SUMMARY of BugBites! Session 5: Fungus Gnats and Shore Flies

Review pt 1:Fungus Gnats

Although fungus gnats (Sciaridae) are primarily seen as a nuisance in indoor production spaces, they are responsible for a lot more than that! As a result of their favourite food source (plant roots), these pests are capable of acquiring and spreading fungal disease amongst the crop.

The following information is a summary of session 5 of the BugBites Series: Fungus Gnats and Shorefly Suppression with Beneficial Organisms. To watch the full session, click here! 

Pest Description: 

Adult fungus gnats are mosquito-like insects with long legs, and a characteristic y-shaped wing vein. Adults can be found hanging around or near the soil, mostly under plant canopy. The fungus gnat larvae are white with a shiny black head. Larvae spend most of their time underground and will feed on the roots. 

Figure 1. A photo of an adult fungus gnat stuck to a yellow sticky card. Below, is an image of the fungus gnat larvae. If you look closely, you can see the characteristic black head at the end of the larva. Image taken from the BugBites! Session 5 presentation. 

Monitoring and Scouting: 

Adults are not strong fliers, meaning that sticky cards will only be effective when placed close to the soil line. If placed correctly, traditional sticky cards are a great tool to monitor population sizes.

As an attractant, some growers will use half a potato, or a potato slice, placed in a pot to draw larvae up from the soil. As the larvae are accustomed to feeding on roots, the use of a tuber is a big draw.

For the adults there are various traps available. These traps typically involve the use of an attractant (ex. UV bulb) and a way to capture the insects (sticky cards, soapy water solution etc.). This is useful for general scouting purposes as well as mass trapping.

Biological Control Options: 

As with any biological control program, prevention is the first line of defense in controlling population sizes. By conducting regular scouting checks of the crop, and maintaining populations of biological control agents, you can limit the degree of pest infestation.

Dalotia coriaria; Rove beetle

•  Predator to both shoreflies and fungus gnats
•  Both adults and larvae are predators
• Orange larvae will be noticeable in your soil
• Adults readily move around via flight

• Establish readily in greenhouses and work well in hydroponic systems
  
  

Figure 2. A photo of a rove beetle in the adult (left) and larval (right) stages. stuck to a yellow sticky card.  Image taken from the BugBites! Session 5 presentation

The use of rearing boxes allows for a slow-release approach and will help maintain beetle populations through the season. Rearing boxes can be as basic as media (ex. peat, vermiculite) set inside a Tupperware container, and supplemented with food (ex dog or fish food, artemia). It is crucial to keep this moist, but not wet. These can be placed under benches.

Bacillus thuringeniensis israeleinsis 

•  Functions as a stomach toxin for fungus gnats
•  Best applied via soil drench or chemigation. Irrigation is not ideal as the soil needs to get very wet to allow for good establishment of the biopesticide

Stratiolaelaps scimitus; predatory mite

• Target fungus gnat larvae
•  Well suited for greenhouse environments: optimum development temperature of 25^oC (77^oF)
• Ideal range is 15-30^oC (59-86^oF)
• Live in the top half inch of the soil: best applied to the substrate surface after transplant
• Want to avoid burying too deep in the growing media
• Does not establish well in rockwool
• Persistent control agents, and can provide season-long protection

                                               

Figure 3. An image of an adult predatory mite. Image taken from the BugBites! Session 5 presentation

S. scimitus can be mixed with Dalotia, but it is not recommended to introduce them before adding into the crop. They will feed on each other, so make sure they are spread evenly throughout the canopy when distributed.

Steinernema feltiae; entemopathogenic nematode

• Target fungus gnats, shoreflies, thrips pupae and many others
• Forage in the top inch or two of the soil
• Water into your growing media lightly- if they get too far in, they will not work
• Not highly mobile
• Well suited for greenhouse environments with an ideal temperature range of 10-25^oC (50-78^oF)

• Susceptible to being washed away in rockwool
• When growing in rockwool, apply after the last irrigation of the day to give them a chance to establish

By ensuring thorough protection against all life stages of the fungus gnat, you should be able to keep populations at bay! Prevention is everything, so be sure to apply biologicals preventatively and as needed.

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Invitation to Perennia's Annual General Meeting

 

Join us Thursday, June 24th at 2:00 PM (AST) for Perennia’s 2020/2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting. Click  here to register!

Pilot Program for Nation-wide Monitoring of European Corn Borer

European Corn Borer (ECB; Ostrinia nubilalis) has been an important pest of corn and other crops in eastern Canada for nearly a century now. It is becoming well known that ECB is a generalist feeder, and has a wide range of hosts - including cannabis!

ECB larvae will enter larger stems of the cannabis plant, hollow out the contents, and disrupt the flow of water and sugars to all parts of the plant. These hollowed-out stems lack structural integrity, and will cause top-heavy plants to cave. Larvae that make their way up into smaller stems may result in wilting leaves in the infected area. 

For more information on ECB, check out our factsheet.

Figure 1. An image of a ECB larvae that is taking refuge within the stem of a cannabis plant in Nova Scotia. Photo credit: Alex Gillis

With a recent confirmation of ECB resistance to Cry1F Bt corn in Nova Scotia, there is an increased need to monitor pest distribution across Canada. The Surveillance Working Group of the Canadian Plant Health Council has developed a harmonized monitoring protocol for ECB. This can be used to report the sightings of eggs, larvae, or any crop damage observed across Canada. It is encouraged that you try the harmonized monitoring protocol and report the data from your production using the free Survey123 app (available for both desktop and mobile devices):

• Early to Mid-Season ECB Survey (Before July) - https://arcg.is/0qCCHH
• Later Season ECB Survey (July to Pre-Harvest) - https://arcg.is/fSODf

You can log your information without creating a profile. A hard copy version is also available. 

Why should you care?

Real-time reporting may help estimate the risk of outbreaks in your region, and target the ideal window for scouting and management. At the end of the growing season, maps illustrating the results of the monitoring program will be made available on the 'Great Lakes and Maritimes Pest Monitoring Network', and the 'Prairie Pest Monitoring Network' websites, among others. 

Please feel free to contact Tracey Baute (OMAFRA), Meghan Vankosky (AAFC-Saskatchewan), John Gavloski (Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development), James Tansey (Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture) or Brigitte Duval (MAPAQ) if you have questions about this pilot project.

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Weighing the Options on Ground Cover

 
There are many benefits to incorporating ground cover into your growing space. This woven or plastic material can drastically reduce weed pressure, presence of mud in the grow space, and protect your produce from soil particles. It acts as a barrier to pests and disease lingering on the surface of the ground and will impact the climate in your growing space.

Ground cover comes in different colours and source materials. Check out our new fact sheet (https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fact-Sheet-Ground-Cover-final.pdf) to explore the options available and decide which will be best suited for your space!

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Things are Heating Up!

Thanks to our friends at AAFC, we have the capability to compare our current weather data to that of the past! This helps us understand where we are in the grand scheme of things, and assists in the planning and execution of outdoor planting and field trials. 

Based on the weather measured from March 1st to May 10th 2021, we are right on track with what was observed in 2017 for number of days above 5°C. As we amp it up to base 10 degree days, we see we are tracking similar to 2018, and are right on the heels of 2013. 

Despite a relatively dry winter/early spring, we have managed to catch up to the 10 year average the last few weeks! The red line on the graph tracks the cumulative precipitation of 2021, compared to that captured in previous years. Note that 2020 was tracking relatively similar to what we observed earlier this year. Hopefully things continue to progress on the wetter side of things and ease the stress surrounding hot dry growing seasons!

It is important to note that these values were collected at the Kentville Research Station - microclimates DO exist throughout the valley, as well as across province, so this is merely a guideline! For more site-specific information, consider installing your own weather monitoring station!

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Water Woes

Irrigation management can be tricky, especially for those who are experimenting with new systems. From field producers who want to see more consistency in their watering, to those moving into an indoor production space, to those who are experimenting with soilless substrate, we have you covered! The commodity specialists at Perennia decided it was time to buckle down and tackle irrigation as a whole. 

Introducing our "Getting into the Weeds" Series! These sessions were designed to start with the basics, and build up from there, addressing some of the most commonly asked questions in plant agriculture. 

                             

Session 1: Water Movement through the soil - make every drop count
Session 2: Planning and Design of a Drip Irrigation System
Session 3: Operating and Managing a Drip Irrigation System
Session 4: Pivot and Guns: Irrigation System Management
Session 5: Fertigation: Integrating Nutrients with Irrigation Options
Session 6: Making the Switch to Soilless Substrate
Session 7: Irrigating my Soilless Substrate 
Session 8: Disease Management in Irrigated Crops 

Be sure to check these out, and see how your irrigation practices compare! 

Posted by: Talia Plaskett 

Proper Release of Biological Control Agents

Biological control is a key part of managing pest populations in cannabis production. While it is extremely important to conduct regular scouting and know the appropriate control methods to tackle your target pest populations it does not guarantee a successful biological control program.

It is important to check the quality of the product you are receiving from the insectary: 

• Are the biologicals alive? 
• Are they of good quality and form? 
• Were they stored and shipped properly? 

There are countless stories of producers who received product that was sub-optimal, and their IPM programs suffered as a result. By checking the quality of every shipment you receive from your insectary, you are one step closer to a successful biological control program. This does not guarantee that the product will be high quality, but you will be able to salvage the situation. Contact the insectary, voice your concerns, and be prepared to put in another order of biologicals. The alternative? Vast amounts of time and money spent on a program that is not working effectively, and a crop infested with pests.

Now that you know that your biologicals are in good form, it is time to release them! Knowing where in the crop to place them, how to properly store them, and the best way to handle the insect housing, are all important to maximize pest control. OMAFRA and the team at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre got together to talk about the proper release of biological controls. Click the following link to watch the video and see how your practices hold up!

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Introducing...Perennia Cannabis Services!

Perennia is an organization known across Nova Scotia for providing a variety of services in agriculture, quality and food safety, product development, lab services and fisheries. Within the lab services division sits Bloom Labs - a name you may be more familiar with.

Bloom labs is a Health Canada-licensed cannabis testing lab that provides mandated, luxury and custom analytical services. These are available to all growers including micro-producers, large facilities and recreational growers.

Until now, agriculture services were limited when it came to cannabis. With the introduction of a new staff member dedicated to Protected Crop (greenhouse, tunnel, indoor facilities etc.) production, there was an opportunity to expand our offerings in the world of cannabis - in comes Talia Plaskett!

Talia has spent the last 11 months diving into Nova Scotia horticulture. Through introductions to producers and tours of ornamental, berry, vegetable and cannabis facilities, she has a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the province when it comes to commercial production. While the challenges in cannabis are unique, there are many similarities that exist across other commodities, and drawing on that experience will be beneficial to cannabis producers of all sizes.

What do our agriculture services look like? It comes in a variety of forms.

•  Virtual correspondence regarding questions you have about your production system
•   Site tours to help set the stage for your growth
• Beneficial for identifying the cause of any issues you may be experiencing
• Creates an open dialogue between you and the production specialist
• Fact sheets and webinars
• Allows us to address industry-wide gaps in understanding, as identified through conversations with growers
•   Fee-for-Service Consultation
• These projects will vary from facility to facility. Feel free to reach out to discuss an issue that requires specialized and focused attention

Talia is not the only new addition to the cannabis service team - meet Chelsea Meisner! Working with our analytical team, Chelsea can help with all aspects of the product development process including large scale development, manufacturing of edible cannabis products and shelf-life evaluations.

During 2019 Chelsea had a key role in developing some of the top-selling cannabis edible products currently on the market in Canada. As a Food Scientist, Chelsea has over ten years of experience in product development, quality control and manufacturing. The cannabis industry is growing and constantly changing as many companies are developing edibles. There is a lot of innovation and science happening to help create the best products for consumers. We are all still learning the interesting and challenging world of cannabis, and through the Product Development services at Bloom Labs, Chelsea hopes to provide knowledge and support to the industry.

What do our product development services look like?

• Formula Development
• Prototype bench top development of uninfused and infused products
• Cannabis incorporation
•  Ingredient sourcing and costing of formulations
• Process development that can be scaled up to meet current processing capabilities or capabilities of a co-packer
• Child-resistant packaging sourcing
• Regulatory requirements
• Scale Up Assistance
• Shelf-Life Evaluations

Talia and Chelsea look forward to connecting with you and learning how they can help you and your operation succeed! If you have any questions about how Perennia can support you, don't hesitate to reach out