The new growing season is upon us and ginseng is beginning to emerge from the soil into the straw in older gardens.  Given the moist conditions in many fields, growers should ensure adequate protection of the roots from Phytophthora root rot. Orondis Gold is recommended for application when the tops emerge through the straw but before they unfold. It should be timed before a rain to ensure it is washed into the root zone. If no rain occurs, overhead irrigation is the only other method to get the product through the straw. Growers should note that Orondis Gold is a mix of Orondis (oxathiapiprolin) and metalaxyl-M, which is the same active as Ridomil. Only 3 applications of products containing metalaxyl-M are permitted each year and Orondis Gold, therefore, counts as one of those applications.

The new version of OMAFRA Publication 847 – Crop Protection Guide for Ginseng is now available. Members of the Ontario Ginseng Growers Association should receive a copy in the mail shortly if they haven’t received it already. For anyone else, copies can be purchased for $5 plus tax through Service Ontario or at the OMAFRA Simcoe Resource Centre. New pest control product additions/changes for this year’s version include:

• The registration of Sivanto Prime (flupyradifurone) for control of aphids
• The addition of Captan WDG fungicide as a new captan product in addition to Maestro 80 DF
• Change of the name of Acrobat 50 WP fungicide (dimethomorph) to Forum fungicide.
• The addition of Orondis Gold for the control of Phytophthora root rot
• The addition of Rhizoctonia control and Cylindrocarpon suppression to the Switch 62.5 WG label

Since the printing of the publication one new product has now been registered. Presidio Fungicide is now registered for the control of Phytophthora root rot and leaf blight of ginseng.  For resistance management, Presidio fungicide MUST be tank-mixed with another fungicide registered for Phytophthora management on ginseng. Options for tank mixing listed on the label include Reason, Phostrol, Maestro, Revus, Forum, Ridomil Gold or Aliette. When tank mixing, you must follow the label with the most restrictive use directions (e.g. Restricted-entry interval, preharvest interval). Consult the label for rates and further use instructions. All labels can be accessed through Health Canada’s Pesticide Label Search at http://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/ls-re/index-eng.php.

Research Update

The ginseng replant research project is entering its fourth year. This year we will be monitoring 12 replicated research plots in the field, 3 pot ginseng trials and 20 grower field sites.  We continue to look for new replant sites. If you have a newly planted replant garden or plan to plant one this year, please contact Sean Westerveld, OMAFRA or Amy Fang Shi, OGGA if you are willing to participate in the research projects. Depending on funding, there may also be a University of Guelph research project on nematodes. If you have new sites with potential nematode issues or existing sites with damage and would like to participate in the research project, please let us know.