GUELPH — The introduction of the cosmetic pesticides ban, earlier this year, brought with it the need to develop alternatives to the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes in the lawn care, landscaping, park maintenance and turf management sectors.

These alternatives are being researched and tested with the announcement of the Cosmetic Use Pesticide Research and Innovation (CUPRI) Program being administered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC). The Ontario Ministry of the Environment made available $480,000 in funding to help create and evaluate “greener” options to pesticides for landscaping purposes including lawns, gardens, parks and turf grass.

“The Cosmetic Pesticides Ban protects the environment and encourages the growth of innovative green industries in Ontario,” said Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen, in a recent news release. “The CUPRI program is a key initiative in that effort.”

Throughout the summer, the AAC solicited project proposals from companies, commodity associations, trade organizations and research and academic institutions. The successful applicants were:

• University of Guelph: $112,968 for new research projects at the University to evaluate alternatives to cosmetic pesticides to manage weeds in lawns, and fruit and vegetable gardens.

• Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation: $86,500 for biological control strategies to be identified and developed to address the problem of white grubs in lawns and turf grass.

• 6310907 Canada Inc.: $60,000 to develop a fungus called Curvularia into an effective and selective bioherbicide for crabgrass.

• Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation: $21,000 to look at the efficacy of the Mustard Bio-product CA-1, to be evaluated for use as a bioherbicide.

• Environmental Factor Inc.: $30,000. Hydrolyzed liquid corn gluten will be evaluated for efficacy in controlling weeds compared to the granular formulation

• Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association: $22,992 to look at the effectiveness of using steam and solarization treatments for weed control in ornamental gardens and lawns.

All of these projects will be completed by March 31, 2011.

“The MOE designed the CUPRI Program in recognition that research and innovation is a necessary part of ongoing pest control in Ontario,” said AAC board chair Jim Rickard, in the news release. “The Agricultural Adaptation Council is pleased to help allocate funds to companies and organizations in the sod, turf grass, landscape, and lawn care sectors. These projects will build on the already strong Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system used extensively by landscapers, turf specialists and farmers in Ontario where pest damage is minimized by a number of economically and environmentally sound methods including soil cultivation, resistant crop varieties and natural enemies.”