rely on predatory mites and biopesticides such as BotaniGard and Met52.
The performance of these biocontrol agents depends on how and where you apply them. Parts 3 and 4 of this series will be dedicated to this subject.
Production: When the plants are moved out of propagation into the production area, it is time to think about how pests get into this area of the greenhouse and how to continue the biocontrol program initiated during propagation, tweaking it where necessary. Needless to say, scouting is essential to determine if your strategy is working and to detect any unexpected visitors.
• Screening (see Part 2 of this series) and mass trapping (see Part 5 of this series) are two ways to deal with pests coming in from outside.
• For thrips biocontrol in production, predatory mites are still the best agents.
However, due to differences in plant spacing and environmental conditions, what worked in propagation may not perform as well in the production area. Part 4 of this series will address these differences and provide information on the choice of predatory mite species and formulation (e.g. bulk product vs. breeding sachets), and use of supplemental food. Biopesticides can still play a role (see Part 3 of this series). The predator Orius insidiosus may also be a good addition to the program, with or without banker plants (see Part 5 of the series).
• Inevitably, at some point during production, you will have to deal with a pest outbreak.
A few things should be checked while there is still time to adjust your IPM program. Remember that biocontrol agents can’t perform miracles, and that patience is required. Also, make sure to use the correct biocontrol agent for your outbreak through proper pest identification. Finally, it is important to check the quality of incoming biocontrol agents (see http://www.vinelandresearch.com/ sites/default/files/grower_guide_final_version.pdf) and to monitor their performance in the greenhouse.
• In some cases, one or more applications of pesticides are needed to bring pest levels down to a manageable level for bios, or to control a pest that can’t be controlled biologically.
Part 6 of this series will address the importance of choosing the pesticide that is most compatible with your biocontrol program and to consider targeted spot sprays.
Finishing: What to do when you are close to shipping and you still have too many pests in your crop? Luckily, there are a few
rescue options:
• If you still have a few weeks left before shipping, it may be worth increasing the release of biocontrol agents, or to add a different biocontrol agent to the mix.
Another option is to increase mass trapping. Every pest caught on a trap is one less on your crop. Again, you may not obtain instant results, but it may be just enough to tip the balance in your favour.
• Another common practice is to do one or two “clean-up sprays” of pesticides.
At this point in the production cycle, it is not as important anymore to ensure a compatibility with the biocontrol program, so there is a greater choice of products. An added bonus of maintaining a biocontrol program as long as possible, is that pests in the greenhouse have not been exposed to repeated applications of the same pesticides and are less likely to become resistant. More about this in Part 6 of this series.
Evaluation: When the last plant is shipped and the greenhouse is cleaned, it is time to evaluate the efficacy of the IPM program. Are you happy with the results? What worked and what didn’t? What needs improving? And most importantly: how much did it cost? This is one of the reasons why keeping records is so essential. You will be able to compare crops over multiple years and to decide where to invest your biocontrol budget for maximum results.
We hope you are looking forward to the next articles in this series. We always appreciate feedback, so if you have any suggestions for topics, or comments, please let us know (Rose.Buitenhuis@vinelandresearch. com; Michael.Brownbridge@vinelandresearch.com).
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THRIPS CONTROL: Making the Case for Mass Trapping
For the best results, tape and cards should be placed just above the crop canopy – this may mean periodically moving the traps to maintain optimal positioning.
BY DR. SARAH JANDRICIC
In Ontario, we continue to struggle with control of western flower thrips. Even those growers religiously using preventive, mite-based biocontrol programs can suddenly find themselves throwing out a significant portion of their crop due to visible damage.
Why does this happen? It’s hard to know for sure sometimes. But things like higher than usual numbers of thrips eggs in imported cuttings, hot dry weather (like we had this summer), or problems with mite sachets (such as quality issues or improper placement) can all lead to high thrips populations.
What is clear is that more than just predatory mites are needed to keep
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your biocontrol program consistent and stable. And one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do this is with mass trapping.
Mass trapping often consists of large sticky cards or long ribbons of sticky tape that attract and trap pests. Sticky traps can remove large numbers of adult thrips by intercepting them whenever they decide to fly – whether that’s when they first venture into your greenhouse, when they’re disturbed, or when they just decide to check out some plants on the next bench.
I can already hear some of you saying “But tape is messy and my workers hate it.” I get it – I do. But I’m still going to tell you that mass
Petal streaking caused by thrips feeding, which makes the plant unsellable.
trapping is worth every bit of annoyance it causes in terms of its contribution to thrips management. Remember, each thrips female can lay over 300 eggs her lifetime1, so removing any number of adults lightens the load on your biocontrol program.
Several studies demonstrate that using mass trapping effectively reduces the number of thrips in horticultural crops. One of the best examples is in strawberries produced under plastic. Here, the number of thrips averaged 6/flower with the existing IPM program (predatory mites, spinosad sprays), but dropped to <2/flower when sticky tape was added2. This corresponded to far lower thrips damage on fruit and increased grower returns.
My own research this past summer showed the staggering numbers of thrips mass trapping can remove from floriculture greenhouses in Ontario.
in your crop; one million fewer thrips causing feeding damage; and one million fewer thrips overwhelming your predatory mites.
It just makes sense that if you’re going to set up mass trapping, you might as well get the best bang for your buck. So which is the trap type is the most attractive to thrips?
In trials testing different colors and patterns of tape in commercial mum crops (both potted and cut;, the best treatment caught an average of > 150 thrips/2 feet of tape every week (see Fig. 4C). In just our small trial plots, we caught over 10,000 thrips from June to August.
Now, If we calculate this out to see how many thrips we could have removed over the summer if we’d put tape down all the post rows in a whole greenhouse compartment, we get over one million adult thrips. This is one million fewer thrips reproducing
We often hear that blue traps a) catch as many (or more!) thrips than yellow traps, and that b) blue traps will catch fewer flying biological control agents, helping preserve your bio programs for other pests. And now there’s new, patterned blue tape on the market that purports to catch even more thrips. But is any of this actually true in practice? Given that the scientific literature is all over the place on this one, I thought it was important to test this in Ontario greenhouses. Along with trials last summer, I tested this in preliminary trials this spring.
Test plots were set up in a commercial potted chrysanthemum operation and thrips catches on different traps were tracked over time. Studies indicate the specific hue of a trap (i.e. wavelength of light it reflects) is critical in thrips attraction, so it was important to test traps from multiple suppliers.
We also looked at beneficials trapped, as this greenhouse has
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Set-up of comparison between yellow and blue large sticky cards.
Sam Bourgeois, Agvocate Apple Producer
active banker plants of A. colemani and regularly releases Diglyphus and Atheta.
For two out of the three trap products, yellow caught more thrips - a LOT more thrips (Figs. 4A & C). Catches averaged from more than two-times more thrips on yellow vs. blue, to up to eight-times more thrips. However, with a third manufacturer, blue was actually better than yellow (Fig. 4B), but only slightly. Patterned blue tape wasn’t any better than regular blue tape in our tests (Fig. 4C)
Although yellow cards from multiple manufacturers caught more beneficials on average (Fig. 5A & B), the numbers were very low (<5 per card/week), which I doubt would have any negative impact on pest control outcomes. However, catches in warmer months might be more significant, and we need to look other natural enemies (e.g. whitefly parasitoids, Delphastus, etc.) before we have the full picture.
Figure 4. Average number of pest insects caught on yellow or blue traps. A.) Large yellow cards (40 x 25 cm) from Company “B” vs. large blue cards from Company “C” in preliminary tests in Spring 2017. B. Large yellow cards from Company “B” vs. large blue cards from Company “B” in preliminary tests in Spring 2017. C) Strips of yellow tape (40 x 25 cm) vs. plain blue tape vs. patterned blue tape, all from Company “A” tested in Summer 2016; results were confirmed in two other chrysanthemum greenhouses. There were 12-24 replicates (cards) for each trap type.
Figure 5. Average number of beneficial insects caught on large yellow trap cards versus blue trap cards (preliminary test conducted in Spring 2017). A) Yellow from Company “B” and blue from Company “C” were compared . B. Yellow from Company “B” and blue from Company “B” were compared. There were 12 cards of each colour.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Mass trapping has the ability to be a useful tool in IPM programs, removing thousands of thrips per week from your greenhouse. As for the “best” trap type, this question is far from answered. Considering the incredible variation in sticky trap manufacturing processes (glue, hue, trap type, size, etc.) a more in-depth trial is needed this summer to better control for these variables. Until we know more, plain yellow tape or cards may be your best bet (at least in terms of consistency) to reduce thrips. Yellow also has the benefit of trapping a lot more of other pests, like fungus gnats (Fig. 4) and whitefly.
However, it’s impossible to say that even our ``final`` results at the end of this summer will necessarily hold true across all crops, at all times of year, across all trap manufacturers. So, it’s a good idea to test more than one type of mass trapping device side-by-side in a quick comparison in your own facility.
For the best results, tape and cards should be placed just above the crop canopy– this may mean periodically moving the traps to maintain optimal positioning. Putting out enough traps is also a key factor in mass trapping. As an example, 120 large-size cards (four per bench) in a 15,000 sq.ft. zone (i.e. eight large cards/1000 sq.ft) has been a successful density in some commercial mum operations.
For more information on mass trapping – including trap plants and how pheromone lures can improve thrips catches even more – look for an upcoming article in Greenhouse Canada by Dr. Rose Buitenhuis.
I would like to thank the greenhouses , their staff, and the consultants that participated in this study.
References:
1Loomans, van Lenteren, Tommasini, Maini and Riudavets. 1995. Biological control of thrips pests. Wageningen Agricultural University Papers 95.1 201 pp.
2Sampson, C. and Kirk, W.D.J. 2013. Can Mass Trapping Reduce Thrips Damage and Is It Economically Viable? Management of the Western Flower Thrips in Strawberry. PLOS ONE: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0080787
Dr. Sarah Jandricic is the OMAFRA greenhouse floriculture IPM specialist.
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Volume 1 and 2, 18th e dI t I on
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Seasonal workers important to Ontario farms
Seasonal workers from five Caribbean countries and Mexico are hard at work on Ontario fruit and vegetable farms as a supplement to local labour for the upcoming growing season.
By the height of the growing season, more than 17,000 workers are expected to be placed at more than 1450 agricultural operations.
While most of these workers will spend several months away from their families on temporary work terms, they will all continue to have strong support from their home governments here in Ontario.
Each country participating in SAWP maintains a liaison service or consular office in Ontario to help look after the general welfare of agricultural workers and help them navigate any issues or complications they may face while working here.
“Of the many different temporary worker programs in Canada, ours is the only one that offers 24-hour a day assistance to our workers directly with people from their home country through a liaison service,” said Ken Forth, president of Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS), which administers the program.
“That is part of what make SAWP unique and also plays a significant role in why it’s so successful.”
Liaison services from each participating country are open year round – their role contributes to a repeat of 80 per cent of the seasonal agricultural
workers each year.
“Essentially the liaison staff act as advocates for the workers and help them with anything they need 24 hours a day, whether that’s a medical emergency, help with paperwork or help with issues they may be having at home,” Forth said.
Established in 1966 to respond to a critical shortage of available domestic agricultural workers, SAWP continues to serve the same role 51 years later, connecting Ontario farmers with a reliable source of supplementary seasonal labour.
Because SAWP is a “Canadians first” program, supplementary seasonal workers are hired from participating countries only if agricultural operators cannot find domestic workers to fill vacancies.
It’s estimated that two jobs for Canadians are created in the agrifood industry for every seasonal agricultural worker employed through SAWP at Ontario farms.
A study released last summer by Guelph-based Agri-food Economic Systems identified SAWP as a key reason Ontario’s horticulture industry is able to generate $5.4 billion in economic activity and approximately 34,280 jobs.
The report found that chronic labour shortages continue to challenge the agricultural sector due to aging demographics, competition with other sectors and fewer numbers of young people pursuing careers in farming.
Upgraded low-volume sprayer
Dramm has updated its Coldfogger Targeted Low Volume Sprayer to the new AR model. This version offers a more durable pump that is easier to use and allows for the use of corrosive chemistries. The new Coldfogger AR uses a piston pump as an upgrade over our previous diaphragm pump. www.dramm.com.
Retail ready deco containers
Decorative containers that are exciting, affordable and retail-ready and help drive sales and margins. One McConkey Wholesale Grower Supplies is really excited about: the new Stella Wreath Planter, which hangs on your door or fence. Stella is drop-in and easily adaptable year-round, both at retail and by the customer. www.mcconkeyco.com
Theft protection from a shelf?
With theft prevention among growers’ main concerns, this revolutionary molded plastic shelf puts steel out of sight to remove the appeal for thieves. A unique hexagonal pattern gives it the strength of all-steel shelves, while the primarily plastic construction reduces weight by three pounds. www.mcconkeyco.com
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GARY JONES | Gary.Jones@kpu.ca
Floriculture is Blooming With New Biocontrols
It’s long been recognized that greenhouse vegetable growers have been using biological control options more than their floriculture counterparts. This is not to imply that floriculture producers are in anyway less keen or not interested in such things. But there are a number of very valid reasons why this may be so, such as:
• We eat vegetables, so there’s perhaps slightly more incentive to find alternatives to chemical pesticides.
• The original development of P. persimilis due to lack of effective acaricides being used by tomato growers subsequently led to the advanced use of bios, in particular in vegetable production.1
• Many greenhouse vegetables are grown in media isolated from the soil, and growers have the opportunity for a good greenhouse cleanup to start a new season pest-free.
• Many flower crops are produced all-year-round and making biocontrols work in the winter months is technically challenging (short days causing many insects to head into over-wintering diapause).
But it’s not just insects that are used for biocontrol. Beneficial bacteria and fungi have been used for disease prevention and management for some time. Building microbial populations in soil and soil-less media should help develop plant community resilience. Check out the work of Metagenom Bio Inc. that (with help from “Bioenterprise”) is “working to use improved microbe communities to both enhance plant growth and reduce the impact of disease.”2 Indeed, that’s a basic pillar of organic production systems.
During a recent visit to the Pacific North West by a group of U.K. bedding and potted plant growers and researchers, they mentioned that the “main development in IPM techniques in ornamentals is in the use of biopesticides, botanicals and semio-chemicals. Although not totally new, there has been a relatively rapid increase recently in the number [of these products] available and the growers who use them. There is still a long way to go to optimize their efficacy but we are losing conventional chemistry on a regular basis without new products coming along.”1
Also, there are developments with growers producing some of their own bios in the greenhouse. Of course, there are many potential challenges with this, (e.g. quality control, lack of grower expertise, venturing too far from core business, etc.).
But it’s not just insects that are used for biocontrol.
• Equally challenging is the task of establishing viable populations of beneficial agents on shortterm ornamental crops. Greenhouse vegetables are often in for a 10-month growing schedule, enabling healthy populations of beneficial predators and parasites to get well established.
• This also sometimes means customers find beneficials on their just-purchased potted plants or cut flowers. Since the buying public rarely know the difference between a good bug and bad one, they’re all likely to all be perceived as bad.
• It has sometimes been a challenge getting grower buy-in to the idea that introducing biologicals prophylactically, before the presence of a target pest, is a good idea, since many may view it is a waste of money.
Biocontrol companies have been working hard for years at developing systems for ornamentals, and now have protocols for many crops such as gerbera and poinsettia (some also having systems for bio pest management in medicinal marijuana). But with a hugely diverse range of ornamental plant species, there’s always work to be done.
Growers have long been encouraged to use ‘easy’ techniques of banker plants to maintain healthy beneficial populations. And there are options for more adventurous growers to start their own populations of some predators. For example, [since 2010] the AHDB of the U.K. provide growers with a factsheet on breeding Dalotia coriaria (a.k.a. Atheta) ‘Rove Beetle.’1
1 Cary Gates, Flowers Canada.
2 Wayne Brough, (personal communication), Research and KT Manager, AHDB Horticulture, U.K.
3 Matt McIntosh, AgInnovation Ontario, referenced in www.HortiDaily.com, February 2017.
Gary Jones is co-chair of horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langley, B.C. He serves on several industry committees and welcomes comments at Gary.Jones@kpu.ca.
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