24 Jun Agronomy Update – June 24th
Hi everyone,
Another wet start to the week in PEI. A brief glance at some of the 24 hr rainfall totals as of 10 am this morning:
O’Leary: 36 mm
Tyne Valley: 33 mm
Kensington: 35 mm
Tryon: 27 mm
Harrington: 21 mm
Mount Hope: 18 mm
Orwell: 13 mm
Souris: 25 mm
For the last few weeks, West Prince has generally been getting more rain than the rest of the province, and conditions are quite wet. Some more rainfall is in the forecast for Friday/Saturday.
Emergence continues to lag behind normal. The combination of later planting and cool temperatures are definitely playing a part.
Aphid Alert – First Green Peach Aphid Found:
In samples collected Monday, PEI Dept of Ag staff have identified the first Green Peach Aphid of the season. This is extremely early to find a Green Peach Aphid, more than 4-6 weeks earlier than we have found them in previous years. In addition, aphid numbers are much higher than at the same time in the last couple of years. A worrying percentage of those aphids are colonizing aphids as well.
All seed growers are recommended to be diligent with mineral oil and aphicide applications, even if plants have only recently emerged. Plants are very vulnerable to infection at early stages of development. Thankfully, the inoculum level in this year’s crop is as low as it has been in recent years, but we must remain vigilant!
| Region | Week Ending | # Samples | Green Peach | Potato | Buckthorn | Foxglove | Bird Cherry-Oat | Other | Tarnished
Plant Bug |
Total Aphids | Average Aphids
per Sample |
| WEST PRINCE | 20-Jun-26 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 28 | 1 | 5 | 61 | 0 | 119 | 14.88 |
| EAST PRINCE | 20-Jun-26 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 55 | 4.58 |
| KINGS | 20-Jun-26 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 4.00 |
| Total | 22 | 0 | 27 | 32 | 1 | 5 | 117 | 1 | 182 | 8.27 | |
| Region | Date | # Samples | Green Peach | Potato | Buckthorn | Foxglove | Bird Cherry-Oat | Other | Tarnished
Plant Bug |
Total Aphids | Average Aphids
per Sample |
| WEST PRINCE | 22-Jun-26 | 9 | 1 | 66 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 0 | 167 | 18.56 |
| EAST PRINCE | 22-Jun-26 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 30 | 5.00 |
| QUEENS | 22-Jun-26 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 5.00 |
| KINGS | 22-Jun-26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 5.00 |
| Total | 20 | 1 | 84 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 102 | 0 | 222 | 11.10 |
Weed Control Notes:
Lots of growers are battling the weather and soil conditions to get pre-emerge herbicides on after hilling. It looks like it’s going to be a weedy year, but thankfully the conditions are favourable at the moment to get good activation of pre-emerge herbicides after application.
After last week’s agronomy update, I had a few questions about Venture L, as it hasn’t been as frequently used locally. A few additional points to consider:
- I checked that it is on the 2026 approved pesticide list from Cavendish Farms.
- While it has proven very effective on couchgrass, I will note that it is considerably more expensive than similar pesticides in the same class (ie. clethodim, Poast) that are also effective on couchgrass/quackgrass.
- Venture has a shorter pre-harvest interval (45 days) than clethodim (60 days) or Poast (80 days), so might suit for some later applications.
- Also note that Venture has a 12 month plant-back interval for spring cereals, and a 3 month plant back interval for winter wheat. Clethodim and Poast only have a 1 month plant-back rating.
- While Venture has an Excellent rating for couchgrass control, you can also get effective levels of control with other Group 1 grass herbicides, especially early.
- Also, please note that other herbicides like Dual, Zidua, Reflex and Prism are not effective on couchgrass or most perennial weed species.
- Always talk to your agronomist to discuss your specific needs!
AgriScout PVY Detection App:
The AgriScout mobile app for in-field PVY detection in plants is now live and available at: https://app.agriscout.ai/
The app works on any mobile device, including both Android and iOS. You can also install it as a home screen icon, making it easy to open quickly, just like a regular mobile app.
New users can create an account using their email address. The app will guide them through the setup process and provide instructions for using its features.
Please let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions for improvements. This app has been developed by researchers at UPEI as part of the AIM-supported research into AI detection of PVY.
Potato Scouting Workshop – June 30th
The PEI Department of Agriculture, PEI Potato Board and East Prince Agri-Environment Association are collaborating to host a Potato Scouting Workshop on Tuesday, June 30th at the Emerald Community Center in Emerald, PE. This workshop is targeted for anyone doing crop scouting or on-farm disease/pest surveillance. Registration starts at 8:30 am, with sessions starting at 9:00 am. Lunch is included, followed by in-field demo at 1:00 pm.
The morning will consist of short presentations by industry experts on foliar diseases, pests, weeds, nutrient deficiencies, and biosecurity practices. After lunch, there will be an in-field scouting demonstration, combining both traditional scouting methods as well as drone-assisted scouting techniques.
Cost is $40.00, which includes a noon meal. To pre-register, please contact Rodrigo dos Santos at rsdsantos@gov.pe.ca or (902) 314-1607.
Seed Roguing Clinic – July 7th:
The PEI Potato Board has organized a Seed Roguing Clinic, instructed by Mary Kay Sonier. The clinic is planned for July 7th, starting at 8:30 am at the PEI Potato Board Meeting Room, 90 Hillstrom Avenue. Pre-registration is required to help with planning. To register, please contact Rebecca at 902-892-6551 or email rebecca@peipotato.org.
Have a great rest of the week!
Ryan