Establishing biological pest management program for nursery crop production

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In the context of plant growth in green houses in Canada, the issue of pest management has proven to be animportant one to avoid crop lost. This fact together with consumers' demand for chemical-free ornamentalplants needs to be taken into account when doing research on pesticides' effects on plants. Shelmerdine Nurseryin Winnipeg, the largest garden center and retail nursery of Manitoba wants to reduce or eliminate the use ofpesticides to produce a premium and safe product to meet the market demand. Assiniboine Community College(ACC) will partner with Shemerdine Garden Center to develop applied research on a new biological pestmanagement program for the company's retail nursery site that will target a number of key pests. In 2015-16,various research trials using biocontrol agents were conducted in ACC's greenhouse located in Brandon,Manitoba. These trials have resulted to be very successful in eliminating pesticide use on ornamental and foodcrops (CBC News Report, 2016; Hinrichs et al, 2016.). Based on this experience, ACC will now develop asimilar program to use at Shelmerdine Nursery. Shelmerdine Nursery has identified the presence of a varietyof pests that cause damage directly by feeding on the plants, and indirectly by spreading disease pathogens andviruses. The research, will build strategies by using biologicals singularly and/or in combination with otherphysical, cultural, mechanical and chemical controls. The principal investigator for the research anticipates thedevelopment of a customized integrated pest management system for Shelmerdine Nursery, and providetraining to their staff to use it.