PYGANIC® Insecticide label temporarily expanded via Emergency Use Registration request to help manage Nesidiocoris tenuis in greenhouse grown tomatoes and greenhouse grown cucumbers in Ontario.

Published on April 17, 2026April 17, 2026 by Cara McCreary

J. MOSIONDZ, OMAFA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph

The Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD), formerly known as the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), recently announced the approval of an Emergency Use Registration (EUR) request for PYGANIC^®insecticide for management of Nesidiocoris tenuis, “Nesi”, on greenhouse grown cucumbers and greenhouse grown tomatoes in Ontario. This EUR request can be used only in Ontario from April 17^th, 2026, until April 16^th, 2029. The request marks the first agricultural related EUR request to be granted a multiyear term on the grounds of preventing the establishment of a new invasive species.

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PART 2. Genomic diversity of ToBRFV: Is it changing in Canada?

Published on January 21, 2026January 20, 2026 by Cara McCreary

Authors: Greg Fougere (MSc graduate, Brock University), Jonathan Griffiths (Research Scientist – Virology, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Cara McCreary (Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist, OMAFA)

Part 1 explained how we suspect ToBRFV was entering into Canada and moving between greenhouses (access post here). Here we will explore mutations, adaptations and how the virus is responding to the protection offered by genetic host resistance.

Before we go any further, let’s explain what these terms mean.

Mutation: random change in the viral genome that occurs when the virus replicates inside a host plant. Plant viruses with RNA genomes (like ToBRFV) are especially prone to mutations.

Adaptation: heritable trait that becomes common in a virus population because it improves survival or transmission in a specific environment.

Adaptation occurs through natural selection acting on mutations. This can happen over multiple infection cycles.

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Mirid Identification Resources

Published on January 14, 2026 by Cara McCreary

Below you will find details to assist with identifying some key mirid species. The focus is distinguishing between Dicyphus hesperus, a beneficial mirid, and Nesidiocoris tenuis, a pest mirid. This material was presented in the Tools of the Trade Workshop at the 2025 Canadian Greenhouse Conference.

These PDF’s can be downloaded and used as reference material. They can be printed on letter size paper.

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What You Can’t See Can Hurt You and Your Bumblebees!

Published on January 8, 2026April 7, 2026 by Fadi Al-Daoud

The Importance of Monitoring Natural UV Light Levels in Your Greenhouse

Authors: Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud¹, Sharon Kitur¹, and Dr. Caroline Strang²

¹Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), Harrow, Ontario

² Department of Biology, Western University, London, Ontario

Summary

Most Ontario greenhouse producers monitor light levels outside and inside their greenhouses to optimize their growing conditions for maximum yield. This article discusses how ultraviolet (UV) light levels inside greenhouses are affected by greenhouse coverings, and how this may impact bumblebees used for pollination of many greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops. It demonstrates how monitoring natural UV light levels inside greenhouses can benefit producers and allow them to make more informed decisions about their production practices.

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Nesi Scouting Sheets

Published on August 21, 2025August 21, 2025 by Cara McCreary

three green mirid bugs on a green tomato leaf and stem

Below you will find scouting sheets to assist with detection of Nesidiocoris tenuis on three different crops.

These PDF’s can be downloaded and used as reference material. They can be printed on legal size paper.

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PART 1. Genomic diversity of ToBRFV: What’s happening in Canada?

Published on July 9, 2025 by Cara McCreary

Authors: Greg Fougere (MSc candidate, Brock University), Jonathan Griffiths (Research Scientist – Virology, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Cara McCreary (Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist, OMAFA)

For several years now tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has reared its ugly tomato head in Canadian greenhouses and across the world (Zhang et al., 2022). The greenhouse sector and all its allies including greenhouse employees, grower organizations, suppliers and researchers have worked diligently to understand mitigation and management. Biosecurity has improved. Detection has improved. Seed suppliers have developed ToBRFV-resistant cultivars at a rapid pace. But we are not out of the woods quite yet.

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GrowON presents: How to Use Light Spectral Combinations to Steer Plants

Published on July 8, 2024July 23, 2024 by Fadi Al-Daoud

Exciting new research from Dr. Youbin Zheng (University of Guelph) explores how plants respond to different light spectra and spectral combinations.

This GrowON talk was on July 22^nd 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST in-person at Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) and online.

Learn more about how to apply spectral variations to a diverse set of crops by accessing the recording and presentation files below.

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Effect of Light Abatement Curtains on the Greenhouse Environment

Published on October 6, 2023October 19, 2023 by Fadi Al-Daoud1 Comment

Information on how light abatement curtains can be used and their effect on the greenhouse environment.

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Finding the Right Light Recipe

Published on September 6, 2023October 17, 2023 by Fadi Al-Daoud

Review of recent greenhouse vegetable lighting research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre

**Photo:** LED inter-lighting in low-wire mini-cucumbers.

Authors: Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) and Dr. Xiuming Hao (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Table of Contents:

Summary and Conclusions

The market demand for locally-grown fruits and vegetables year-round has driven adoption of lighting technologies for winter food production in greenhouses and vertical farms in Ontario. Here, we review some of the lighting research conducted at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre (Harrow, Ontario) over the past several years.

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GrowON Lunch and Learn: Dynamic LED Lighting and the Circadian Rhythm

Published on May 2, 2023May 15, 2023 by Fadi Al-Daoud

Access the recording and presentation from the GrowON lunch and learn that occurred on May 12, 2023 (12:00-1:00 PM EST) in person and online to learn about the effect of dynamic LED lighting on the circadian rhythm of crops.

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