Ginseng growers, consultants, and scouts now have a new resource for pest identification, biology, scouting protocols, and best management practices. The new ginseng module of Ontario CropIPM has been launched. The information in this resource is intended to assist in the integrated pest management of ginseng pests by ensuring pests are properly identified and pest controls are only applied when necessary for optimal control. The module is available at ontario.ca/cropipm. From the main page, you can select ginseng as a favourite along with any other crops you work with so only the crops you regularly visit appear, or you can click on ginseng first and save the page as a favourite.

Here are the main features:

Pest Profiles

The core of the module is the Pest Profiles that contain identification, biology, scouting notes, period of activity, and notes on both cultural and chemical control for all of the main insects, diseases and disorders of ginseng. Each profile also includes pictures of different signs, symptoms, and life stages of the pest to assist in identification. If there are pests or disorders that might easily be confused with a pest, there is a photo comparison within the “Often Confused With” section of the profile. There are 35 separate pest and disorder profiles for ginseng, including two combined profiles for obscure insect and disease symptoms that each contain numerous additional insects or symptoms. To view the profiles, click on the relevant category (Insects and Mites, Diseases, and Disorders/Vertebrates) in the header at the top of the page. The information in each Pest Profile reflects our evolving understanding of the biology of ginseng pests based on the latest research conducted by OGGA and OMAFA. As such, this module should replace all previous integrated pest management resources prepared for ginseng. New information will be added if new pest issues are identified or we learn more about different pests.

CropIPM does not contain specific pesticide recommendations, only notes on how pesticides are best used. However, each pest profile contains a link to the relevant page of the Ontario Crop Protection Hub, if pesticides are available, where you can find all of the products registered for control of that pest.

Identify

The Identify feature allows you to view photos of all of the pests and narrow down the images by the plant part affected or by the category of pest (if known). Click on the “Filters” button to narrow down the images. Click on any image to go to the Pest Profile for that pest. The Pest Profiles often contain more images than appear in the Identify section.

Scouting Calendars

Clicking on the “Scouting” header at the top of the page will bring up scouting calendars broken down by pest category. There are separate calendars for seedlings compared to older gardens. The calendars show when during the growing season each pest is active and how likely they are to be found in the garden at that time (rare, sporadically, or regularly). Clicking on any pest in the scouting calendar will bring you back to the Pest Profile for that pest.  

Growth Stages

For those not familiar with ginseng, the Growth Stages section goes through the various stages of ginseng development, which can help scouts better describe what is happening in the field. It can also help in the comparison of crop and pest progress between one year and the next.

Feedback Request

As this is a brand-new resource, all users are encouraged to provide feedback on any way the resource can be improved, including reporting any broken links, glitches, or typos, or making any suggestions for enhancing the site. Click on the “Give Feedback Here” button within the green bar at the top of the page and fill out the feedback form.