Under continued joint collaboration between the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC), Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA), and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC), the 23rd Annual National Pest Management Priority Setting Workshop was held in Gatineau, Québec on March 25 – 26, 2025. Continuing this year was the two-day workshop first introduced in 2024 as opposed to the previous three-day format, which saw entomology, pathology, and weed science priorities elevated over the course of both workshop days. The goal of the workshops was to nominate ‘B’ priorities in all disciplines on Day 1, and to nominate ‘A’ priorities from the ‘B’ list for all disciplines on Day 2.
The meetings brought together a wide range of participants from across North America. Participants included, but were not limited to university and federal researchers, crop extension specialists, private consultants, provincial specialists, provincial minor use coordinators (PMUCs), registrant representatives, Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and AAFC-PMC staff, growers, grower organization representatives, and delegates from the US IR-4 project, and Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry.
The meetings were held to review the top priorities identified by each of the provinces’ horticultural and ornamental crop industries to establish the top national priorities for the minor and specialty crops sectors. Project priorities resulting from the workshop will guide AAFC-PMC’s field research program for the 2026 season, and support future minor use label expansion submissions to PMRA