Crop Update

This is the first ginseng crop update of the 2025 growing season.

Following a few winters in a row with well above average temperatures, this winter was relatively normal for both precipitation and temperature. Based on Growing Degree Days (base 5°C) at Delhi, this spring is progressing normally with 89 GDD as of April 22 compared to the 25-year average of 87 GDD. Last year on the same date, 124 GDD had accumulated, which we normally do not reach until May 2. As a result, expect ginseng emergence to be at the normal time this year, or 9 to 10 days later than last year if weather conditions remain normal over the coming days.

Given the normal conditions this winter and spring, there are no major red flags on pests that might be more of a problem than normal based on weather alone. Phytophthora will continue to be a problem in fields with major outbreaks due to flooding last summer. Also, given the high populations of leaf folders last summer, there is a possibility of higher populations again this spring. Thorough scouting beginning in mid-May is important for this pest because insecticides probably need to be timed for when newly hatched caterpillars first begin to fold leaves together.

Here are a few reminders and new resources to be aware of for the upcoming growing season:

Admire 240 Flowable Cancellation

The use of Admire 240 as a control for European chafer grubs at seeding expires in May, so it can no longer be used for this purpose. There are now no products available for grub control in ginseng. Here are some cultural methods that can reduce grub problems:

1. The preferred habitat for European chafer and other grub species is grassy fields and lawns. Ginseng gardens planted on or near lawns or perennial grasses are more likely to have grub problems. Avoid fields in these areas, if possible, or consider the additional precautions below if this is unavoidable.
2. Fumigate later than usual. Eggs are typically laid in mid- to late-June. Fumigating after this date could help control the eggs or young larvae in the soil.
3. Keep the fields weed-free between fumigation and seeding. Weedy fields could attract adult beetles to lay eggs in the field and provide a food source for young grubs to feed on until volunteer rye is available for them to eat after seeding.

Admire 240 is still registered as a foliar spray for aphid control as part of the Root Crop Group, but given the harmful effects of the product on pollinators such as sweat bees, which may visit ginseng flowers, this application is not advised. There are several other effective products registered for aphid control that are less harmful to pollinators.

Ginseng IPM (Scout) Training

Ginseng IPM Training is scheduled for Thursday, June 5 at 1:00 pm at the OGGA Research Garden at 785 Byerlay Sideroad near Courtland. For full details and to register see the original post here.

Ontario Crop Protection Hub – Changes for 2025

The ginseng section of the Ontario Crop Protection Hub is up to date and contains all of the products currently registered for use on ginseng. The only new product available for this year is Nimitz 480 EC nematicide, which is registered for suppression of both root lesion and root knot nematodes.

There are several new features to the Hub since the Hub launched two years ago:

1. Optimized view options that provide more flexibility for viewing products, printing, or viewing efficacy. The default view is “Grid View” which shows a quick summary of the product and allows you to view efficacy for different pests. Clicking “View Details” in this view will reveal product rates, comments, a link to the label, REI, PHI and Maximum Applications details. There are additional view options that are best viewed after you select pests in the right-hand column. Switching the view to “List View” will provide a summary of all these details in a more concise list. “Efficacy View” will provide a comparison table of the efficacy ratings for all the products registered for the pests you selected.
2. New Efficacy Sort. If you select pests that you would normally try to control together (e.g., Alternaria and Botrytis), you can then sort by average efficacy for those pests by switching the “Sort Results By” to “Efficacy” at the top of the page. This will sort the products with the highest average efficacy first. This feature will not work well if you pick two pests that are not normally controlled by the same product (e.g., Grubs and Alternaria).
3. Added ability to select only products you have available in the spray shed. After selecting the pests you want to control, you can go down the list and only select the products that you have available or want to compare. To do this, click on “Select to Compare” for any products you have available, or use the “Select Products to Compare” box in the right column. Then click on the box beside “Only show the X products selected for comparison” at the top of the product list. This will shrink the list down to only the products you selected. Switching the view to “List View” will then provide an abbreviated list that you can print, showing only the pests and products you selected.

For other crops and for weed control options, visit the main page here: https://cropprotectionhub.omafra.gov.on.ca/.

Another feature on the main page provides the ability to compare what is registered on different crops. For example, if you grow both ginseng and tomatoes and want to know what fungicides are registered for both crops, you can click on “Fungicides” in the “Looking for a Specific Product” section and then select both crops in the “Filters” section on the right.

For more instructions on how to use the Ontario Crop Protection Hub, visit the FAQ section here: https://cropprotectionhub.omafra.gov.on.ca/supporting-information/faqs.

New Ginseng Module of Ontario CropIPM

Ontario CropIPM provides detailed information on how to scout for and identify pests in a wide range of crops and provides information on how to best control those pests. This spring, we are launching the new Ginseng module. Look for an official announcement on this blog in the coming weeks when we are done reviewing the content. For a sneak peek, you can view the module here: https://cropipm.omafra.gov.on.ca/en-ca/crops/ginseng.