September 12, 2019
Minor use priority update
Report form the 2019 AAFC minor use priority setting meeting
BY PETER ISAACSON
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada’s Pest Management Centre (PMC) held its latest minor use pesticide priority setting meeting in Ottawa last March, to establish its 2020 minor use priorities. For priorities selected, AAFC agrees to conduct efficacy and crop tolerance trials in support of minor use registrations or screening studies for A-priority cases without solutions.
MEETING RESULTS
During the 2019 meeting, the ornamental horticulture industry obtained a total of five “A” pest priorities: mealybug, thrips and powdery mildew in greenhouse grown ornamentals, and broad mites and balsam wooly adelgid in outdoor grown ornamentals, including Christmas trees. The broad mite priority also included a paired biopesticide containing the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. In addition, two “A” Priorities Without Solution (APWS) were selected for outdoor-grown ornamentals, including Christmas trees (balsam root aphid and siroccocus shoot blight on conifers). These screening studies will be conducted on a number of potential products in order to find effective solutions for these hard-to-control pests. All research projects will be conducted by AAFC in 2020.Additionally, I will be working with AAFC and provincial minor use coordinators to include outdoor-grown ornamentals in three additional A-priorities chosen by related horticultural groups. These include solutions for canker diseases in hazelnuts and a pre-emergent herbicide for plum and peach.
| CROP | PEST | NATIONAL RANKING | PRIORITY PESTICIDE SOLUTION |
ENTOMOLOGY |
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| Ornamentals, greenhouse | Mealybug | A | 1. Altus (flupyradifurone) 2. Ference (cyantraniliprole) |
| Ornamentals, greenhouse | Thrips | A | 1. Proud 3 (thyme oil), 2. Ecotro (rosemary oil) |
| Ornamentals, outdoor including Christmas trees | Broad mites | A | 1. Magister (fenazaquin) 1. Bd-Protec (Beauveria bassiana R444) biopesticide |
| Ornamentals, outdoor including Christmas trees | Balsam wooly adelgid | A | 1. Altus (flupyradifurone) 2. Closer (sulfoxaflor) |
| Balsam root aphid | APWS | ||
PATHOLOGY |
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| Ornamentals, greenhouse | Powdery mildew | A | 1. Gatten (flutianil) |
| Ornamentals, outdoor including Christmas trees | Siroccocus shoot blight | APWS |
FINAL THOUGHTS
We would like to thank AAFC for hosting another successful meeting. I am also very appreciative of the expertise that the ornamental sector, including Christmas trees, turf, floriculture and outdoor ornamentals, brings to the meeting. Thank you to Cary Gates (Flowers Canada), Matthew Wright representing Christmas trees and Gavin Dawson (Landscape Ontario turf sector) for their invaluable assistance and dedication to advancing the interests of ornamental horticulture. Thank you all for another successful year!Peter Isaacson is CNLA’s National IPM / Minor Use Coordinator.