Upcoming Perennia events

The Dirt on Dirt: Sustainable Soils on the South Shore  
Please join Amy Sangster, Perennia Soils Specialist, Rosalie Gillis-Madden, Perennia Vegetable Specialist, and Brian MacCulloch, NSDA Agriculture Resource Coordinator, for an afternoon focusing on soils, potting mixes, and transplant health.

Tuesday March 27, 2018 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Provincial Building Boardroom, 312 Green St. Lunenburg, NS

More details can be found on the Facebook event here.

Registration is required, please contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) or 902-678-7722 to register by March 23, 2018.

Pest Management in the Hopyard

There are many factors to consider when managing pests in a hopyard: life-cycle of the organism, good Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, mode of action and efficacy of the products, and pesticide application efficiency. Pesticide Points will be available.

April 5th from 2-4 pm

This workshop is designed for growers with existing hopyards and will be informative for organic, conventional, and spray-free growers.

A session will be held in-person at the Perennia offices at the Kentville Research Station (32 Main Street, Kentville, NS) OR you can join remotely from

• The Truro Perennia offices (199 Dr Bernie MacDonald Drive, Bible Hill, NS)

• The Antigonish NSDA offices (190 Beechhill Road, Antigonish, NS)

More details can be found on the Facebook event here. Please contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) or gwalsh@perennia.ca to register by April 3, 2018, so we can be sure to accommodate numbers.

Powdery Mildew in Cucurbits

With the arrival of cooler nights and heavy night dews, conditions are right for powdery mildew to thrive.  As a matter of fact this year it has been seen on a number of crops earlier than usual due to wet weather.  The disease appears on leaves as a white powdery mass composed of the spore-bearing structures of the fungus.  The disease can affect entire fields.  Severely infected leaves shrivel and die. The fungus can also grow on petioles and young stems.  Infected plants are yellow and stunted. Pictures of powdery mildew in cucurbits can be found here .

Fruits are not attacked, but are usually small and deformed.  The spores are air-borne.  Resistant cultivars exist.  Preventative fungicide applications will effectively control powdery mildew.  For more information on fungicides registered for control of powdery mildew in cucurbits see the Pumpkin & Squash Management Schedule – a guide to insect, weed and disease management.