Ginseng Crop Update – Early Season Pest Control – April 24, 2026

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Temperatures have continued to be above normal despite the cool down earlier this week. As of April 23, we have accumulated 156 GDD (base 5), which is normally reached on May 6. Based on the current forecast, crop progress may slow relative to normal, but it looks like ginseng emergence will continue to be ahead of normal. This is all based on air temperatures. Soil temperatures are more important for determining early emergence.

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Pyganic® Insecticide label expanded via Minor Use Program to help manage various pests in CG-25 Herbs and CG-26 Spices in Canada

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

J. MOSIONDZ, OMAFA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph

The Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD), formerly known as the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion for Pyganic® insecticide for control of aphids, leafhoppers, climbing cutworms and cabbage looper on Crop Group 25 Herbs and Crop Group 26. Pyganic® insecticide was already labelled for management of insects on a wide range of crops in Canada. These minor use proposals were submitted by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Pest Management Centre as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel across Canada.

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Lavender Crop Update – Preparing for the Season – April 17, 2026

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Winterkill

By now, row covers should have been removed in all lavender-growing areas of the province. Remember that row covers are not meant to protect against spring cold; they are meant to protect against extreme winter cold and drying winds. In the spring, they can act like a greenhouse and cause the plants to advance too early, making them more prone to frost damage in May. It is a good idea to keep them handy, as they can be useful to protect flower buds from late-spring frosts. In that case, they would be put back on for one or two cold nights.

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AIM® Herbicide Label registered via Minor Use Program to help manage labelled weeds on Lavender Flowers in Canada

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

By Josh Mosiondz, Minor Use Coordinator, OMAFA, Guelph

The Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD, formerly known as the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)), recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion registration for AIM® Herbicide for control of labelled weeds on lavender flowers in Canada. AIM® Herbicide was already labeled for management of weeds on a wide range of crops in Canada. This minor use proposal was submitted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.

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Ginseng Crop Update – Spring Emergence and Product Updates – April 12, 2026

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

This is the first crop update of the 2026 growing season.

Emergence and Growing Degree Days

Accumulated Growing Degree Days (Base 5°C) at Delhi up to April 12 are 5 days ahead of the 25-year average, which suggests crop emergence will be ahead of normal. We have accumulated 68 GDD up to this point which was reached on April 18 in 2025, April 9 in 2024, April 14 in 2023, and April 23 in 2022. This is based on air temperatures alone, which doesn’t tell the whole story. This was the first winter in many years with significant frost in the ground. Soil temperatures are more important than air temperatures for determining emergence dates for ginseng, and these may be lagging behind air temperatures a bit compared to previous years. This is because some of the warm air earlier in the spring would have been needed to melt the frozen soil without contributing to ginseng growth. However, if the forecast for very warm day and night temperatures this week is accurate, by the end of Saturday, April 18, GDD may be at the same stage it is normally at on May 2, a full two weeks ahead of normal. After that time, GDD accumulation may slow for a few days as temperatures drop below normal again. Given all of this, expect ginseng to emerge ahead of normal, unless there is a prolonged period of below normal temperatures ahead of emergence.

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Register Now for 2026 OMAFA IPM Workshops incl. Ginseng and Hazelnuts

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Sean Westerveld

Registration is now open for many of the OMAFA Integrated Pest Management (IPM) workshops. Workshop options of in-person, hybrid or virtual only will vary depending on the session and noted below. 

To register, please follow the registration link or call the Agriculture Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300. 

REGISTER HERE

GENERAL

Introduction to IPM

April 28, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

This is an introductory workshop that covers the basic information that scouts need to know. Topics that will be covered: the importance of integrated pest management, disease causal agents, symptoms and damage of insects and mites, scouting for weeds in horticulture crops, pesticide safety, soil diagnostics, symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, tissue sampling, invasive species and farm visit biosecurity. Other scouting workshops will build on this information and will be tailored to the specific crops.

  • Workshop Leader – Denise Beaton
  • Location – In person (Auditorium, Ontario Crops Research Centre – Simcoe, 1283 Blueline Rd., Simcoe ON)
  • Bring your own lunch. Handouts provided.
  • Click here to register

SPECIALTY CROPS

Ginseng IPM

June 4, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

  • Workshop Leaders – Sean Westerveld / Melanie Filotas
  • Location – In person (in field – TBD, Norfolk County)
  • Raindate – June 5, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
  • Click here to register

Hazelnut IPM

May 28, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

  • Workshop Leader –Melanie Filotas
  • Location – In person (Ontario Crops Research Centre – Simcoe, 1283 Blueline Rd., Simcoe ON)
  • This session will begin in the Research Centre Auditorium followed by a field visit to the on-site hazelnut orchard to view late spring pests.
  • Raindate – May 29, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
  • A minimum of 8 registrants is required by 2 days prior to the session for it to run.
  • Click here to register
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