Collection of Field Grown Lettuce and Spinach Pest Management Data and Preparation of a National Lettuce and Spinach Crop Profile document for online publication.

The crop profiles are web-based documents that provide crop production and pest management information for a specified crop or crop group. National in scope, they provide a snapshot of key pest issues and gaps in pest management faced by Canadian growers at the time of data collection. This information is used by growers, grower groups, provinces, industries and government agencies.

The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre (AAFC PMC) has supported the development and periodic update of 32 crop profiles published and freely accessible through the Government of Canada Publications online catalogue.

The 2019 Statistics Canada data report the national farm gate values of lettuce (head and leaf) and spinach were $82.3 M and $10.4 M, respectively. Quebec harvests the majority of lettuce (86%) and spinach (42%) grown in Canada, followed by Ontario (5% lettuce; 46% spinach) and British Columbia (5% lettuce; 4% spinach); therefore these provinces are selected as representing provinces for the data collection. Since 2003, stakeholders have chosen 38 minor use pesticide “A” priorities for pest management of field grown lettuce and 25 priorities for spinach during AAFC PMC’s Annual Canadian Pest Management Priority Setting Workshops. These priorities target solutions to manage weeds, plant pathogens, and insects. The production of a new national crop profile that encompasses field grown lettuce and spinach will provide an overview of leafy vegetable production and a detailed review of pest occurrence and management practices, as well as provide a summary of key pest management issues this industry faces.

Under the proposed contract, pest management data and national key and pest specific issues will be collected and a profile prepared outlining lettuce (head and leaf) and spinach production, key insect, plant pathogen and weed science issues Canadian lettuce and spinach growers face, along with currently available integrated pest management (IPM) practices.