Registration is now OPEN for a special in-person Lavender Health Seminar and Q&A Education Event on September 23, 2023 from 10am-3pm We would love for you to join us!
Please find the information about the event, the registration form, and payment information below. If you have any questions or run into any issues trying to register, please contact the Ontario Lavender Association at ontariolavenderassociation@gmail.com.
Continue readingDue to the heavy rains, especially in the northern and western portions of the ginseng-growing region, Phytophthora is the biggest issue in ginseng now. Most other pest issues have been relatively minor or highly localized this year. Now is also a good time to remind growers of some problem weeds to look out for.
Much of the ginseng growing area is in the Exceptionally High 95th to 100th percentile above normal for precipitation over the past 60 days (Figure 1). Much of Norfolk is in the lower end of this range, but the Strathroy area, Oxford County and the extreme north and south of the area have had higher amounts. This equates to over 300 mm of rain in these areas, with the bulk of that occurring in July into early August. That is roughly double normal rainfall for this period. Even more problematic than the total rainfall for disease management is that the rain came in many separate events.
Continue readingBy Josh Mosiondz, Minor Use Coordinator, OMAFRA
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion registration for RootShield® HC Biological Fungicide for suppression of Botrytis blight and Root rot caused by Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and Fusarium spp. in Canada. RootShield® HC Biological Fungicide was already labeled for disease control on a wide range of crops in Canada. This minor use proposal was submitted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.
Continue readingLavender is nearing the end of bloom which will start to wind down the busiest agritourism season for farms open to the public. The focus over the next few weeks will be harvest for oil extraction, distillation and pruning. At a time when the plants need to put on new vegetative growth it is important to continue to monitor crops for pest issues and to ensure plants are adequately fertilized.
Continue readingThe ginseng crop is progressing normally with no major disease or insect issues for this time of year across the industry. However, heavy rains have increased Phytophthora root rot issues in many fields. Continued heavy rains could lead to more significant disease spread in those fields.
Prior to last night’s storms, rainfall had been highly localized in the south-eastern half of the ginseng growing area and more widespread in the northwestern half. The AAFC precipitation maps show clear differences with over 200 mm of rain around Woodstock in the past 30 days and 60-80 mm or less along the lake near Port Dover (Figure 1). Some areas received even less rain given the localized storms over the past few weeks. Given the complete lack of rain in the previous month, that means some areas were very moisture stressed, while others were very wet prior to last night. Last night’s rain added 15 to 40 mm in the region. Some areas may still be relatively dry and may benefit from additional rainfall or irrigation. As a result, monitor soil moisture and do not assume that all of your fields have received sufficient moisture, especially closer to the lake.
Continue readingJust added! In addition to the content mentioned in this morning’s post, during the July 19 ONHoppenings, Melanie and Evan will be joined by Justin Renkema, an Entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who will give a brief introduction a research project he is currently working on looking at spider mite management in hops.
Just a reminder that the next ONHoppenings Lunch and Learn session is scheduled for next Wednesday July 19 at noon. Each ONHoppenings session will feature an initial 30 minute presentation from Melanie and Evan, after which we will open it up for participants to ask questions about any topic pertaining to hops. Topics covered at this months session will include: nutrient deficiency research and the upcoming OMAFRA nutrient deficiency guide, considerations when preparing for harvest, late season pests to watch out for. Participants will then have the opportunity to ask Melanie or Evan questions about agronomics, pests or have general discussion about any timely issue affecting hops.
Attendance is free and open to everyone, however you must pre-register to receive the meeting log-in details. Register in advance by clicking on this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuc-2tqD8tE9NfKnc-7xfkTBrG84DhwsWq
Anyone wishing to ask questions in advance can email Melanie (melanie.filotas@ontario.ca) or Evan (evan.elford@ontario.ca) by 8:30 the day of the session OR enter it in the question field during registration, and we will do our best to have an answer for during the session.
