Project Code: PRR17-040
Project Lead
Tristan Jobin - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Objective
To help strawberry growers diversify their toolbox with alternative technologies and integrated solutions for season-long management of tarnished plant bug
Tarnished plant bug (TPB) (Lygus lineolaris) poses serious threat to strawberry crops across Canada, especially in day-neutral varieties. Among several active ingredients registered for TPB control in Canada, endosulfan was phased out in December 2016 and three others are under regulatory review. However, some of the currently available products may affect bees and other beneficial organisms, while others are either suppressive or only target specific pest stages. Stakeholders have identified the need to develop alternative solutions and integrated systems to achieve effective season-long protection and sustainable TPB control in day-neutral strawberries.
This 2-year project started in spring 2017 aims to asses the impact of various management approaches, such as the use of trap crops, plant based physical barriers and biopesticides, individually and in integration, on TPB populations in day-neutral strawberries. The project also aims to demonstrate the promising approaches in commercial fields and educate growers about adopting integrated systems for TPB management. Adoption of such approaches may help growers minimize reliance on, and reduce pesticide use in strawberry crops while effectively protecting yields.