In 2024, a series of hands-on workshops was run to help growers and IPM staff learn how to identify thrips to species. This workshop series was developed and delivered by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Dr. Rose Buitenhuis, Ashely Summerfield), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) (Dr. Sarah Jandricic, Cara McCreary), and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) (Dr. Rose Labbé).
Resources related to this workshop are below.
It’s no secret that recent outbreaks of thrips species other than western flower thrips (WFT) have made producing greenhouse crops in Ontario harder than usual. This includes species such as onion thrips, Thrips parvispinus, and chrysanthemum thrips.
As control measures are different depending on the thrips species you’re dealing with, the very FIRST step in learning how to manage these pests is proper species identification. If you’re interested in having someone in your greenhouse operation learn how to do this (so you don’t have to rely on government specialists), then keep reading!
Continue reading “Thrips Identification Workshop for Growers: Coming to an Ontario Town Near YOU!”