May 1, 2026

Welcome to the first berry bulletin of the 2026 season!

In this bulletin:

• Crop Update
• Strawberry and Raspberry IPM workshop
• Ontario Crop Protection Hub Update
• Berry Crop Protection Update

Crop Update:

Strawberries:

Under row covers, strawberry buds and early bloom are beginning to be seen. Fields that are not covered are beginning to fill in with new leaves and some buds can be found in the crown in early varieties. With the cooler weather, development has slowed down over the last week compared to earlier in April.

For early botrytis control, Bravo or Echo can be applied before bloom to reduce disease inoculum and help with disease management later in the season. Two applications should be done, if possible, spaced 10 days apart. Both these products have a 30-day PHI, so they need to be applied before bloom.

Insect activity is starting to increase, with aphids present on overwintered plants and mite activity slowly starting, particularly for plants under row covers. While precise thresholds have not been developed for Ontario, it is recommended to check at least 60 new leaves for aphids. When 1 in 4 leaves (e.g., 15 out of 60 leaves) are infested with aphids, control is warranted. Cygon, Lagon, Beleaf and group 4 insecticides can be applied at to control aphids.

Plants infested with cyclamen mite are starting to show damage, so keep an eye on fields with known cyclamen mite populations from last year and where row covers are being used. Early monitoring is key for this pest. Look for wrinkled, distorted, stunted leaves as the plants begin to grow (Figure 1 and 2). Magister and Agri-mek, are labelled for cyclamen mite control on strawberries at a rate of 2.63 L/ha. Avoid using group 3 products (i.e., pyrethroids) if you have a history of cyclamen mite problems, as group 3 insecticides are hard on beneficial insects (e.g., predators and pollinators).

Figure 1 & 2. Cyclamen mite injury

Planting seems to be well underway in some areas. However, excessive moisture has been a bit of an issue. When possible, apply 50 kg of nitrogen with phosphorus and potassium before planting or as a side dressing 2-3 weeks after planting.

Blueberries:

Blueberries development varies across the province between bud burst and tight cluster or even a bit further to green tip in some areas. The first fertilizer application should be on or going on soon. However, wet fields have made this difficult. Older bushes (6 years+) require 36-48 g of actual nitrogen per bush. Applied in a split application 18 g of nitrogen can be applied now, followed by a second application at petal fall and a third early July.

Disease control: Phomopsis and anthracnose can be managed with an early broad-spectrum fungicide such as Bravo or Echo. These diseases produce spores in overwintering cankers in the spring, which can be moved to new growth by rain splashes.

If you have a history of mummy berry control is required from bud burst through early bloom.

Raspberries:

Raspberries are leafing out and new primocanes are beginning to grow. Tanos can be applied now for early season disease control.

Irrigation for frost protection:

Frost is in the forecast for some regions in southern Ontario this weekend with temperatures potentially dropping to -4 °C. Remember that it is typically colder closer to the ground than higher up in the air. To brush up on your frost management options, The irrigation for frost protection of strawberries | ontario.ca factsheet provides really valuable information as we head into bloom period and deal with possible frost events.

Remember to test your thermometers and compare them to the forecast so that you have an idea how the temperature in your field compares to the forecast and to weather station data.

The critical temperatures for strawberries:

The dew point is important to determine when to start irrigation. You can find forecasted and current dewpoints from various weather services such as WeatherUnderground or Environment Canada. The lower the dew point, the sooner you need to irrigate. See the table below for suggested starting points.

IPM workshops:

Don’t forget to register for the Strawberry and Raspberry Scout training!

• Strawberry & Raspberry IPM Workshop: Scout training workshop (free)

May 14, 9:00 am- 1:00 pm. 1283 Blueline rd. Simcoe, On. Click here to register.

Ontario Crop Protection Hub Summary Tables

Lists of the chemical control options are available in the Pest Control Product Summary Tables for Strawberry, Raspberry, and Blueberry for 2026. These tables are a summary of the content in the Ontario Crop Protection Hub and product labels. Before applying any pest control product, always review the most current version of the product label. Links to product labels can be found under the product entry in the Hub. Refer to the Hub or the product label for more details including use precautions, resistance management strategies and crop-specific comments. Use products only for pests listed on the label for the crop you are spraying. Refer to the Hub for pest efficacy.

Berry Crop Protection Update for 2026

These lists include new products and product changes for the 2026 season. Check out the Crop Protection Hub or the label (PMRA label search) for information on rate, preharvest interval, restricted entry interval, efficacy, and comments.

Click the link in the ‘Crop’ column to see the product in the Crop Protection Hub.

Label expansions & new products in 2025-2026

Product, a.i., Group, PCP	Crop	Pests	Comments
Insecticides & Miticides
Magister Fenazaquin Group 21 (34544)	Raspberry	Two-spotted spider mite	Rate: 1.75-2.34 L/ha. Apply in at least 500 L/ha. Do not apply when bees are active.
	Blueberry	Blueberry bud mite	Rate: 1.75 L/ha. Apply in at least 500 L/ha. This pest has not been detected in Ontario. Do not apply when bees are active.
Spear T GS-omega/kappa-Hxtx-Hv1a Group 32 (34679)	Raspberry Blueberry	Spotted wing drosophila (suppression only)	Rate is 9.4-28 L/ha. Use with a spreader/sticker or non-ionic surfactant at 0.125% where permitted.
Fungicides
Orondis Gold Metalaxyl-M and S-isomer + oxathiapiprolin Group 4 + 49 (33508)	Strawberry	Phytophthora crown rot (suppression only); Red Stele	Apply in a minimum of 2,000 L water/ha.
	Raspberry Blueberry	Phytophthora root rot	Apply in a minimum of 2,000 L water/ha.
EcoSwing Swinglea glutinosa extract Group BM1 (35206)	Blueberry	Botrytis grey mould (Partial suppression only); Mummy berry	0 day PHI
	Raspberry Gooseberry Strawberry Currants	Botrytis grey mould (Partial suppression only)
LifeGard WG Bacillus mycoides Group P6 (32526)	Blueberry	Botrytis grey mould (Suppression only); Anthracnose; Mummy berry	This product works by activating the plant’s defense mechanism and is most effective when it is applied before infection occurs.
	Strawberry	Anthracnose; Botrytis grey mould (suppression only); powdery mildew (suppression only); common leaf spot (suppression only)
	Raspberry Blackberry Currants Gooseberries	Botrytis grey mould (suppression only)
Buran Garlic powder Group NC (30601)	Blackberry Raspberry	Fire blight	Rate: 1.4% v/v. For increased coverage, use with a registered non-ionic surfactant.
Cyclone Plus Citric and lactic acid Group NC (34762)	Blueberry	Anthracnose fruit rot	Use a spray volume of 350 – 1000 L/ha.
Salibro Fluazaindolizine Group NC (34182)	Strawberry	Root-knot nematode (suppression only)	Application methods include pre-plant incorporated, chemigation (pre-plant, at-plant, or post-plant), and soil drench (pre-plant, at-plant, or post-plant).
Tivano Plus Citric and lactic acid Group NC (34763)	Strawberry	Angular leaf spot, powdery mildew (suppression only)	Do not use silicone-based surfactant if angular leaf spot disease is active.
Gatten Flutianil Group U13 (34297)	Strawberry	Powdery mildew	Apply in 470-1870 L water/ha. The registrant recommends the addition of a registered surfactant to improve coverage. Contact Cohort Wholesale for more information.
Herbicides
Lontrel XC Clopyralid Group 4 (32795)	Raspberry Blackberry	Suppression or control of Labelled Weeds	Apply Lontrel as a banded application. 30 day PHI.
Eragon Saflufenacil Group 14 (31469)	Blueberry	Post-emerge spot or band application.	Add Merge Adjuvant at a rate of 1 L/ha. Use as a directed spray. Do not allow spray drift to contact dormant canes as severe crop injury will result.

Recent Re-evaluation Decisions for Berry Growers

Registration cancellations
Product (PCP #)	Crop (Pest)	Decision
Fenbuconazole: Indar (27294)	Blueberry (mummy berry)	Fenbuconazole discontinued. Last date of use was December 31, 2025.

Additionally, production and sale of Poast Ultra is discontinued for all use patterns. Betamix registration has been cancelled- the last date of use was December 31, 2025.  Botector and Apollo are no longer available and have been removed from the Berry sections of the Hub.