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.
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.
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.
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)
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension on Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 1-2 pm EST to learn about the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project. African eggplant, also known as Bitterball, Garden Egg, Kittley and other names, is an important crop for many members of our community with heritage from regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. Since 2024, the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project has been collaborating with growers and community partners across New York to develop high-quality varieties adapted to the Northeast U.S. In this meeting, information will be shared about growing and preparing African eggplant, highlight research to date, and invite partners to collaborate in the 2026 participatory breeding and variety selection efforts.
COST and REGISTRATION
FREE! Register online to receive the Zoom link. The Zoom link will be in the email confirmation you receive after registering.
QUESTIONS?
Please reach out to one of the organizers. Thanks!
Greg Vogel, Assistant Professor, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, gmv23@cornell.edu, 607-255-9233 Lori Koenick, Extension Support Specialist, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, lbk75@cornell.edu, 585-469-5798 Sam Anderson, Urban Agriculture Specialist, CCE Harvest NY, swa39@cornell.edu, 781-366-5939
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, SLF) is an invasive planthopper that threatens Ontario’s agricultural sector. The pest was accidentally introduced to the United States (US) from its native range in China and has since spread to multiple states including those bordering Ontario. Due to its proximity and the numerous pathways for entry, the risk of introduction to Canada is considered very high. To help mitigate against the spread, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) added SLF to their list of regulated pests in 2018. For information on CFIA’s decision for managing the risk of SLF in Canada and the pest risk management options that were considered see Pest Risk Management Decision Document for Spotted Lanternfly (RMD-22-03).
Read on for an update on SLF, including what we know about host crops, and CFIA’s directive on this insect, with requirements for various articles moving from regulated to non-regulated areas.
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion registration for Kenja® Fungicide for control cylindrocarpon root rot in Canada. Kenja® Fungicide was already labeled for disease control on a wide range of crops in Canada. This minor use proposal was submitted by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.
