Biological Control & IPM Technical Representative Québec & Eastern Ontario
Laurence Bourgeois-Racette
Laurence supports growers across Québec and Eastern Ontario with biological control and integrated pest management. With 13 years of experience in horticulture and agriculture, a research master's in biological sciences, and hands-on greenhouse management experience, she brings a strong understanding of plant biology and ecology. She helps growers select beneficial insects and mites, understand pest–predator interactions, and establish effective, long-term biological control programs.
Expertise
What Laurence knows best
Laurence takes an ecological approach to greenhouse biological control, focusing on how pests, beneficial insects, and predatory mites interact throughout their life cycles. She helps growers select appropriate biological control agents, understand what they need to establish, and use banker plants to support beneficial populations. Her approach to IPM emphasizes patience, consistent monitoring, and building biological control systems that work over time.
“Establishing populations of beneficials and maintaining those populations takes time, consistency, and patience.”
Experience
From greenhouse management to plant research
Before joining GrowLiv Biologicals, Laurence managed greenhouse operations for a nonprofit organization focused on social and professional reintegration. Her responsibilities included crop production, greenhouse conditions, and day-to-day operations.
Her scientific background includes research on the effects of infrared light on greenhouse plant growth, laboratory and data analysis in ecotoxicology, and four years contributing to plant research through a collaboration between Sorbonne University in Paris and an agroenvironmental laboratory in Québec.
With a research master’s in biological sciences focused on plant genomics and evolution, Laurence brings both practical growing experience and a strong understanding of plant biology to her work in biological control.
Flowers & Ornamentals · Strawberries · Greenhouse Vegetables · Cannabis
Laurence is an enthusiastic urban gardener who has spent the past decade making the most of her balcony and small backyard. Somehow, she always manages to find room for another plant pot every year. She also shares her home with pet lovebirds.
Education & Training
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