The Grower April 2015

CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

APRIL 2015

VOLUME 65 NUMBER 04

BIOTECHNOLOGY IN 2015

The biotech road leads to a horticultural horizon

At this time of year, getting onto the land is a primal urge of farmers. Here, this coulter-disc machine prepares the soil for potato planting. “This process is vertical tillage whereby we can cut the straw finer to make a better seed bed without covering all the straw,” says potato grower, Stan Wiebe, MacGregor, Manitoba. “We are making the field less susceptible to wind erosion.” Modern equipment plus ever-evolving seed cultivars put spring into a farmer’s step. In the next couple years, the non-bruising, late-blight resistant Innate potato may add yet another choice. Photo by Stan Wiebe.

INSIDE Lack of financial protection worries Canadian exporters Page 6 Retailers want more stone fruit

Page 10

Focus: Water management and irrigation

B section

www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319 $3.00 CDN

KAREN DAVIDSON Two horticultural crops -- the Arctic apple and the Innate potato -- are arriving at a milestone together. Both are products of biotechnology, the result of genome editing that silences the enzyme responsible for bruising.

Both have been recently approved for sale in the United States.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada approved the Arctic apple on March 20. Conclusions to the review of the Innate potato are expected soon.

“It will be interesting to see what the Canadian government does,” says Keith Kuhl, a Manitoba potato grower and president of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC).

“The USDA has approved these products and we have an open border policy. Does the government have a desire not to allow them into Canada or will the

government allow advances using this technology?”

Kuhl notes that all genetically modified research is moving towards cisgenesis – the science of manipulating the plant’s own genes. That’s what distinguishes the Arctic apple and the Innate potato from other biotech crops.

There is no genetic material from other species. Transgenics are a thing of the past, says Kuhl.

Today’s technology offers the same results as natural breeding, just faster. Bringing consumers up to speed on that science may prove more problematic.

“We also want to ensure that we don’t go against public opinion,” says Kuhl. “Consumers must be on side as we move forward. We’re trying to find methods to educate the public in all farming practices.”

To answer growing requests for a position on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the CHC approved a standing policy statement at its recent March 12

annual general meeting in Quebec City. Remaining neutral on the issue, the Canadian Horticultural Council “supports all approved production practices which will enable the future viability and sustainability of horticulture production.”

Hugh Reynolds, a potato grower from Delta, British Columbia, picks up on the sustainability theme. “I think that Innate potatoes will be an amazing thing,” he says. “I want a potato that’s not susceptible to late blight. If we can cut down on the fungicide applications, then I’m excited. It’s good for the environment, it’s good for people to eat.”

Having watched the GMO debate of the last decade, he’s hopeful that consumers will see that fear-mongering has denied new products to emerging countries where there’s insufficient food. “I will always speak for science so that these people can have food,” says

Reynolds.

Looking back 20 years It’s been a long and winding road for biotechnology since the first products were commercialized almost 20 years ago. At that time, consumers were prepared to pay for NatureMark potatoes in test pilots in the Maritimes.

Potatoes that were resistant to Colorado potato beetle and thus required less pesticide were a benefit that Maritime consumers could comprehend. But McCain Foods refused to contract the potatoes fearing a backlash from environmental groups. Monsanto ceased its insect-resistant potato research in 2001. By 2004, the biotech pioneer also pulled out of glyphosate-tolerant wheat and diverted its research resources into crops such as corn, soybeans and canola.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PAGE 2 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

NEWSMAKERS

AT PRESS TIME… Non-browning apple approved

bolstered by the convenience factor and upward trend in consumption of healthier foods.”

Carter estimates that Arctic apples, available as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious varieties, will first be sold in small, test-market quantities in late 2016, with increasing amounts of fruit becoming available in each successive year.

CPMA ramps up for Montreal show Neal Carter On March 20, Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) announced that non-browning Arctic apples have been approved for commercial sale in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada have concluded these apples “are as safe and nutritious as traditional apple varieties.”

The announcement comes after three years of Canadian government review and a USDA approval on February 13, 2015. The apple is the result of genome editing that silences the enzyme responsible for bruising.

“Arctic apples’ non-browning trait creates a wide array of benefits that offer value to the entire supply chain, especially consumers,” said Neal Carter, OSF, Summerland, B.C. “Arctic apples do not brown when bitten, sliced or bruised, which helps reduce food waste and improves their fresh-cut suitability.

One of the fastest-growing categories of the fruit and vegetable industry is the fresh-cut segment,

This year’s Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is slated for April 15-17 in Montreal.

The Passion for Produce Program has attracted 19 participants this year, the largest number to date. Five women are part of the group. A range of companies are sending candidates such as MetroRichelieu, Red Sun Farms, Loblaw, Vineland Growers’ Cooperative, Exeter Produce and Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.

“We are thrilled to have so many rising stars from some of the leading companies within our industry,” said Ron Lemaire, president, CPMA. “The program provides mentoring and education in a fast-paced but fun setting where participants learn through targeted mentoring sessions and networking events. This program also gives participants the opportunity to increase their knowledge beyond the scope of their current role within the industry.”

Candidates develop lasting relationships with mentors, fellow candidates, and other industry leaders who will guide them through their careers. Sixty-five candidates have

been mentored to date.

Reward extended in potato tampering The police investigation is ongoing into tampering incidents at potato packaging facilities in Prince Edward Island. The provincial potato board and other Canadian entities have pledged a $100,000 reward for the culprit. The reward has been extended to April 30.

“Losses are now in the seven figures,” says Gary Linkletter, whose Summerside-based Linkletter Farms has been victim of sewing needles found in potatoes.

“The farm has business interruption insurance, but I recommend a risk analysis of your farm. We’ve installed $40,000 worth of metal detection equipment to prevent further operational disturbances and losses.”

Premier’s award for innovation: Deadline April 10 The Ontario Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation recognizes up to 45 innovations across the province. Award recipients will receive $5,000, a plaque, gate sign and various promotional materials.

In addition, there will be a Premier’s Award valued at $75,000, a Minister’s Award valued at $50,000 and three Leaders in Innovation Awards valued at $25,000 each.

Submit an application by the deadline of 5 p.m. on April 10, 2015. Questions can be directed to 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.

At the March 10-12 Canadian Horticultural Council annual general meeting, Marcus Janzen was honoured with the Doug Connery Award for passion and excellence in horticulture. The Abbotsford-B.C. greenhouse pepper grower is a pastL to R: Marcus Janzen and Keith Kuhl president of the council (2006) and an unstinting contributor to provincial and national groups.

Congratulations to Keith Kuhl, a Winkler, Manitoba potato farmer, who was elected to a third term as president of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC). For more details on the CHC annual general meeting and board of directors, see page 6.

Former Toronto mayor David Crombie will lead a review panel on the decade-old Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, the Niagara Escarpment Plan and the Greater Golden Horseshoe growth plan. The plans are coordinated to protect farmland and protect ecologically sensitive areas. Joining him are Ontario Federation of Agriculture vice-president Keith Currie, former Credit Valley Conservation Authority official Rae Horst, Vaughan city planning commissioner John MacKenzie, Urban Fieldgate Homes executive Leith Moore and Debbie Zimmerman, chief executive officer of Grape Growers of Ontario.

Neal Carter, president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, along with 45 investors, has sold the company for $41 million to Intrexon Corporation. The Germantown, Maryland company is expected to bring its commercialization expertise to the table now that the USDA and CFIA have approved the non-browning Arctic apple.

George Gilvesy, general manager of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, has announced he will be leaving the organization in the fall of 2015 to pursue other business interests.

He’s managed the group since April 2009, during a period of healthy growth for the sector.

Several horticultural companies have been honoured as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. President and co-founder Davis Yung of Fresh Direct Produce, Vancouver, B.C., says the program learnings have inspired the company to continuous growth, including a full line of organic produce and a new packing facility. Other honorees include Mastronardi Produce, The Oppenheimer Group and Red Sun Farms.

The British Columbia Fruit Grower’s Association has re-elected Fred Steele as president. Joining him are vice-president Bhupinder Dhaliwal and directors Niel Dendy, Surjeet Nagra, Tony Nijjar, Ravinder Bains, Sukhdeep Brar and Denise MacDonald. The association represents 520 commercial tree fruit growers.

The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association gave several awards at its annual general meeting. The Leadership Award went to Dianne and Bill Parks, Parks Blueberries, Bothwell; The Outstanding Farm Marketer Award went to Karen and Doug Whitty, St. Catharines; The Ambassador Award went to Chef Lynn Crawford of Food Network TV fame.

The Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association recognized Larry Hipple with its Award of Merit on March 10.

While Wade MacLauchlan became the new Liberal premier for Prince Edward Island in late February, his minister for agriculture and forestry remains the same: George Webster is also the deputy premier.

The Federation des producteurs de pommes du Québec has officially changed its name to Les Producteurs de pommes du Québec (Apple Producers of Quebec). Stéphanie Levasseur has been elected chair for a second consecutive year. She is joined by Eric Rochon, Alexandre Simard, Mario Bourdeau, Gérald Lussier, Yvan Duchesne, François Turcotte and François Blouin.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

COVER STORY

The biotech road leads to a horticultural horizon CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The last decade has marked production advances in these grains and oilseeds to the point that Canadian canola now exceeds wheat in terms of farmgate value, generating one-quarter of all farm cash receipts.

Soybeans are no laggard either, posting a record of five million acres in 2014. Biotech seed with glyphosate-tolerance and insect-resistance along with reduced tillage practices have revolutionized these crops. New soybean varieties are expected in 2016 to contain resistance to nematodes as well as phythopthora root rot, pests familiar to horticultural producers.

Wheat farmers have watched those gains from the sidelines and have rethought their original notions about biotech. In 2014, Canadian, American and Australian wheat groups reversed their negative stance and urged renewed biotech research to find better varieties, particularly those which might be rust-resistant or drought-tolerant.

Meanwhile, advances in cisgenesis have allowed scientists to become even more precise. Out of the ashes of the NatureMark potato failure, the J.R. Simplot company invested millions in a potato with a consumer benefit – the non-browning potato. Equally important, Simplot turned to a different technique – gene

silencing -- using the potato’s own genes.

Going forward, 2015 is a pivotal year “2015 is the year of the 1.0 potato, the low-bruising, non-browning, low-acrylamide potato,” explains Joe Guenthner, professor emeritus of University of Idaho. “By 2017, expect 2.0 Innate potato with late blight resistance and cold storage properties.”

On March 5, Guenthner told the Ontario Potato Conference that Simplot plans a closed-loop system for its Innate potato. The stewardship program will manage highly controlled nuclear seed and field seed, and will license commercial growers to sell to licensed processors and packers.

Any off-grades go to licensed end users. The top grades will be sold through agreed-upon channels.

About 2,000 to 3,000 acres of Innate Russet potatoes will be grown by contract growers in multiple states in 2015, with harvests channelled to fresh and fresh-cut markets. Small runs will also be handled for chips. No Innate potatoes will enter the frozen or dehydrated channels.

“Operators see freshly-diced potatoes as a value-add in the foodservice area,” says Guenthner. “Imagine the possibilities with a shelf life of 14 days or more in the refrigerated aisle.”

If fresh-cut diced potatoes are exciting, then look to the 3.0 generation of Innate. Guenthner

anticipates global late-blight resistance and potato-virus resistance. Other Innate traits could include vitamins, colour, antioxidants, water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency.

Guenthner predicts the tide is shifting on consumer acceptance of biotech foods. He points out the February 27 announcement that Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Summerland, British Columbia has sold the company for $41 million to Intrexon Corporation.

The Germantown, Maryland company is expected to bring its commercialization expertise to the table, especially as it pertains

to the fresh-cut segment in apples.

It’s estimated that Arctic apples will first be sold in small, test-market quantities in late 2016, with increasing amounts of fruit becoming available each successive year, according to Neal Carter, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Summerland, British Columbia.

So far, Quebec and British Columbia apple growers aren’t biting. “Our members would like the apple market to remain free of genetically modified apples,” says Fred Steele, president of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association.

Representing 520 commercial

growers, Steele is calling on the Canadian government for a moratorium on the Arctic apple until results are known for the market launch in the U.S. All eyes are now turned to Canadian regulatory bodies. And farmers will be watching closely as the commercial launches are rolled out in the U.S. in the next two years. The business model for Innate potatoes could well provide a template for Arctic apples since both are headed to fresh-cut channels. As wheat farmers have learned, never say never.

CALIFORNIA

MEXICO

UNITED STATES

ARGENTINA

UNITED STATES

Strawberry lawsuits settled

New trade show for Mazatlán

New potato variety released

Trade in apples, pears drops

A dispute over intellectual property that dated back to October 2013 has been settled between the California Strawberry Commission and the University of California-Davis.

The California Strawberry Commission has channeled millions of dollars to the university for strawberry research. The university breeding program supplies more than half of the world’s strawberry varieties.

UC-Davis has hired plant geneticist Steven Knapp to lead the strawberry breeding program.

During the next five years, UC-Davis will release new varieties to all farmers and start identifying new ones. As part of the legal settlement, a new strawberry advisory committee will be formed, comprising university representatives, strawberry farmers and commission representatives.

The first edition of Veggie & Fruit México is planned for June 17, 18 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa.

Organizers are gathering fresh produce leaders, top retail executives and industry experts under one roof. The program will provide insights into trends affecting the marketplace, best practices and new strategies to incorporate into marketing plans.

The first-time show expects 30 exhibitors and more than 300 attendees from Mexico, the U.S. and Central America.

Caribou Russet, a new potato variety resulting from a cross between Silverton Russet and Reeves Kingspin, has been released by the University of Maine and the Maine Potato Board. It is a dual-purpose, russet-skinned variety with high yields, mid-season maturity and moderate common scab resistance. It is also resistant to golden nematode race Ro1 and is moderately resistant to Verticillium wilt.

The new variety has good baked and mashed quality for fresh market consumption and is also expected to be useful for processing markets.

A limited amount of early generation seed is available from the Maine Seed Potato Board and from growers in Maine.

Hail storms as well as devaluated world currencies are dampening exports from this South American country. In the first 45 days of 2015, exports of apples and pears have dropped by 92 per cent and 52 per cent respectively, compared to the same period a year ago.

With markets in Europe and Russia drying up, the industry is looking for government help to weather the crisis.

American importer Viva Tierra, based in Washington state, is reporting good volume of organic pears from Argentina with lower prices. Addie Pobst reports that over the last five years, prices for organic pears have been converging with conventional fruit.

Record low snowpack in Cascades, Sierra Nevada

Slide courtesy of Joe Guenthner

INTERNATIONAL

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Source: FreshPlaza.com Source: FreshPlaza.com Source: FreshPlaza.com

The snowpack at the Continental Divide is considered normal, however the Sacramento Bee is reporting that levels drop off to the south and west.

Snowpack declines have been recorded in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Almost a third of the recording sites are reporting the lowest snowpack ever measured. Some sites had no snow on March 1 which means reduced summer streamflow.

Western states such as Oregon and Washington have received plenty of rain, however they depend on the gradual release of water during the summer for irrigation.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

PAGE 4 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST QUEBEC

Quebec greenhouse grower in receivership Les Serres du St-Laurent Inc., the largest greenhouse tomato producer in la belle province, is in receivership. In late February, the company of Raymont Chabot was appointed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to initiate an assets sales process. The secured creditors are the Banque Nationale and Banque Royale.

The main assets are the Savoura trademark, current inventory and 27 acres of greenhouses located in Portneuf, Danville and Saint-Étienne-des-Grès. While a buyer is being sought, 200 employees continue to manage production.

The Savoura brand was launched 27 years ago by the Gosselin and Gauvin families. The company ran into tough times in the last two fiscal years after an unsuccessful expansion in Mexico. The company owes $20 million to their creditors including $10 million to the Banque Nationale, $6 million to the Banque Royale, $1.4 million to Investissement Quebec and another $1 million in share capital. The remainder is to suppliers.

Together, the three greenhouses represent 40 per cent of the greenhouse

tomato production in Quebec. There are 235 greenhouse vegetable growers in Quebec with $90 million in farmgate value says Marie Bouillé, executive director, Quebec Greenhouse Growers’ Association.

She says many groups have expressed interest in bidding on the greenhouses with 20 having signed confidentiality agreements to do due diligence.

Salaries and energy are two key reasons for high costs of production in Quebec, says Bouillé. Hydro Quebec announced another price increase in March.

Photo by Glenn Lowson

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Okanagan program wins international award Pest Management (IPM) Achievement Award. General manager of OKSIR Cara Nelson says the program has operated from Salmon Arm to Osoyoos and into the Similkameen for more than 20 years.

“Our whole valley can be proud of the OKSIR program – not just for the amount of pesticides kept out of the environment because the program is in place, but also for the

A program that helps control codling moths in apple and pear growing areas of the Okanagan and Similkameen has won an

international award. The Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release (OKSIR) Program has been honoured for an Integrated

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Fighting tomato blight Rick Peters, an Agriculture Canada research scientist, is spearheading an unusual campaign: plant only blight-resistant tomatoes and prevent late blight in potatoes too. His message has particular resonance in Prince Edward Island where an aggressive strain of late blight devastated tomatoes in home gardens last year.

While the new strain – US 23 – is hard on tomatoes, it’s also the source of spores that can hurt the province’s $1 billion potato crop.

This spring, Peters is speaking to garden clubs and industry groups, encouraging the planting of blight-resistant tomatoes. His packets of free seeds are one way to kickstart the campaign.

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support it provides for our fruit growers who are important to our local economy and our Okanagan way of life,” says Nelson.

Nelson says the program has reduced the amount of pesticides used against codling moth by 96 percent since its inception. That means many orchardists in the valley have not had to spray their trees for codling moth for the last 15 years.

“If a chemical spray is

required, most growers need only use a single well-timed application, instead of the three or more they needed prior to the program’s implementation,” she says.

The award was announced during the eighth International IPM Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Source: OKSIR news release

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

PAGE 6 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 93RD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Memo to Canadian government: Give us financial protection against insolvency in Canada and restore preferred status under PACA in the U.S.

The 2015 board of directors is L –R: Fred Steele (British Columbia), Ernie van Boom (Prairies), Adrian Huisman (Ontario), Alvin Keenan (Atlantic), Keith Kuhl, President (Prairies), Claude Laniel (Québec), Peter Swetnam (Atlantic), Bar Hayre (British Columbia), Brian Gilroy (Ontario), Louis Gauthier (Québec). Photo by Trevor Eggleton.

KAREN DAVIDSON Quebec City, QC -- Financial protection for Canada’s fruit and vegetable sector has never been more important. Produce trade to the U.S. is worth $4 billion annually, according to a recent Conference Board of Canada report, and is likely to grow with the Canadian dollar worth just north of 78 cents. The greenhouse vegetable industry alone, worth more than $1 billion, sends 70 per cent of its product to the United States.

But there’s more risk to selling to the U.S. this year if the U.S. buyer is slow to pay or worse, defaults. Last fall, the U.S. government removed its longstanding preferential access to Canadian produce sellers to be protected under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). If a U.S. buyer fails to pay, Canadian exporters are now required to post a bond valued at double the value of their claim to access the PACA formal complaint process. This causes significant financial burden in addition to lack of payment by the U.S buyer.

“It’s an insurmountable burden for small to medium-sized businesses,” says Ken Forth, chair of the trade and marketing

committee, Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC).

“What our government doesn’t understand is that a relatively small non-payment could devastate the Holland Marsh muck growers, for example, or the Georgian Bay apple growers.

In horticulture, we are specialty growers in concentrated regions.”

As Forth explains, a bankruptcy can disrupt a few specific growers in a region who are all shipping at the same time.

This is devastating to not only the growers but ancillary suppliers.

Since the U.S. rescinded its protection last October, statistics show little change in number of disputes. However, winter is a quiet time for movement of fresh produce to the U.S. With spring, deliveries will ramp up. The risk of non-payment will now increase disproportionately for Canadian sellers into the U.S. In business terms, U.S. buyers could coldly calculate that the additional costs of accessing the PACA process will deter Canadian sellers from pursuing claims.

Small- and medium-sized farmers simply won’t be able to qualify for a surety bond. They will have to post cash or a letter of credit – liquidity they don’t have when farm loans and lines of credit are also due.

No surprise, then, that delegates to the CHC annual general meeting voted unanimously that it “aggressively advocate for the creation of a limited statutory deemed trust to provide financial protection for produce sellers in Canada in a manner that is equivalent to the U.S. PACA protections for produce sales to U.S. buyers.”

This is a different solution than what has been put forward by the Canadian government.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada which leads the file has suggested some form of credit insurance. Interestingly enough, the grain industry has discarded this option and it’s no better for horticulture. The department’s own study found insurance to be feasible only if the government was willing to make significant investment and industry accepts that upwards of 20 per cent of farmers won’t be insurable for any appreciable amount. Other traditional tools – pooling, factoring and bonding – were found not workable for the horticultural sector.

With unanimous consent, the horticultural industry stands behind a statutory deemed trust.

Ronald Cuming, a law professor with the University of Saskatchewan and a sought-after

international consultant, has drafted the verbiage for what he calls the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Products Protection Act. At its core, he suggests that farmers be put ahead of bankers as priority creditors on specific limited assets.

Cuming writes: “The legal effect of the trust is to give to the seller who is the beneficiary under the trust a first priority status with respect to trust property.” He explains that the limited nature of the trust would apply only to those liquid assets generated by the sale of produce, and not to other assets such as real estate, vehicles, equipment and other liquid assets not derived from the sale of produce.

To date, this plan has had no traction with agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.

It’s true that the Safe Food for Canadians Act will help in terms of requiring licenses of fresh produce buyers and sellers. But most Canadian buyers are already voluntary members of the Dispute

Resolution Corporation (DRC).

Membership in the DRC satisfies the requirement for licensing in Canada. Fewer than 80 Canadian firms have a CFIA federal licence which is expected to be phased out in favour of DRC membership. Licensing will help, however, this piece of paper will do nothing in the face of a U.S. firm becoming insolvent.

On a parallel track, Industry Canada is completing its mandated, five-year review of bankruptcy law. Until now, no dates have been set for the parliamentary committee to meet and review its report. Horticulture is left in a twilight zone with no process to move forward while risk mounts with more volume of shipments to the U.S. “It’s not hard to solve this unnecessary trade irritant,” suggests Forth. Agriculture minister Ritz, MP for BattlefordsLloydminster, could stop in Saskatoon for a coffee with Ronald Cuming.

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APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

PAGE 8 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 93RD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Sustainability, a recurring theme of conference

L-R: Gervais Laprise, general manager, Quebec Wild Blueberry Association; Pierre Paradis, Quebec minister of agriculture and Keith Kuhl, president, Canadian Horticultural Council.

Quebec City, QC -- Still in the grip of winter, la belle province played a warm host to the 93rd annual general meeting of the Canadian Horticultural Council.

Some of the meeting’s themes are reflected in the following quotes.

L-R: Manjeet Sethi, executive director, Pest Management Centre; and Anne Fowlie, executive vice-president, Canadian Horticultural Council.

“Over the past years, discussion on sustainability has continued to escalate. Many of the retail customers are in the process of developing or implementing their sustainability programs. I believe that we again have the choice of either developing a program that will be accepted or to accept a

program that will be developed.

The three pillars of sustainability are Social, Economic and Environment; or more clearly stated as people, profit and planet. At the core of sustainability lies profit, no one can claim to be sustainable if they cannot demonstrate that they are

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••• “As we look further ahead into 2015, the fluctuating Canadian dollar, the timing and results of a federal election, anticipated new regulations in support of the Safe Food for Canadians Act and mandatory statutory reviews of key federal Acts of particular interest to horticulture will be closely monitored. In particular, reviews of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Pest Control Products Act each have the potential to impact how we do business.”

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profitable. Sustainability includes a commitment to ensure your suppliers and customers can be profitable; it includes a commitment that the people you employ will be offered fair compensation and a safe working environment. It further includes a commitment to care for the environment. As with Food Safety, most farms are already doing most of the things needed within a sustainability program but have not taken the steps to formalize their plan and do not have a plan that can be audited.

I believe we need to set up a working group to design a sustainability model which our member farms could use to implement a sustainability program on their farms. I would further suggest that the program needs to be auditable and I would hope that we could design the program to allow the audit to be part of the food safety audit thus avoiding multiple audits.” ~ Keith Kuhl, president, Canadian Horticultural Council

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Mark Wales, chair, finance and business committee, Canadian Horticultural Council. Photos by Trevor Eggleton.

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~ Anne Fowlie, executive vice-president, Canadian Horticultural Council •••

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AgriStability enrollment is declining mainly as a result of the decreased margin cut-offs.

Contributions to AgriInvest have diminished, the result of a one-third reduction in matching contributions from government AgriInsurance appears to be the single program area where funding has increased gradually for agriculture. However, even there, it is too early to determine with more detail the actual results for horticulture. What is clear, though, that there is resolve from government to move away from direct producer support where often times this is the only recourse that a grower may have in uncontrollable and potentially catastrophic situations.

Recognizing these issues and with the coming federal election in 2015, the Business Risk Management Working Group, supported by CHC staff, has initiated preparation of the background information required to develop policy and advocacy platforms in an effort to support advocacy initiatives to return to pre-GF2 support levels. Initial meetings with the AAFC Programs Branch representatives have been moderately fruitful to date and these efforts will c ontinue, with enhanced attention during the spring and summer of 2015. ~ Mark Wales, chair, CHC finance and business management committee

Merci beaucoup to Quebec directors Claude Laniel and Louis Gauthier and their members for a warm welcome.

A picture of the St. Lawrence with open water is a reminder that spring will arrive! Can strawberries from Île d'Orléans be far behind?

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 93RD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Safety of reusable plastic containers questioned KAREN DAVIDSON Quebec City, QC -- Canada’s horticulture industry is complaining about ongoing sanitary issues with reusable plastic containers (RPCs), citing a 2014 study from the University of Guelph that showed post-cleaning contamination in a high percentage of 160 crates. While about 30 million RPCs are used in Canada each year, this small sampling raises troubling questions.

University of Guelph food safety professor Keith Warriner concluded there is a high prevalence of food safety indicators especially E coli which highlights the potential for the presence of enteric pathogens that could encompass viruses, protozoa and bacteria.

In addition to inadequate sanitation, he reported that 10 per cent of his sample contained plant material. Thirty per cent of his sample was observed to carry labels such as “Product of Mexico” from previous users. He has established that 1000 colony forming units (CFU) per swab is the threshold above which there is cause for concern. A 2015 study from University of CaliforniaDavis sampled RPCs that were visibly soiled and also found high bacterial counts.

“We never had that problem with corrugated,” said Peter Cummings, president of the British Columbia Greenhouse Growers’ Association. “This is a completely unacceptable risk. It only takes a nasty outbreak on peppers or tomatoes, and then consumers will blame the retailers and growers. But RPCs will get off the hook and it will be hard to find the smoking gun.”

Linda Delli Santi, chair of the CHC’s greenhouse committee echoed his concerns, saying that a RPC technical working group under the auspices of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association is moving at “glacial speed.” This technical working group resulted from a resolution at the 2012 CHC annual general meeting that RPCs be cleaned and sanitized in a manner consistent with CanadaGAP requirements.

“To date, there has been nothing concrete from this committee,” said Delli Santi.

“And other horticultural groups share our concerns.”

CHC’s greenhouse committee was disappointed that a Canadian representative of IFCO, the primary supplier of RPCs did not appear for a planned presentation.

George Gilvesy, general manager of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, is a member of that technical working group.

He reported that one of the undertakings by IFCO was to present to growers and to report corrective actions. “It would have been a good opportunity for them to have taken advantage of the

CHC annual meeting to have done so,” said Gilvesy.

Farmers are complaining that RPCs are not visibly clean when they are returned from the U.S. sanitization plant. “When growers see visible signs of stickers, soil or plant material, how can they be assured that the RPC has been cleaned properly?” said Gilvesy.

RPCs are a retail reality said Cummings. The issue is not about the expense of RPCs but the risk of receiving a container that will bring disease into greenhouses.

“We are as concerned about phytosanitary standards as food safety,” said Don Taylor, chair, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable

Growers. “This is not just a greenhouse issue. This is important to all of horticulture.”

A best management guide was released in March through the Reusable Packaging Association in the U.S. However, this is not assuaging industry worries.

Warriner says the guide lacks detail on sanitary standards and assurance that RPCs are actually returned to the U.S. “Yes, there’s a food safety issue,” Warriner told The Grower, “but my biggest concern is the introduction of plant pathogens that could be spread to production areas.”

On the floor of the CHC

Photo by Glenn Lowson annual general meeting, a resolution was passed to petition RPC manufacturers as well as retailers to address these food safety and biosecurity concerns.

The resolution also included the

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directive for CHC to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on scientific research, the outcomes of which could recommend best practices on RPC management.

PAGE 10 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

RETAIL NEWS

What do consumers want in stone fruit?

“Of the local stone fruit received last year, 0.02 per cent was organic. There’s a huge demand for organics but it’s going to take five years to gear up. We need the product. Cost depends on volume and that will be a challenge for the first few years.” ~ Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw KAREN DAVIDSON Niagara Falls, ON -- The Ontario Tender Fruit Producer’s Marketing Board organized a retailer panel at the recent Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.

Participants were: Oleen Smethurst, Costco; Gabriela Yung, Walmart; Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw; Rob Pereira, Sobeys.

Emcee for the event was Mike Ecker, president, Vineland Growers’ Cooperative Ltd. who asked the following questions: 1) What potential do you see for locally grown organics in the next five to 10 years? Is a price differential sustainable over the long term?

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: Of the local stone fruit received last year, 0.02 per cent was organic.

There’s a huge demand for organics but it’s going to take five years to gear up. We need the product.

Cost depends on volume and that will be a challenge for the first few years.

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: We just started dabbling in organics. I didn’t know you have organic stone fruit! Yes, there’s an interest. The premium is important, but there can’t be too large of a gap between conventionally grown and organic. I think we’ll see organic and conventional pricing coming in line over the years.

Rob Pereira, Sobeys: The potential is hard to measure. The claim most impactful for customers in recent studies shows the “local” is the most relevant in making their purchase. Organics fall below this in customer rankings but continues to grow in demand. Is the pricing sustainable? Yes I think it is, but ultimately growth will come with added volume and reduced cost of goods.

Gabriela Yung, Walmart: We are very interested in growing organics and providing our customers that option. The price gap needs to shrink in order for people to accept organics.

Walmart is about saving Canadians money so they can live better. In U.S. stores, organics

are in smaller packages with the same pricing as conventional.

Mike Ecker, Vineland Growers: Our growers have dabbled in organics on grapes. Last year, we did a few peaches with real consumer acceptance. It’s much more difficult to grow organic stone fruit.

2) Are private label brands important to your growth in the fresh produce department?

And where do you see this trend five to 10 years from now?

Gabriela Yung, Walmart: Private label is part of our strategy. In terms of fresh stone fruit, we are always open to review this possibility.

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: Private label brands have no impact on us for fresh produce.

We like to have the grower brand on the label so that consumers know where the product is from.

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: Twenty-five per cent of our produce is under private label brands. This is a hugely important initiative for us. We try to clean up the labels. We don’t want multiple grower labels. We want private label in mature categories.

So we’re targeting specific growers to supply us with private label. We try not to lose the grower connection by providing bio and photo of the grower.

That way, there’s a sense of pride on every container. We’ll be converting to this strategy in peaches in the next 12 months.

3) What is the market opportunity for new varieties for plumcots and pluots?

Rob Pereira, Sobeys: The opportunity is about relevancy and innovation in the stone fruit category. It’s about telling a story about what these new varieties are to maintain excitement for consumers.

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: Plumcots and pluots are a huge opportunity. We’ve had huge success out of California. We can’t keep product on the floor.

The flavour profiles are amazing.

I’m extremely frustrated that we’re so far behind in growing these varieties in Canada.

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: We are not cannibalizing but growing the stone fruit category. We just brought out pluots from Chile and they’re doing well. We need to educate consumers about them.

4) What innovations in technology and practices have you seen in other areas of the world that you feel Ontario fruit growers could adopt to improve quality of their product?

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: Go to the U.K. for packaging advancements. What they’re doing is beneficial to product visibility and quality. They’re trying to reduce plastic for environmental sustainability.

5) Variety improvement?

Please continue and drive it!

Drive costs out through technology.

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: Packaging for sure, and the U.K. is more advanced than in North America. For tree-ripened fruit, precool as soon as possible and as long as you can through temperature-controlled loading docks. Put in stainless steel lines to reduce bacteria. Use infrared sorting technologies from New Zealand to detect blemishes. But the easiest one is temperature control for your product.

Rob Pereira, Sobeys: There’s a lot of technology available. Use what fits your business model.

The cherry industry in the United States has developed equipment that has been put in place to maintain a consistent cold chain from field to customer.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

RETAIL NEWS

What do consumers want in stone fruit?

Gabriela Yung, Walmart: Adopt any technology that results in less labour and less handling.

In support of our global sustainability goal to produce less waste across our global operations, we work with our suppliers to develop packaging solutions that protects the product and reduces waste, and are made from materials that are environmentally preferable and easy to recycle. Cut unnecessary waste and save our customers money.

preferences.

Gabriela Yung, Walmart: Stone fruits are mainstream and are popular with ethnic customers.

Photo right: Oleen Smethurst, (L), Costco general merchandise manager, buying and operations, inspects peaches on the packing line at the Niagara-on-the-Lake farm of John Thwaites. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

6) Do you see an opportunity for fresh-cut, sliced stone fruit in the future?

Rob Pereira, Sobeys: Yes I do.

It’s the convenience aspect for consumers. Stone fruit is more difficult for in-store preparation than melons, but we want to explore this.

Gabriela Yung, Walmart: Definitely. We believe there is demand for fresh-cut, sliced stone fruit, at the right price. We are open to providing innovation options to make healthy eating more convenient for our consumers.

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: Cut fruit is boring. Mangoes are a challenge. To do it properly would be hugely important.

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: Yes! We met with Titan Farms to look at technology to reduce shrink in pre-cut peaches. Our team would be all over that.

Mike Ecker, Vineland Growers’ Cooperative: We did some testing last year and will continue.

Browning on stone fruit is the holdback. Technology is getting us closer. There’s no problem with 10 days but retailers want 14 days. We believe there’s a demand but we’re not where apples are.

7) How has the increase in immigration influenced your stone fruit offering and are there opportunities that you see for local growers?

Crystal Cottrill, Loblaw: Ethnic has been a huge play for Loblaw. Yes, we’ve carried white-fleshed peaches and nectarines for the last two years.

We think they will become more mainstream. Even yellow plums have an ethnic play.

Oleen Smethurst, Costco: We don’t play to these markets. We believe that if the fruit eats well, then people will buy it.

Rob Pereira, Sobeys: Yes, we’re bringing in fruit relevant to changing palates generally.

Mangoes, for instance, have different origins and profiles.

Consumers have different

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APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

RETAIL NEWS

Loblaw launches No Name Naturally Imperfect line PETER CHAPMAN Feeding the world will be a challenge as population continues to rise. There are different strategies that can be employed to accomplish this daunting task: 1. Produce more 2. Eat less 3. Consume a higher percentage of existing food produced 4. Change diets 5. Develop food that delivers better nutrition value per acre of production 6. Increase yields in existing production.

Some of these solutions will only be effective in certain regions. Consuming a greater percentage of the food consumed is possible in North America however it will not have a direct impact on the amount of food available to feed a growing population in India.

Food retailers in Europe have been focused on increasing the consumption of food produced.

Tesco, in the U.K., published their findings to say that close to one-third of food produced is never consumed. This is a staggering number. Consider the cost this adds to our food, as everyone in the value chain has to increase

costs to allow for the waste at every transfer point.

In response to this issue, Loblaw has introduced No Name Naturally Imperfect fruits and vegetables. Similar to programs in Europe, the products are odd shapes and sizes that do not meet current grades. The eating quality is the same -- they just look different. Any time something like this is introduced there are pros and cons.

Pros • A program that sells fresh produce for 30 per cent less makes eating produce more affordable.

This should increase consumption for people who might have found produce to be too expensive.

• More tonnage (lbs) of apples should be sold.

• Currently this produce would go for processing in regions where there are processing facilities. It is a bigger win for producers in regions such as Atlantic Canada where processing is not a viable option.

• Overall marketable yield should increase.

Cons • The store is not getting any

bigger. It will be interesting to see how the product is merchandised and if some SKUs will come out to make room.

• The warehouse is not getting any bigger. It will be interesting to see if some SKUs will come out to make room in the warehouse.

• If the tonnage (lbs) does not increase then we will see deflation in the category and perhaps higher shrink on the products that meet the previous product specs.

• We have put considerable effort into producing the current grades and now we will see product available that does not meet the specs. There is pride in producing product that meets the demands of the customer. Will this lead to ‘accepting less’ on the farm? I realize we can’t control nature but we have many farms that produce great quality and they should be applauded for this. They have increased costs to do what they do. They should not lose volume because another farm produces to a lower grade.

This is only a win if…

• Canadians put more fresh produce in their shopping cart.

• Canadians consume more fresh produce.

• Growers, packers and retailers sell more produce.

• Growers, packers and retailers all increase their rate of return in these categories.

Peter Chapman is the Retail Navigator columnist for The Grower and operates a retail consultancy in Nova Scotia.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

PAGE 14 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

A changing climate, shift of perspective

JASON VERKAIK CHAIR, OFVGA If you take time to visit the web pages of companies such as Walmart – the world’s largest grocer – and other major

corporations, their first page now always has a link to sustainability.

In these links, they break down to subcategories from water and sustainable sourcing of food to greenhouse gases and others.

They all have targets to improve and they celebrate how they have changed for the better, by moving to more renewable energy sources, conserving water and even empowering their agricultural suppliers to improve their soils. I believe these companies have a vested interest in their conscience and the sustainability of our world.

One of the reasons this is obviously done is to market their brand to an ever-discerning consumer who is shifting

perspective on how we as humans interact with nature. We can see Hollywood lending its talents to short video clips "Nature is Speaking," the Act On Climate March in Quebec City on April 11th, the billion-dollar Honest company founded by Jessica Alba, Earth Day and waste-free lunches in our schools. These are all strong influences on our consumers and our governments.

These events and media messages influence the choice in the products that consumers purchase.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) has a serious focus on a greener province. As horticultural producers we must take note as this greatly influences policy

towards what we do. I recently saw a graph in a MOECC presentation in relation to Ontario's Climate Change discussion paper. It shows the greatest carbon emitters.

Agriculture was second from the bottom with six per cent. What is of more importance is that of the three sectors which have shown reduction in carbon emissions over the last number of years, only agriculture has done so while increasing productivity.

As we support the government's desire to enhance our environment and move to a reduced carbon economy, we must also recognize that our competitiveness and ability to feed ourselves must not be

compromised. Let us also hope the government and our consumers recognize that Ontario horticulture has always been an early adopter, continues to embrace efficiencies and improve our environmental footprint. One only has to look at our adoption of precision agriculture, integrated pest management, and cover crops, to name a few examples.

Let us always remember in the ebbs and flows of the climate conversation, a key pillar to farm sustainability is not only taking care of our agricultural resources, it is taking care of the profitability of the farm.

Water, water, everywhere

JOHN KELLY EXECUTIVE VP, OFVGA We are certainly blessed in Ontario to have an abundance of natural water sources, but we must not take it for granted.

Beyond human consumption, water is an essential resource for many sectors, including fisheries, tourism, food processing, agriculture, forestry, mining . . . You get the point. We all have some sort of stake in how water is used, so its use must not be taken lightly.

As a key competitor of the Canadian fruit and vegetable grower, Californian growers are keenly aware of the challenges of water restrictions and moratoriums. This has forced these growers to rethink about how they use water, the efficiencies and costs of water, the reuse and recirculation of water and the quality of water. But these thoughts are not unique to the Californian grower. Our growers must take the issue of water conservation and water supply very seriously, and they do!

The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable

Growers’ Association (OFVGA) has been involved with the Permit to Take Water (PTTW) program for the past six years. George Shearer, working with hydrogeologists and agricultural engineers, has coordinated the program since inception. The OFVGA developed this program because it recognized the importance of this resource to members. It is essential that members be aware of and compliant to the Ontario Water Resources Act and the water taking regulations set under the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC).

If you plan to take more than 50,000 litres of water per day from the environment then you must have a permit to take water issued through the MOECC. This includes taking water from lakes, streams, ponds, rivers and also ground water (for example, from a well). There is a process that one has to go through to acquire this permit to take water which is complicated and should not be taken lightly. All documentation must be clearly and originally completed and, in some cases, signed by a qualified person.

Permits will not be issued by the MOECC if there is a a potential for negative impacts on existing users, there is a negative effect on the environment, or there is removal of water from a watershed that already has a high level of use.

For horticultural producers, this means that anyone who is using irrigation is likely in need of the PTTW. Exceptions to the need for a permit include those

STAFF Publisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Editor: Karen Davidson, 416-557-6413, kdavidson@ecomente.ca Production: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.org Advertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, advertising@thegrower.org The Grower reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Any errors that are the direct result of The Grower will be compensated at our discretion with a correction notice in the next issue.

No compensation will be given after the first running of the ad.

Client signature is required before insertion.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association is the sole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed in The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/or contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association.

All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either whole or in part without the prior written consent of the publisher.

using water for livestock and poultry, home gardens and lawns (although there may be local restrictions), firefighting, or if you receive water from someone who has a valid PTTW. As is the case with most government permits, there are fees involved. Category 1 (low risk and includes renewals where there is no history of complaints) and Category 2 (water takings with a greater potential to cause adverse environmental impact) permits have a fee of $750, while Category 3 (high risk) permits will cost $3,000. There is an exemption from the fees for agricultural irrigation and frost protection for vegetable crops, fruit orchards, flowers, nurseries, tree and sod farms or tender fruit under which you won’t have to pay the application fee. Note that this is NOT the case for processing of fruits and vegetables, however. If you use water to wash your produce, and you exceed 49,999 liters allowed, then you must have the appropriate permits and you will have to pay the permit fee.

Your job is not done once you have acquired the permit however. You do have to monitor and record daily taking volumes, and then submit the results to the MOECC online through their Water Taking and Reporting System.

And note that once you have a permit, it does not mean that you can use the same permit forever as permits do need to be renewed.

Note your expiry date and reapply prior to this date. You also need to inform the ministry if you have

OFFICE 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105 Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADA Tel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604 The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to all members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year for the paper through their commodity group or container fees.

Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

$30.00 (+ G.S.T.) /year in Canada $40.00/year International Subscribers must submit a claim for missing issues within four months. If the issue is claimed within four months, but not available, The Grower will extend the subscription by one month. No refunds on subscriptions.

P.M. 40012319

An irrigation pond is located close to the vineyard of Flat Rock Cellars, Lincoln, Ontario. a change in address or other administrative changes (these are free of charge) If you require any assistance or simply have questions related to your permit or the permit program, the OFVGA program is here to help.

Contact George Shearer at 519-222-3272 or water@ofvga.org.

Recently, the province of Ontario approved the new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality. In that agreement, both Canada and Ontario committed to creating action plans to reduce the impact of excess nutrients on the water quality of Lake Erie. In February of this year, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) announced the formation of the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship, where the government is investing $4M per year over four years to help Ontario farmers improve soil health and promote environmental stewardship. The Ontario Soil

and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) will deliver the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative on behalf of the federal and provincial governments.

In February of this year, the MOECC released its document “Ontario’s Climate Change Discussion Paper 2015.” There is some focus on protecting water resources and the implication of climate change on water supply.

A key driver in this platform is to protect ecosystems, including air, land and water. Conserving and efficiently using our resources is also the goal of the OFVGA. The OFVGA strongly encourages you to become familiar with these regulations as they do directly impact your ability to produce great product.

By acquiring the correct permits, you will not only contribute to the sustainability of your operation, you will also support environmental sustainability.

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Crop Protection Research Property Labour Safety Nets CHC

Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Jason Verkaik, Bradford Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Mac James, Leamington John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Apples Fresh Vegetable - Other Tender Fruit ON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. GGO/Fresh Grape Growers Fresh Vegetable - Muck ON. Potato Board Small Fruit/Berries ON. Ginseng Growers’ Greenhouse Greenhouse

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Kenny Forth, Lynden John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake Neil Reimer, Vienna Bill George Jr., Beamsville Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Ken Van Torre, Burford Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Don Taylor, Durham

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Harold Schooley, Simcoe Brian Gilroy, Meaford Ken Forth, Lynden Mark Wales, Alymer Murray Porteous, Simcoe

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

PERSPECTIVE Without land, it’s hard to compete against imports

OWEN ROBERTS U OF GUELPH The part of the world popularly called America’s winter salad bowl – southwest Arizona, around Yuma -- is as desolate as the moon. At least, that’s the way it seemed to me when I visited it earlier this winter. Yet farmers in this vast and sparse region have figured out how to turn it into an agricultural oasis, using massive flood irrigation drawn from the Colorado River.

As a topic, water is a powder keg around the southwest, with every state eyeing how much the one before it on the aquifer or river system is taking.

But for now, water and near-perfect “winter” temperatures are offering up ideal growing conditions. As a result, Yuma is a highly productive region for commodities such as

lettuce, spinach, kale, peppers, cantaloupe and tomatoes (they even grow irrigated wheat there).

Farmers here have another thing going for them, too: that is, land. Arizona, as well as neighbouring Mexico, has it in spades.

And despite the snowbird influx, they’re preserving parts of it for farming.

That left a big impression on me. We, and they, have water.

We, and they, have superb produce. We, and they, struggle for labour (which I was surprised to find, given that Canada counts on Mexico for so much temporary labour).

But they have space. We don’t. Technology will help us overcome that obstacle to some extent, but Canada has very limited prime agricultural land.

Just one per cent of all farmland is prime Class 1 land here. And farmland is said to be disappearing in Ontario to the tune of 350 acres per day.

Just recently, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the Christian Farmers’ Federation of Ontario have issued independent pleas asking for farmland to be preserved in the face of development. OFA vice-president Keith Currie has been appointed one of six people on the provincial land use review committee. That puts a lot of weight on his shoulders. But it’s

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Publish or perish?

I read your article “Onion prices barely cover cost of production” in the March issue of The Grower and was disgusted to see that many restaurants in Canada, with U.S. parents preferentially purchase from America, rather than buying locally. It would seem likely that many people will be properly annoyed at this practice. So I have one request: name names.

Publish a list of restaurant

chains that have a policy of 1. Buying locally whenever possible OR 2. Buying from elsewhere even when good, local, Canadian produce is available at a competitive price.

I ain't saying boycott (yet) but you would do us a great service by helping us vote with our dollars.

Keep up the Good Work!

Peter R. Sibbald Lyndhurst, ON

Workers near Yuma, Arizona harvest irrigated broccoli. Photo by Mike Wilson. also great news that farmers will have direct representation, and a voice to explain agriculture’s impact on the economy, and why farmers need some flexibility to be competitive.

I’m sure committee members will look at models elsewhere, in places like Arizona that is knocking on Ontario’s door with its produce. And when it does, they’ll see the value of -- and need for -- farmland preservation.

Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of

Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, told me farmland preservation is a priority for his government. Ontario took an interesting step last year, instituting measures to open up the North, to capitalize on the natural advantages there for livestock production.

The next step is a program called Farms Forever, which the premier asked the minister to create, in her mandate letter to him in September.

This program will “help preserve the productive capacity of agricultural land close to major urban centres, support the local sourcing of food and strengthen Ontario’s agri-food sector,” says the minister.

Such a program is desperately needed, maybe more so than any other program in agriculture.

Farmland must be preserved.

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PAGE 16 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

2015 could be another interesting year for North American water issues BRUCE KELLY 2015 is shaping up to be another interesting year for issues surrounding water and nutrient use across North America.

Hundreds of farmers in portions of California’s Central Valley were told recently that they can expect zero water allocation this growing season as the droughtstricken state tries to deal with ever-tightening water supplies.

California’s newest agricultural crop, 900,000 acres of sweet almonds is sucking the Central Valley dry. Each almond requires 3.7 liters of irrigation water to be produced; all told almond production uses 10 per cent of California’s agricultural water supply. This crop is not sustainable, nor is much of the agriculture from California’s heavily irrigated Central Valley that has, for a generation, supplied North America with a bounty of fresh produce. Irrigation from nonrenewable sources is unsustainable at the scale that has been practised in parts of California and Texas.

On the water quality front, Vermont has just passed new legislation that will require all farms to comply with the state’s water quality laws to reduce nutrient loading into Lake Champlain and

in Des Moines Iowa, the city is suing the three upstream water districts in northwest Iowa after water testing showed record high nitrate levels in streams feeding a river supplying much of central Iowa’s drinking water. In August of 2014, the four million people that live in Toledo, Ohio were directly affected when for more than a week the water was so polluted by algae and associated toxins that it could not be consumed.

When four million people in a North American city cannot drink or bathe for a week, the issue is not going to “just fade away” and serves as a wakeup call to the dangers posed by nutrient pollution and the resulting toxins from harmful algal blooms.

In February, the U.S.-Canada International Joint Commission (IJC) issued a report entitled A Balanced Diet for Lake Erie: Reducing Phosphorus Loadings and Harmful Algal Blooms. The report comes to the unremarkable conclusion that the cause of the toxic algae problem is “excessive and uncontrolled drainage of nutrients, especially phosphorus, into our waterways.”

According to the IJC, the Maumee River in northwest Ohio supplies only three per cent of all the water that drains to Lake Erie, but nearly half (43 per cent) of the phosphorous pollution.

There is strong support for Ohio lawmakers to take swift action to curb loading by: • Ensuring that all farmers and livestock producers implement a variety of best management practices (BMPs) such as the 4R nutrient stewardship framework for crop production • Ensure all manure is spread under the direction of an approved plan to ensure its appropriate use.

• Ending the practice of spreading manure on frozen or snow-covered ground.

• Moving away from fall broadcast fertilizer applications on non-growing crops.

The Maumee and Sandusky Rivers are recognized as major sources of phosphorus loading into Lake Erie. The IJC calculations show that Ontario is credited with only an eight per cent share of phosphorous contributions to Lake Erie. But farmers in Ontario must recognize that our practices are now under the microscope and we must all strive to reduce nutrient runoff into the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (GLASI) provides funding for specific environmental improvements that are aimed at reducing non-point source phosphorous and reducing environmental risk to the Great Lakes. Examples include: • For manure applicators: Manure and Biosolids Management Program cost-share funding to fine-tune nutrient application equipment • For farmers: Farmland Health Check-Up. The Farmland Health Check-Up offers the unique opportunity to assess the health of your farm by working one-on-one with a certified crop advisor.

For more information on these funding programs, contact the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

The agricultural water use issue has many complex subissues including water source security, permits and regulations, source quality, cost, public vs private use, nutrient loading, and sustainability. California’s massive agricultural production is being humbled by the realization that their practices are not sustainable. Here in Ontario, an area that seems rich in water resources, we are presented with some new opportunities as most of agriculture is fully supplied by rainfall with irrigation used on only a few sensitive high value crops, but the Texas and California examples offer a stark warning to irrigate responsibly.

Looking forward to the 2015 growing season, the major water issues impacting all farmers in Ontario will be driven by Great Lakes Water Quality policies (GLWQA) and will focus on the “off-farm” water quality (phos-

Photo by Glenn Lowson. phorus) issues. Public scrutiny and the water debate will move from just a few farms that irrigate to a larger discussion with all farm types to control off-farm

nutrient movement.

Bruce Kelly is Farm & Food Care environmental program manager.

COMING EVENTS 2015 April 1

Export Cherry Grower Meeting, PARC, Summerland, BC

April 1

Ontario Tender Fruit Producers’ Marketing Board Annual General Meeting for Haldimand-Norfolk, The Blue Elephant, Simcoe, ON 11 am

April 2

Ontario Tender Fruit Producers’ Marketing Board Annual General Meeting for Niagara, Hernder Estate Winery, St. Catharines, ON 4:30 pm

April 8

Grape Growers of Ontario 67th Annual General Meeting, Club Roma, St. Catharines, ON 7 pm

April 8-9

64th Annual Muck Vegetable Growers’ Conference and Trade Show, Bradford Community Centre, Bradford, ON

April 9

OMAFRA-University of Guelph Food for Health Research Forum, Conference Centre, 1 Stone Road, Guelph, ON

April 9

PEI Blueberry Information Day, Red Shores Raceway and Casino, Charlottetown, PE

April 10 - 11 New Brunswick Blueberries Annual General Meeting, Carrefour de la Mer, Caraquet, NB April 11

Garlic Growers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Quality Inn, Woodstock, ON

April 14-15 Farm & Food Care Annual General Meeting, Teatro Conference and Event Centre, Milton, ON Apr 15 – 17 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention & Trade Show, Palais des congres de Montreal, Montreal, QC April 29

Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. Annual General Meeting, Country Heritage Park, Milton, ON

June 1-7

Ontario Local Food Week

June 8-10

United Fresh Trade Show, Chicago, IL

June 14

Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Country Heritage Park, Milton, ON

June 27

Ontario Garlic Growers’ Workshop, Ridgetown Agricultural College, Ridgetown, ON

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 17 THE GROWER

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

An effective presentation format Keep it simple and focus on where you add value

PETER CHAPMAN A great meeting with a category manager can make the difference between getting your product in the shopping cart or not. You need a simple and effective format to follow. You also need a unique presentation for each retailer. Do not make the mistake of just changing the logo on the front. They know!

When you are developing your presentation, keep the purpose in mind. The purpose is to enlighten them about how your company and specifically your products will grow their sales and profits.

They need to see you as supporting their position in the market, driving traffic into the store and selling products. The purpose is not to do a commercial for your business and educate them on all the great things you are doing. I can tell you from experience it is very frustrating for a category manager to sit through a 30minute infomercial.

Cover page Your presentation should start with a cover page. The cover page should include your brand or a photo of your product, your name, contact information and the date. This might sit on their desk so it should be a billboard for you. Retailers always like to see their own logo. Make sure it is correct and good quality!

Agenda Start the meeting off with a very quick summary of what you will review. It also helps keep the questions focused on the topic as opposed to an item you have covered later in the presentation.

Include page numbers on the agenda.

Introduction Develop a very brief introduction to your business. What you do, where you sell your products and most importantly why you do it. You should include your unique selling proposition. What makes you different than the last five people trying to sell products.

Remember that they are most interested in why the item will

sell at their store, not that you had to work 20 hours a day for eight weeks to get your line up and running.

prepared to answer with a suggested retail. You should also know what your product is selling for in other stores.

Point of differentiation

Credibility

Your point of differentiation must be tangible and if possible, quantifiable. You can do this with ingredients, format, ease of preparation, health benefits, production techniques or process, packaging or best of all, its uniqueness. They do not have anything like it in the store.

Illustrate to the category manager how your point of differentiation is reinforced on your product and your advertising. How will the consumer learn about this so that it leads to a sale?

You must be objective about your point of differentiation, The category manager will be. They will have to decide that another item will be delisted or lose some shelf space to make room for your product. The place where the product is manufactured is not a point of differentiation. It is only a point of differentiation if the customer will come to the store for it in that market.

You must build credibility with category managers in your ability to execute. The previous segments of your presentation have built a foundation. Now you must bring this together in a plan that outlines what you will be doing to ensure that you will produce, deliver and sell the product.

Your plan needs to include a reference to production, packaging, distribution, marketing and finance. One of the biggest challenges for retailers working with different suppliers is credibility.

You must prove to them that you and your organization will meet or exceed their expectations. Only include commitments in this section you are prepared to make. If you do not follow through it is worse than leaving them out.

Sales expectations Sales are the number one priority for retailers; you must explain how your item will perform. Forecast monthly sales as baseline sales, seasonal sales, promotion sales etc. There should be one line for each type of sales.

It is important to forecast slight declines as well as increases. If your item is slower in the winter months, drop your baseline down.

Be realistic in your sales forecasting. Category managers are familiar with sales in their category. They will not see a decline in the winter as a negative, if it is a reality.

Costing Category managers spend considerable time on product costing.

They have an advantage here in that they know what your competition costs and they will expect you to be reasonably close.

Present a cost per case and a cost per unit. This should be a delivered cost to their warehouse or the store if your item is direct store delivery.

Leave some room, as category managers like to negotiate. You must find the right cost because if it is too high it will be dismissed and if it is too low you will not be in business. If you are prepared to offer any special costing for promotions this is where you must include it.

You should have a retail price for your product in mind. Do not tell them what it should be, but be

Conclusion

The final page of your presentation should be one line from each of your key points.

A. Your point of differentiation; B. Your annual sales; C. Cost; D. One line summary of your plan; E. Reinforce your credibility.

This is the last chance you have to make an impression. This page should leave them with no doubt that this is right for their stores.

Make every minute count and follow a simple format that works for you. If you have ideas or a format that is effective it would be great to learn more. You can send them to me at pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

Retail news Walmart and Loblaw announce aggressive expansion plans 2015 will see more Walmart Supercentres and more stores within the Loblaw portfolio. Both companies have recently announced their plan to continue investing in the Canadian market.

Walmart will convert 27 stores

to Supercentres which will bring the total to 309 across Canada.

The company has been vocal about improving the offering in fresh food.

Loblaw will be spending $1.2 billion to open and renovate “dozens” of stores. I would expect we will see new Shoppers Drug Marts with a more refined fresh food offering.

It is interesting to note both companies mentioned that capital spending will be going to e-commerce initiatives. This is an indication they see growth opportunities in this segment.

Peter Chapman is a retail consultant, professional speaker and the author of A la cart-A suppliers’ guide to retailers’ priorities. Peter is based in Halifax NS, where he is the principal at GPS Business Solutions. Peter works with producers and processors to help them navigate through the retail environment with the ultimate goal to get more of their items in the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

PAGE 18 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

Board briefs Affairs - OMAFRA). The OFVGA has established working groups to discuss and respond to these materials within the next few months. OFVGA responses can be found on the website at www.ofvga.org when they have been released.

Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC)

Ontario vegetable grower, John Jacques, at the CHC convention.

Photo by Trevor Eggleton.

Introduction The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) board met on March 19, 2015. Topics included ongoing government consultations, recent annual meetings, crop insurance premiums and minimum wage announcements.

Current Government Discussion Papers and Consultations

There are currently three discussion papers/acts on the table that could directly affect Ontario fruit and vegetable growers. They are the Climate Change Discussion Paper (released by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change - MOECC), Bill 66: An Act to Protect the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Basin (MOECC) and Permitted Uses in Prime Agricultural Areas (released by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural

The CHC annual general meeting was held March 10-12 in Quebec City, Quebec and was considered a huge success. Two new committees have been established: the Sustainability Working Group and the Greenhouse Industry Working Group. Keith Kuhl was re-elected president for the third time. Brian Gilroy, an apple grower from Ontario, is the second vicepresident. The 2016 annual meeting is slated for March 8-10 in Ottawa.

Safety Nets Section Crop insurance premiums are expected to go down by approximately 15 per cent.

Labour A minimum wage increase was announced March 19, 2015 going from $11.00 to $11.25 per hour

starting October 1, 2015. This is in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) made in 2014.

Property Property section chair, Brian Gilroy, reported that a Sustainability Committee was struck at CHC to look at sustainability issues and the types of requirements for farmer’s products.

Also in Ontario along the same vein, a sustainability group has been formed to consider adapting the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) to the Sustainable Farm Plan, adding chapters to give farmers a sustainable audit program. A draft will be available by the end of May. Farm and Food Care’s annual meeting takes place April 14, 2015 with a communications workshop planned for the first day on how to prepare and talk with media about agriculture.

Farm and Food Care is currently lacking crop representatives on its board. Potential candidates can be nominated but must be a silver member to do so.

The Real Dirt on Farming has a planned circulation of 125,000 in the Globe and Mail set for March 28, 2015.

Research Harold Schooley, OFVGA’s research section chair, had previously informed OMAFRA that commodity groups wish to select their own top research priorities instead of an expert panel. All groups involved in the Woodstock meeting were subsequently invited to submit their top choice. The OMAFRA research priority list now includes pest management and top research priority issues by commodity, which is considered an improvement from previous compilations.

Crop Protection Charles Stevens, OFVGA’s crop protection chair, reported on the re-evaluation of products that is currently underway. There are a number of products that could be removed from use.

Craig Hunter is currently working on a subscription through Pulse Canada that would give OFVGA information on MRLs. The government has currently dropped their subscription to information on MRLs. The end goal is for OFVGA to have a subscription that commodity groups can receive.

Ministry of environment releases proposed neonic amendments Comment period ends May 7

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Ontario is taking action to strengthen pollinator health to ensure a sustainable food supply, healthy ecosystems and a strong economy. Without pollinators, much of the food we eat and the natural habitats we enjoy would not exist.

The Government of Ontario aims to protect pollinators by addressing the four main stressors that pollinators face: pesticide exposure; loss of habitat and nutrition; climate change and weather; disease, pests and genetics.

As a part of a broad long-term plan, the Province is proposing a change in the pesticides regulation to address the impact that pesticide exposure is having on pollinator health.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has prepared proposed new regulatory requirements for the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds in Ontario.

The draft regulatory amendments are intended to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid insecticide treated corn and soybean seed by 80 per

cent by 2017. The amendments to Ontario Regulation 63/09 would establish: • a new class of pesticides consisting of corn and soybean seeds treated with the neonicotinoids, imidacloprid, clothianidin or thiamethoxam • rules for the sale and use of treated seeds • timing and implementation of the regulatory requirements.

If approved, new rules on the sale and use of corn and soybean seeds treated with the neonicotinoids, imidacloprid, clothianidin or thiamethoxam will be in place

by July 1, 2015, in time for the 2016 agricultural planting season.

The proposed regulatory amendments, along with supporting material, were recently posted on the province’s Regulatory Registry and on the Environmental Registry (EBR Registry number 012-3733) and will remain open for comment until May 7, 2015.

You are encouraged to review the proposal and submit comments via the registries.

Feedback received will be used to inform the development of the final regulatory amendments.

Source: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 19 THE GROWER

PAGE 20 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

SOIL HEALTH

Cover crop tool narrows choices for specific end results KAREN DAVIDSON The reality is that a cover crop can only do so many things. Fix nitrogen? Establish reliably? Escape winterkill? Maybe.

These questions are now answered in a specific way for Eastern Canadian farmers looking to integrate cover crops into their crop rotations.

According to a recent webinar sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), an online Cover Crop Decision Tool is now available at decisiontool.incovercrops.ca. It was developed with the real-life experience of farmers. The advisory committee that validated the data for Ontario comprised farmers, industry representatives, extensionists and researchers.

“This is a powerful tool that allows growers to choose their home county and a number of variables to pick the best cover crop,” says Laura van Eerd, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus soil fertility and cover crops associate professor. “To be successful, the planting window is important.”

She offers the example of cucurbits. If you plant squash, pumpkins or zucchini around June 1 and plan to harvest August 1, then some cover crops may not be available. And then the farmer must identify what is to be accomplished with that cover crop. Weed suppression?

Building organic matter? The choices become fewer as each criteria is applied.

The tool will rate the cover crop options from poor to excellent, depending on your criteria.

If you want your cover crop to act as a potential biofumigant, then the list becomes even shorter. Oriental mustard might work, says van Eerd, if you don’t have cole crops in your rotation.

All of the information is available in one place. The cover crops are hyperlinked to an information sheet which offers seeding rates and depths, benefits and cautions.

Is this cover crop a host for root knot nematode? That’s important to know for a

carrot grower.

What’s useful about this tool is that it is designed for the growing conditions in your area. What’s applicable for Kent County is likely not appropriate for the Ottawa Valley.

In her own research, Van Eerd has compared economic yields with different

crops and cover crops. For the best snap bean yields, for example, oats were shown to be the best cover crop. Cereal rye, on the other hand, showed insect feeding damage, but no difference in economic yield.

Sweet corn is another common vegetable crop where growing a cover crop before gave higher yields than without a

cover crop. Don’t choose a cover crop that’s known to attract common rust.

“To be honest, it’s a long-term process to build organic matter,” says van Eerd. “It may take 20 years to add one per cent organic matter with a cover crop. However, we are seeing slight yield boosts with growing a cover crop.”

Phacelia may take root as new cover crop

While phacelia is a coveted cover crop in Europe, it is now finding a home in southwestern Ontario. Friedhelm Hoffmann, general operations manager for Exeter Produce, was familiar with it in his homeland of Germany. He sowed phacelia on 60 acres after cabbage harvest last year. With early harvested cabbage, that means planting as early as mid-July.

“I’m quite impressed with how it died down over the winter,” Hoffmann says. “It’s brittle and there’s not much residue to cultivate in the spring unlike a thick crop of oats.”

OMAFRA extensionists will be testing the soil this spring to

see how much nitrogen is left in the soil. Preventing soil erosion and suppressing weeds are enough benefit in themselves, however Hoffmann points out that phacelia provides forage for bees in the fall. This is particularly valuable when most other flowering plants have ceased to produce much nectar.

“The bees were feeding like crazy last September and October,” Hoffmann says.

Phacelia seed may be hard to find and then, it’s expensive.

However, as word spreads about its multiple benefits, more input suppliers are likely to stock it.

Potato research continues in New Brunswick The Canadian government is investing $1.83 million in a Canadian-led international

research effort to give potato farmers a technological edge in predicting and preventing yield

losses in their fields and in storage.

The collaborative research effort with several industry partners will be led by scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) Potato Research Centre in Fredericton.

Researchers from Canada, France and New Zealand will use new discoveries about potato DNA, microbial life in the soil and insect behaviour to find better ways to measure the health and quality of potato plants and tubers.

This investment under Growing Forward 2 has helped leverage $821,800 in industry contributions. Project partners include BioNB, Comité Nord Plants des Pommes de Terre, Quebec-based potato operations Ferme Daniel Bolduc Inc. and Maxi-Sol Inc., Plant and Food Research New Zealand, Potatoes New Brunswick and France-based company CCL.

Researchers will use a new generation of powerful computer-based gene sequencers to identify genes in potato DNA that indicates when the plant experiences stress, with the goal of using these genes as markers for diagnostic tools on the farm.

DNA sequencing will also be used to identify the billions of species of microbial life in the soil and to study their impact on

potato common scab.

The AAFC investment in the project is made through the Industry-led Research and Development stream of Agriculture Canada's AgriInnovation Program, a fiveyear, up to $698-million initiative under Growing Forward 2.

Source: Agriculture and AgriFood Canada news release

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 21 THE GROWER

BEE HEALTH

One million acres of pollinator habitat promised by 2018 The Grain Farmers of Ontario have published their Ontario Pollinator Health Blueprint. The document pledges to establish one million acres of self-sustaining pollinator habitat that will provide a sequence of blooms throughout the season. The eight farmers, beekeepers and industry personnel who authored the plan suggest repurposing farm land, private land and public land for pollinator friendly habitat. The second key component is to reduce risk of bee exposure to neonicotinoids and reduce the volume of neonicotinoid seed treatment in Ontario.

Together, these go a long way to supporting five pillars to enhance pollinator health. They are: 1. Habitat and nutrition – to ensure adequate and appropriate forage for pollinators 2. Pesticide exposure – in-hive and outside the hive 3. Diseases and parasites – affecting managed bees 4. Communication – between beekeepers, farmers, the public and other stakeholders 5. Measurement, verification and collection protocols – for benchmark data to determine the health of pollinators and managed bees in Ontario, as well as farm pest threshold data

mitigate climate change and to help keep Ontario’s air, land, and water clean. No-till and cover crops are one way farmers can help, and seed treatments are an important tool to support no-till practices. In Ontario, the adoption of conservation and no-till practices has increased from 22 per cent conservation or no-till in 1991 to 63 per cent in 2011.

These tillage practices are possible in part because of the soil pest control offered by neonicotinoid seed treatments.

No-till farming provides many environmental benefits including reduced soil erosion, lower fuel

and labour requirements, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Soils can be a source or sink for CO2 emissions depending on the soil management practices that are used.

Tillage is one of the primary agronomic activities believed to reduce soil organic carbon (SOC).

Estimates show 28 per cent more GHG emissions under conventional tillage than under no-till.

Planting cover crops is another important environmental contribution that farmers make.

Cover crops help reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and assist in water management.

Cover crops include clover, barley, and rye and provide habitat for bees and beneficial organisms. Predatory mites, l adybug beetles, and other beneficial insects benefit from the shelter and protection that cover crops provide.

Our collective objective must be to protect our environmental protection progress and continue on this trajectory. We must work together on the next generation of production and pest-management tools that further support pollinator health and other important environmental outcomes.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in conjunction with Grain Farmers of Ontario, produced the Guide to Early Season Field Crop Pests which explains that Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for field crops is a decision method that uses all available technologies to efficiently and economically reduce the pest population, while respecting health and the environment. The components of IPM are included in the chart in the blueprint at www.gfo.ca.

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Verbatim from the blueprint To achieve enhancements in health for pollinators and honey bees, a complex matrix of activities is needed. Collaboration at the local, national, and international levels is required to enhance pollinator health – there is not a “single-solution” to pollinator health enhancement.

The proposals under the proposed seed treatment regulations need to address practical issues to have the desired impact.

Moreover the regulations must contemplate and address both the complexity of pollinator health to ensure long-lasting positive impacts but must also contemplate the environmental impacts that neonicotinoids were designed to address – namely soil health, reduction of carbon footprint, and the environmental management of other inputs.

It is imperative that we develop a regulatory system that protects and promotes pollinator health, while not unintentionally undermining other important environmental outcomes. We are concerned that farmers could be unintentionally incented to move away from environmental practices that actually provide habitat for bees, such as reduced/no-till and cover crops, reduce soil degradation, and help to sequester carbon in the soil.

Climate change is creating stressors for both farms and pollinators. Farms provide Ontario with ways to help

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PAGE 22 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MUCK VEGETABLE GROWERS CONFERENCE APRIL 8-9

Celery leaf curl emerges as new disease The annual Muck Vegetable Growers’ Conference is always highly anticipated, this year on April 8 and 9 in Bradford, Ontario. Here is a preview of what one speaker will be presenting.

DENNIS VAN DYK In 2014, 79 commercial vegetable fields, totalling 843 acres (onion 378 A., carrot 405 A., and celery 60 A.), were intensively scouted for 27 growers. Fields were scouted twice per week during the growing season and growers received scouting reports after each field survey.

Any grower, whether in the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program or not, may bring in samples (plant and/or insect) for diagnosis. The on-site tools available for diagnosis were visual inspection and laboratory inspection using a microscope and culturing.

Diagnoses were made by comparison to known symptoms, published descriptions of pathogens, insect pests and weeds, and personal experience. Following assessment, the extension advice given was based on Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Ministry of Rural Affairs (OMAFRA and MRA) recommendations for pesticides.

From 8 April to 1 December, 2014, the diagnostic laboratory of the Muck Crops Research Station received 229 samples for diagnosis. Of these, 80 per cent were infectious diseases (183 in total) and 20 per cent physiological disorders (46 in total). These samples were associated with the following crops: onion (48.7%), carrot (27.6%), celery (9.5%), lettuce (2.6%), brassicas (2.1%) and other crops (9.5%). Along with plant disease samples, a total of 17 samples of insects or insect damage were assessed and eight weed samples were identified.

Celery diseases

Twisted stalks of celery plants develop reddish to light brown lesions that contain spores of the leaf curl pathogen.

Leaf curl on infected celery plants appear stunted with small malformed cupped leaves. Older leaves on infected plants often appear fan-like and curl downward.

Celery leaf curl or celery anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum), is a relatively new disease of celery and was first seen around the Marsh in the 2013 growing season.

Celery leaf curl was found in almost all celery fields this past season. Incidence was still relatively low but higher than the 2013 growing season. It will be important to monitor the spread of this disease since there are no registered fungicides in Ontario as of yet.

Celery leaf blights in Ontario are caused by the fungi Cercospora apii (early blight) and Septoria apiicola (late blight) and the bacteria Pseudomanas syringae pv. apii (bacterial blight). Bacterial leaf blight and bacterial rot

was found in most celery fields and incidence was higher than 2013.

Incidence of early blight and late blight was observed in most scouted fields but remained low throughout the season compared to previous years. Pink rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) was found in a number of celery fields and incidence was higher than previous years due to milder wet weather.

Dennis Van Dyk is the integrated pest management coordinator, University of Guelph, Muck Crops Research Station.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) receives international honour Growers in Ontario’s Holland Marsh are congratulating University of Guelph plant science professor, Mary Ruth McDonald. In late March, she received an International IPM Award of Excellence for the Muck Crops IPM program that she leads. The award was given at the 8th International IPM Symposium held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It’s awarded to individuals or teams who are ranked highest for achieving exceptional accomplishments relating to economic benefits of IPM adoption,

reducing potential human health risks, and demonstrating minimal adverse environmental effects.

Canada is a leader in integrated pest management. A second award was given to the Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Program (see page A4).

According to the symposium website, the Muck Crops IPM program is a true IPM program contributing to economically and environmentally sustainable vegetable production. The program incorporates regular scheduled scouting and forecasting, different cultural and

biological controls, reduced-risk pesticides, host resistance and most recently, aerial surveillance to manage pests.

“The Muck Crops IPM Program is awarded the IPM Award for Excellence for its excellence in delivery and development of pest management tools/strategies that contributes to the sustainability and success of vegetable production in the Holland Marsh, and for innovation in IPM methods. The pioneer of this outstanding program, Prof.

Mary Ruth McDonald from the University of Guelph, is especially recognized by the nominators for her sustained commitment and support of the program.”

“The program has been in operation for the last 11 years, in the Holland Marsh region of Ontario, Canada, a region of intensive vegetable production of about 7000 acres. Prof.

McDonald has been instrumental in developing and implementing the program, with cooperation from the provincial extension service, the local growers’ cooperative and the local growers’ association. The program receives funding from individual growers, industry sponsors and various granting agencies. A regional picture of pest pressure and risk is posted on the program web site (www.uoguelph.ca/muckcrop) twice a week and is available to the public. This information is

This scientific unit is a Roto-Rod Spore Trap in an onion plot at the Muck Crops Research Station in Bradford, Ontario. It’s used to collect air-borne fungal spores from June through September, mostly in onion and carrot fields. As part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for disease forecasting, it collects spores in the air and allows researchers to predict risk of disease development. As Shawn Janse, research station manager explains, the researchers are then able to counsel growers when to apply pesticides at optimal times. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

also used to allow the work group to update research priorities, and research results, such as new monitoring methods, or thresholds which are quickly incorporated into the IPM program.”

For those not familiar with muck crops, McDonald’s research program focuses on root, bulb, leafy vegetables and crucifer crops, including onions, carrots, lettuce, celery, cabbage, Asian crucifer crops and some minor crops such as artichokes, chives and vegetable amaranth.

Current projects include biology

and management of clubroot of crucifer crops, biological control of sclerotia-forming plant pathogens, disease forecasting and management of Stemphyllium blight of onion and asparagus, management of nematodes on vegetable crops, Fusarium on ]carrots and spinach, and management of onion maggot, carrot rust fly and carrot weevil.

Plant nutrition trials include determining the optimum rates of phosphorous on onions and carrots and evaluating the effects of biochar on crop growth.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER

PAGE 24 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

GREENHOUSE NEWS

Can Asian eggplant be grown hydroponically?

Eggplant blooming in the greenhouses of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is a new harbinger of spring. The project will identify varieties of Chinese long and Indian round eggplant that are suitable for hydroponic cultivation. It’s the first step in a larger project to evaluate the potential for greenhouse production of these vegetables.

“We have several different varieties which produce eggplants with the right ‘consumer’ characteristics,” explains Viliam Zvalo, research scientist for vegetable production. “What we don’t know is if they have the right traits for hydroponic systems. We have also grafted some onto tomato rootstock which should promote performance

in a greenhouse environment enabling higher yields and better fruit quality, combined with disease tolerance. You have to remember that, in a hydroponic greenhouse, the roots have to support plants that are robust enough to reach up to five meters in height.”

Ten varieties of Chinese long and three varieties of Indian round eggplant are included in the study. Seeds were sourced from seed companies around the world including the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre in Taiwan. The first fruit is expected by the end of April.

Zvalo is also supervising field plantings of world crops.

In 2015, he will be evaluating a number of short-season

okra, Chinese long and Indian round eggplant hybrids under Ontario growing conditions with a focus on fertility management, spacing and season extension. The goal is to provide cost-effective ways of extending the growing season in the spring and in the fall while maximizing productivity.

In his new role at Vineland, Zvalo will investigate field and greenhouse production of world crops and other new crop opportunities for Ontario growers. He holds a PhD in plant physiology/soil ecology from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia and an executive MBA from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Creating disease resistance and valuable traits in greenhouse vegetables TRAVIS BANKS Researchers are continually improving the performance of crops by breeding plants to create new lines with superior traits. But what happens when a trait is needed and there isn’t a source for that characteristic in known material? And what happens when the breeder needs variation that doesn’t exist? Simple, you follow Mother Nature’s lead and have the plants create the variation.

Each time a plant creates a seed, it has small changes to its DNA which can result in a plant with brand new characteristics.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) is looking to nature’s method of creating new traits and accelerating it using modern technologies. In a process of ‘induced variation,’ Vineland grows a population of plants that have created thousands of small changes to their DNA instead of just dozens. Using high throughput DNA sequencing, Vineland identifies the plants with changes likely to have a new trait of interest.

Working with researchers at the University of Toronto and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Vineland scientists are

identifying greenhouse tomato and pepper lines that have increased disease tolerance.

University of Toronto researchers recently identified a gene that when turned off, primes the plant’s natural immune system to enhance resistance to a broad range of pathogens. Vineland scientists are searching through their variant tomato and pepper populations to identify plants that have turned off their copy of that gene in order to create new resistance.

In a similar research project, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists identified botrytis resistance in a variant population of a model research plant. The scientists found which change occurred to create this resistance and now Vineland is using that gene information to look in their tomato and pepper variant populations to find botrytis resistance. In addition to developing new disease tolerance for greenhouse vegetables, Vineland is also working towards developing tomatoes with an extended harvest season and identifying vegetables with attributes desired by consumers.

Relying on induced variation to create new crops has been used since the 1920s with thousands of crop varieties created.

Vineland is working to improve the

process by making it easier to use DNA information to identify plants with desired traits. As the genomes of more crops are sequenced, Vineland’s induced traits can be put to use in other crop plants to benefit growers.

Work at Vineland on creating disease resistance and valuable traits in greenhouse vegetables is funded through the Growing

Forward 2 AgriInnovation Program, with contributions from Genome Canada, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and the Ministry of Research and Innovation.

Travis Banks is research scientist, bioinformatics at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

U of W wins Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Competition The University of Waterloo Food Services (UWFS) has won the first Celebrating Ontario Agriculture promotion and display competition held the week of October 16 ,2014. This is an award sponsored by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG). The UWFS operates 24 outlets providing a range of products and services to students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

OGVG engaged a number of

university and college locations across Ontario, providing tool kits consisting of promotional ideas, recipes and merchandising material. These resources were created to support launching cafeteria initiatives, promotions and displays during Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week from October 16 to 20. Working with OGVG resources, Micaela Buchnea-Chew, UWFS marketing and communications coordinator, led her team and spearheaded

multiple promotions, menu specials and displays throughout their operations on campus.

UWFS is a self-operated ancillary service which is not a common format for today’s institutions. As a key stakeholder in student services, UWFS strives to create and cultivate a comprehensive service that promotes a healthy, sustainable university environment.

Purchasing fresh local food is a priority for UW Food Services to

promote nutrition awareness, availability and selection for their customers.

“OGVG has been pleased to be part of this promotion with Ontario University and College cafeterias and we look forward to working with other foodservice partners in the future,” said Don Taylor, chair of OGVG. “In a competitive market, these new partnerships that expand and support our produce in the foodservice marketplace will help

sustain Ontario greenhouse vegetable farmers.”

Funding was provided by the Greenbelt Fund to support the launch of an OGVG Celebrating Ontario Agriculture Week promotion.

Source: Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ news release

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 25 THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

New equipment spotted for upcoming season KAREN DAVIDSON Brett Schuyler is a soil mapper and water manager. The Simcoe, Ontario fruit grower and cash cropper is “ecstatic” about what he’s learned by mapping 3,000 acres that range from sandy soils to silt on clay.

“I can make much better decisions based on yield analysis by soil type,” he says. “Some soils that have better moisture retention would be better planted to cherry trees than corn. Cherries thrive on droughty soil.”

He’s fortunate in that his father Marshall started serious soil mapping 20 years ago.

Those old-fashioned core soil samples still have their use, but now they’re combined with sophisticated precision mapping to the inch. RTK-GPS technology generates one set of yield data.

About five years ago, they invested in a Veris Mobile Sensing Platform, an electro-conductivity (EC) machine that measures the moisture-holding capacity of the soil.

When these layers of information are analyzed, Schuyler can

make decisions such as: • what apple rootstocks are best to match to specific soils • how much lime to add to adjust pH values Doug Aspinall, OMAFRA’s senior soil scientist, has worked with Schuyler on refining the gathering and interpretation of soil data. “The science is now at the stage of delineating and characterizing management zones,” says Aspinall. “By combining the results from the Veris EC machine and yield data, we will be able to manage individual trees. I think that’s where the

technology is going.”

Schuyler is particularly fortunate because he can mine many years of data and make yield comparisons. With detailed maps, he is able to look at the soil profile, literally what’s happening in the root zone to a depth of one to two metres. By pinpointing how much water the soil can store, he can make better water management decisions in real time.

Soil sampling and analysis is not an agricultural practice that’s easily seen, says Schuyler. Yet so much depends on the health and water-storing capacity of the soil.

Spray nozzle calibrator

When held under a nozzle during sprayer calibration, it takes multiple readings to determine the flow rate, explains Jason Deveau, OMAFRA’s application technology specialist.

This replaces the old method of holding using a graduated cylinder and timing the output for a minute, or collecting in a jug and weighing the output after a minute (1 millilitre of clean water weighs 1 gram).

Other systems, such as the Innoquest Spot-On also perform this function, but the Applimax system records the results to be uploaded to the user’s computer later on for a permanent record.

These were spotted at the booth of Northern Equipment Solutions. www.northernequipment.ca

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PAGE 26 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

Nitrogen fertility of edamame beans ELAINE RODDY AND LAURA L. VAN EERD Edamame beans are a growing industry in Ontario. They are a vegetable soybean; special varieties are grown and harvested at the R6 stage while the beans are still green (Figure 1). Edamame are sold in both the fresh market and as frozen beans. They can be either shelled or sold in the pod.

Because this is a new crop to Ontario, little information is known about how soil fertility can affect the yield and quality of the crop. At the present time there are no OMAFRA fertility recommendations for edamame.

Research trials were conducted across southwestern Ontario in 2014 to gain a better understanding of nitrogen fertility in edamame beans. Trials were located in Simcoe, Ridgetown and Rodney. The soil textures at all three locations are coarse, sandy loam soils, typical of vegetable production farms in Ontario.

Five different rates of nitrogen were applied pre-plant to 8m long plots. The rates were: 0, 40, 60, 80 and 120 lb/ac. Plots were assessed in-season for nodulation and at harvest for yield and quality.

Results At Rodney, there were significantly more nodules in the zero N fertilizer treatment than the fertilized treatments. This trend was similar at the other two sites. The trend of lower nodulation with N fertilizer was

expected. The relationship between rhizobium bacteria and nodulation in beans typically decreases with increasing N fertility.

The site at Rodney was not harvested due to high nematode pressure that resulted in soybean sudden death syndrome (Figure 2). The edamame variety Harronomai is not tolerant to soybean nematodes. The trials were located in a field of commercial soybeans which were not affected by sudden death syndrome.

At Simcoe, there was no marketable yield response to N fertilizer (Figure 3). There were also no differences found in any of the yield measurements, including total yield, harvest index and pod weight.

At Ridgetown, marketable and total yield had a positive linear response to N fertilizer (Figure 3). However, the difference in yield among all N rates were relatively small. For example, the 0, 60, and 120 N rate yields were 5.2, 6.4 and 6.8 tonne/ha.

There was no influence of N treatment on the following: individual plant weight, marketable yield per plant (g/plant), unmarketable yield per plant (g/plant), total yield per plant (g/plant), or harvest index.

At Ridgetown, N fertilizer did not impact the weight of 100 pods, or the number, per cent and weight of pods with three or more beans.

At Simcoe, N rate did impact the number, per cent, and weight of pods with three or more beans in a 100 pod sample. It is highest at 55 lb N/ac however, the strength of the relationship was

quite weak (r=0.45). Further research would be needed to confirm if this relationship holds true. No other quality parameters were impacted by N fertility at Simcoe, or the variability in the data was too high to detect a difference.

Based on these two sites in 2014, there is little evidence to suggest that N fertilizer greatly influences edamame quality.

For more information on edamame beans or other new crops, visit OMAFRA’s specialty crop website, Specialty Cropportunties: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ CropOp/en/index.html Elaine Roddy is vegetable crops specialist, OMAFRA and Dr. Laura L. Van Eerd is associate professor, University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus

Figure 1. Edamame at harvest

Figure 2. Sudden death syndrome in edamame

Fig. 3. Marketable yield response of edamame to pre-plant nitrogen fertilizer at two locations in 2014.

New on-line training materials for asparagus growers

ELAINE RODDY The new Ontario Crop IPM asparagus modules were unveiled at a recent meeting of the asparagus industry.

The development of these modules was a partnership between OMAFRA and the Asparagus Farmers of Ontario and was funded by Growing Forward 2 and the Ag Adaptation Council.

With the addition of asparagus, there are now more

than 11 crops and crop groups included on the Ontario CropIPM website. Each crop boasts a full suite of information including: • a calendar of pest activity • insect, disease and disorder information sheets at both a beginner and an advanced level • high quality photos of the various stages or symptoms of each pest • herbicide injury symptoms • soil diagnostics

• pest identification keys • test your knowledge quizzes Key issues of importance to the asparagus industry, worth exploring on CropIPM include the diseases purple spot (stemphylium) and rust, as well as asparagus beetles, cutworm and miners.

Visit ontario.ca/cropipm Elaine Roddy is OMAFRA’s vegetable crops specialist.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 27 THE GROWER

VEG FOCUS

OMAFRA’s IPM scout training workshops 2015

Photo by Glenn Lowson Each spring, OMAFRA field staff conduct a series of IPM workshops. The timing of the sessions may seem inconvenient to growers and farmers who are busy with field work in May. However, to the many university and college students who are employed each summer as crop scouts or research assistants, the

timing is ideal.

Participants are given a good overview of the many insects, diseases, crop stresses and physiological disorders they may encounter during their time working in fruit and vegetable fields.

The workshops are free to attend.

Growers, agribusinesses and their employees are also welcome to

Workshop

Date & Time

Location

Introduction to IPM

Apr 29 - 8:30 am to 4:00pm

OMAFRA Guelph

Tomatoes & Peppers

May 1 - 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Ridgetown Campus.

Lettuce, Celery, Onions, Carrots

May 5

Brassica Crops

TBA

Tender Fruit

May 8 - 9:00 am to noon

Vineland, Rittenhouse Hall

Grapes

May 8 - 1:00 pm to 3:30pm

Vineland, Rittenhouse Hall

Apples

May 11 - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Following with orchard visit

OMAFRA Simcoe

Strawberries and Raspberries (blueberry training upon request)

May 13 - 9:00 am sharp to 3:00 p.m.

OMAFRA Simcoe

Sweet Corn, Peas and Beans

May 14 - 9:30 to noon

Ridgetown Campus

Cucurbit Crops

May 14 - 1pm to 3:30

Ridgetown Campus

Asparagus

May 21 - 9:30 to noon

Webinar

Potatoes

May 29 - 9:30 to 12:30

OMAFRA Guelph

Ginseng in field workshop

June 4 - 1:30 pm to 4pm

TBA

attend.

To register contact: Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300.

OMAFRA Guelph TBA

For more information contact: Margaret Appleby IPM Systems Specialist OMAFRA Brighton,

613-475-5850 Email: margaret.appleby@ontario.ca

Pest of the month – Fusarium of watermelon Scientific name: Fusarium oxysporum, f. sp. niveum (watermelon).

F. oxysporum also infects other cucurbit crops including cantaloupe (f. sp. melonis) and cucumber (f. sp. cucumerinum).

F. oxysporum is host specific.

The different formae speciales rarely cross infect in the field.

field conditions, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the two diseases. Laboratory tests may be required to properly diagnose which disease is causing the wilt symptoms.

Fusarium wilt is most severe in light, sandy, slightly-acidic soils, or in areas where infections occurred in previous crops.

Fusarium infections may be exacerbated by damage to the roots from soil insects.

Identification: Early symptoms of infection include wilting, often on one side of the plant. The leaves become dull green, progressing to yellow. This is usually followed by necrosis and the eventual death of the plant.

The vascular tissue of infected plants is yellowish-brown and discoloured. Infected plants may have a long, brownish streak at the base of the stem.

Plants that do not die become stunted. They produce fewer, smaller, poorly formed fruit with a reduced sugar content. Plants infected, but not killed, early in the season, may collapse later in the season under a heavy fruit load or stressful growing conditions.

Fusarium wilt is easily confused with verticillium wilt. In

Biology: Currently, there are four identified races of F. oxysporum niveum. Seedless (triploid) varieties are commonly more susceptible to the most common races of this pathogen. When selecting seed varieties it is important to consider race resistance for both the commercial variety and the pollenizer.

The pathogen is most active between the temperatures of 2527 C. It survives for long periods of time in the soil as chlamydospores.

With fusarium, there is no plant-to-plant spread and minimal (if any) seed contamination.

Infections may be spread from field-to-field through: the erosion and deposition of soil or plant debris; infected transplants; the spreading of culls; and on farm

ELAINE RODDY

Quality Seed

Quality Service

equipment.

Don’t bring problems in to the field! Inspect trays for symptoms. Discard any plants that have symptoms or appear unhealthy. Properly disinfect re-used trays after each crop of transplants.

Management: Crop rotation will have the single biggest impact on the reduction of fusarium wilt.

All other methods of control are incremental. Maintain a three-tofour-year rotation away from all cucurbit crops.

Fumigants are seldom successful at controlling this disease.

Chlamydospores are essentially survival structures that can outlive even the hostile conditions created by fumigants. Also, infested soil from below (or between) the fumigated zone acts as a fresh reservoir of spores for infection.

In many regions, grafting has been successfully used to manage fusarium in melon crops.

Commercial varieties are grafted on to resistant root stocks.

However, the cost, labour and difficulties associated with grafting have made it uneconomical for most North American melon growers.

Nevertheless the Ohio State

Race

Characteristics

Commercial Resistance

0 Little importance

Excellent

1 Predominant

Excellent for diploid Limited for triploid

2 Highly aggressive Occurs in 8 US states and 12 countries

Limited

3 Unknown

Overcomes resistance to Race 2

University has an excellent resource on grafting: http://www.vegetablegrafting.org/ which may be useful for small acreage or specialty melon growers.

Proline 480 SC (prothioconazole) is registered for fusarium in cucurbit crops as an at-planting treatment, followed by foliar applications. Research has shown that Proline can reduce the severity of the disease; however the level of control was not consistent between years or locations studied.

Several researchers have looked at the potential for suppressing fusarium with cover crops. It appears that hairy vetch and crimson clover both have the potential to reduce fusarium wilt the following season. Depending

on the study, the decreases ranged from 21 to 48 per cent. However, suppression was inconsistent under low disease levels or where there was a low amount of cover crop biomass produced. Once again, the results were variable depending on the year and the location.

Other good agricultural practices, such as maintaining the target pH range, reducing soil erosion, building soil quality and managing soil insects will also help to reduce the influence of fusarium in watermelon crops.

Crop rotation will have the single biggest impact on the reduction of fusarium wilt. All other methods of control are incremental.

Quality Information ~ Quality Seed Since 1881 ~

Henry Zomer (ON/MB/SK) 905-308-4396

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Rob Hovius (ON/PEI/NB) 519-580-3231

Paul Banks (ON/NS) 905-688-4300

Leah Erickson (BC/AB) 604-957-2359

Marc André Laberge (QC) 514-984-4589

Laura Caralampides (QC) 514-984-0662

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PAGE 28 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

BITS AND BITES

CHC nuggets The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) annual general meeting provides a wealth of nuggets in its binder. Here are a few.

The Canadian blueberry industry is clearly composed of two sub-sectors: high bush and low bush, with the former being principally located in British Columbia and the latter in Eastern Canada. The combined farmgate values for the whole sector amounted to just under $246 million in 2014, representing a combined increase of more than 31 per cent over 2013.

Both sub-sectors have achieved significant improvements in farmgate values during 2014, with the low bush subsector seeing vast improvements,

principally in Quebec. Marketed production has generally followed the same trend. Production improvements at the farm appear to be taking hold as, despite the significant improvements in values and marketed production, bearing and cultivated areas have not experienced significant changes.

Phorate (Thimet 15-G) is a critical management tool to control wireworms. It protects the potato tuber from damage and is lethal to wireworms. Over the past year, the Canadian Potato Council has been working to continue the use of phorate in potatoes for the control of wireworm. Sale of phorate by the registrant ended December 31, 2014 with the last use by growers scheduled for August 2015.

A grower value and benefits document was submitted to the PMRA in May 2014 to outline the changes in potato production that have occurred since the 2004 PMRA decision was published.

Meetings with PMRA reviewers and senior managers have bee ongoing. The registrant submitted new applications for registration of phorate in October 2014, and the CPC will continue to work closely with both the registrant and the PMRA to secure continued use of phorate for the 2016 season and beyond.

Field vegetables held their own and then some, according to Statistics Canada. Canadian farm cash receipts for field vegetables came in at $1.17 billion in 2013, representing an improvement of 3.3 per cent over 2012. All provinces showed a gain except Manitoba where receipts decreased by 2.5 per cent. The most significant change in 2013 occurred in Nova Scotia where receipts improved by almost 23 per cent, the largest jump in the province over the last six years.

The overall Canadian distribution of vegetable farm cash receipts did not change in 2013 as compared to 2012.

Ontario leads the way with 49 per cent of the marketplace, followed

by Quebec.

Greenhouse vegetable trade exports are amongst the highest of all fresh produce (fruits, vegetables and potatoes) in Canada, accounting for 45 per cent of all fresh product exports.

According to reports released in January 2015, which provides information up to the 2013 period, the Canadian trade balance demonstrated a significant movement upwards for 2013 compared to the previous two periods. Exports of greenhouse vegetables totalled $724.1 million while imports were $259.1 million producing a trade surplus of $465 million.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 29 THE GROWER

PAGE 30 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Agri-mek insecticide/miticide for control of spider mites on hops in Canada Crop

Target

Rate (mL/ha)

Applications

Hops

spider mites including 2-spotted mites

550 – 1,100 (1/2 trellis growth)

Maximum of 2

Interval (days)

PHI (days)

JIM CHAPUT The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Agri-mek insecticide/miticide for control of spider mites on hops in Canada. Agrimek was already labeled for use on some tree fruits, berries, celery, onions and potatoes in Canada.

This minor use project was submitted

by Ontario in 2011 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.

The following is provided as an abbre-

21

28

At least 1,000 beyond ½ trellis growth

viated, general outline only. Make first application when mites first appear but before the economic threshold is exceeded.

Make a second application if monitoring indicates that it is necessary. Users should consult the complete label before using Agri-mek.

This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on

blooming crops or weeds. Do not apply this product or allow drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area. Agri-mek is also toxic to aquatic organisms, fish and wildlife. Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or containers.

Follow all other precautions and directions

for use on the Agri-mek label carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca Jim Chaput is minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, Guelph

Sencor 75DF herbicide label for weed control in carrots The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Sencor 75DF herbicide for weed control on carrots grown on mineral soil in Canada.

Sencor was already labeled for weed control on numerous crops in Canada.

Previously, Sencor was only approved for use on processing carrots in Atlantic Canada.

This minor use project was submitted

by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) in 2008 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel in Canada.

Crop

Target

Rate (g/ha)

Applications

Interval (days)

Carrots

Annual broadleaf weeds

190

Apply when the 4th leaf is partially expanded on carrots, followed by a 2nd application when the 5th leaf is partially expanded

Approx. 6 days

The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Do not apply Sencor to carrots grown on muck soils.

Users should consult the complete label before using Sencor.

Sencor herbicide should be used in an integrated weed management program and in rotation with other management

strategies to adequately manage resistance.

Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or containers. The use of this chemical may result in the contamination of groundwater particularly in areas where soils are permeable (i.e. sandy soil) and/or the depth

PHI (days) 60

to the water table is shallow.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Sencor label carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 31 THE GROWER

PAGE 32 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Apogee plant growth regulator for runner suppression in strawberries JIM CHAPUT The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Apogee plant growth regulator for runner suppression in strawberries in Canada.

Apogee was already labeled for use on apples and cherries in Canada.

This minor use project was jointly submitted by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) and US IR-4 in 2010 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel in both countries.

The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Apply prior to the beginning of runner initiation. Users should consult the complete label before using Apogee.

Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when

Crop

Target

Rate (g/ha)

Applications

Interval (days)

Strawberries

Runner suppression

135

Maximum of 3

PHI (days)

14 - 21

21

cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or containers.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Apogee label carefully.

We also wish to acknowledge the personnel of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency for evaluating this pest management tool and BASF Canada Inc. for supporting the label expansion in Canada.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registranttitulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php Jim Chaput is minor use coordinator, OMAFRA, Guelph

Lontrel 360 herbicide for control of weeds on stone fruit The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Lontrel herbicide for control of weeds on stone fruit (peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, etc.) in Canada. Lontrel herbicide was already labeled for use on a number of crops in Canada for control of weeds.

This minor use project was submitted

by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) in 2013 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.

Crop

Target

Rate (L/ha)

Applications

Stone fruit, crop group 12-09

Weeds including vetch

0.42 – 0.83

1 (One)

The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Apply in the spring for best results. Note also that a spot treatment for vetch is also permitted. Users should consult the complete label before using Lontrel herbicide.

Lontrel herbicide is toxic to non-target terrestrial plants. Do not apply this product

or allow drift to other crops or non-target areas. The use of this chemical may result in contamination of groundwater particularly in areas where soils are permeable and/or the depth to the water table is shallow. Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or

PHI (days) 30

containers.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Lontrel label carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registranttitulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Gowan adds Spotted Wing Drosophila to Canadian Imidan label Gowan Agro Canada had added Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) to the Imidan 70WP Instapak Canadian label. This new registration allows apple, blueberry, tart cherry, grape, peach, pear and plum growers to maintain fruit quality by protecting against SWD damage.

Damage is caused when SWD females lay their eggs inside intact fruit before it can be harvested. SWD larvae hatch, begin to feed and the affected fruit becomes soft and unmarketable.

Gowan Company has had SWD on its U.S. Imidan label for the past few seasons and it’s proven to be a valuable tool in the fight against SWD. “Spotted Wing Drosophila is a new pest in Canada and even though Imidan is a mature product, fruit growers asked us to add SWD to the label because they needed help to control this insect,” said Garth Render, general manager of Gowan Agro Canada. “Staying true to its roots, the Gowan

Company responded to customer needs, investing resources to add SWD to the Canadian label for this relatively small market.

Gowan is a small, family-owned company and we think of growers as extended family. That’s the Gowan culture.”

Imidan 70WP is a broad-spectrum organophosphate and contains a Group 1B insecticide. It controls a number of different insects in many fruit crops.

Source: Gowan news release

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 33 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Fontelis fungicide for management of diseases of celery, celeriac and greenhouse eggplant in Canada The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of URMULE registrations for Fontelis fungicide for control of late blight on celery and celeriac, control of gray mold and suppression of early blight on greenhouse eggplant in Canada. Fontelis fungicide was already labeled for use on a number of crops in Canada for several diseases.

The minor use project for celery and celeriac was sponsored by the Quebec Horticultural Council (CQH) in 2014 and the project for greenhouse eggplant was sponsored by the Ontario Greenhouse

Crop

Target

Rate (L/ha)

Applications

Celery, celeriac

Late blight caused by Septoria apiicola

1.0 – 1.75

Maximum of 3

7 - 14

3

GH eggplant

Botrytis gray mold (control), early blight (suppression)

1.25 – 1.75

Maximum of 3

7 - 10

0

Vegetable Growers (OGVG) in 2013 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.

The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Users should consult the complete label before using Fontelis fungicide.

Do not apply this product or allow drift to other crops or non-target areas. Fontelis fungicide is toxic to aquatic organisms. Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or containers.

Follow all other precautions and direc-

Interval (days)

PHI (days)

tions for use on the Fontelis label carefully.

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registranttitulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

Venture L herbicide for control of grassy weeds on peanuts The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of an URMULE registration for Venture L herbicide for control of grassy weeds on peanuts in Canada. Venture herbicide was already labeled for use on many field crops, horticultural food and non-food crops in Canada.

This minor use project was submitted

by Ontario in 2014 as a result of minor use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.

Crop

Target

Rate (L/ha)

Applications

Peanuts

Grassy weeds

up to 2.0 L

Maximum of 1

The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Apply as a post-emergent application. Users should consult the complete label before using Venture herbicide.

Do not apply this product or allow drift to other crops or non-target areas. Venture

herbicide is also toxic to aquatic organisms. Do not contaminate off-target areas or aquatic habitats when spraying or when cleaning and rinsing spray equipment or containers.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Venture label carefully.

PHI (days)

REI (days) 40

5

For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, regional supply outlet or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/registranttitulaire/tools-outils/label-etiq-eng.php

BIOTECHNOLOGY

GMO potato variety receives FDA approval

Comparison of an Innate potato (L) and a traditional potato 10 hours after being cut. Source: Dr. Joe Guenthner.

The J.R. Simplot Company has completed the food and feed safety consultation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first generation of Innate potato varieties. The FDA concluded the Innate potato is as safe and nutritious as conventional potatoes.

Simplot is working with growers and retailers to bring to the U.S. market several popular potato varieties with improved traits that benefit consumers, food producers, and growers.

Innate potatoes have fewer black spots from bruising, stay whiter longer when cut or peeled, and have lower levels of naturally-occurring asparagine, resulting in less acrylamide when cooked at high temperatures. Innate potatoes are also less prone to pressure bruising during storage, resulting in less potato waste and

potentially millions of dollars in savings to growers every year.

Because the Innate potato provides significant benefits consumers want, including less bruising, less waste and more convenience, Simplot will recommend to growers and retail partners that they accurately promote and market these exclusive features on relevant packaging.

The FDA statement, on March 23, comes after the recent U. S. Department of Agriculture deregulation of Innate potatoes.

The FDA’s safety consultation on Innate potatoes was voluntarily requested by Simplot as a further evaluation of the Innate technology which has been in development for more than a decade.

These federal clearances involved years of technical

review and a thorough public comment period that drew the support of 14 leading potato research universities in the U.S. and Europe.

“The Innate potato is the most promising advancement in the potato industry I've seen in my 30 years studying agriculture,” said David S. Douches, Ph.D. at the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Michigan State University who has implemented field trials of Innate. “This potato delivers significant health and sustainability benefits, all by using the potato’s own DNA. Such advancements haven't been possible using traditional breeding.”

Simplot used the techniques of modern biotechnology to accelerate the traditional breeding process and introduce new traits by triggering the potato’s own RNA interference (RNAi) pathway.

RNAi is a natural cellular process commonly used by plants and animals to modulate expression of certain genes, and has been used effectively in multiple commercial crops sold over the last decade. “Unlike traditional methods of breeding which introduce random mutations associated with dozens of genes, the method used to develop Innate potatoes is precise,” said Douches.

The three Innate varieties are expected to be available in limited quantities beginning in

2015 in the fresh and fresh-cut markets where the sustainability, higher quality and health benefits have significant value to growers and consumers.

A second generation of Innate potatoes, currently under review by the USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will offer two additional improvements to the potato, including increased resistance to late blight disease and better storability. These advantages will create significant sustainability advances, such as reduced

reliance on fungicides and fewer rejected potatoes.

“The potato is an important and nutritious food staple, but susceptible to damage when grown and stored,” said Haven Baker, vice president and general manager of Simplot Plant Sciences. “Innate has the potential to reduce post-harvest food waste and help meet the demand for better, more sustainable crops in the years ahead.”

Source: J. R. Simplot news release

PAGE 34 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MINOR USE CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Family first

CRAIG HUNTER OFVGA Back in 1983 when our son was born, The Grower inserted a small announcement to that effect. I was honoured and humbled because I had no idea who or how that was done- long before I ever joined the OFVGA. We regularly (too often these days) acknowledge the passing of those individuals in the industry that have made a lasting contribution. Just last month it was Art Kemp who passed at 100 years of age. He was the longest surviving past-president of OFVGA, and now that mantle falls to Dr. John Brown, also a past executive director of OFVGA, with whom I have worked in the past on Minor Use facilitation projects. All this is to say that we should not forget who created the past successes of OFVGA so the current successes of our growers can even be contemplated.

In early February I sat and had lunch at the latest Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Niagara Falls with three past chairs: Hector Delange, Gary Cooper, and Ken Porteous. We played that game about “Do you remember –him, her, that, when, how, etc.” Their collective experience was later augmented when another past president joined us: Peter Lindley. Peter will be inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame this summer. In spite of the honour that will be bestowed on him, he questioned whether anyone in government will ask or heed his opinion on current issues. (They should and they had better, in my opinion) In a sense, the past presidents collectively represent for us the original intended role of our Senate -- unbiased

knowledge and advice. Their knowledge and steadfastness should be not only sought out, but cherished by those making tough policy decisions.

Later on that day I met up with Earl Muir, a tender fruit producer in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He was there with his daughter Anne with whom he operates their fifthgeneration family farm. He chatted to me about his granddaughter who is now a student at Guelph. (Time flies) Earl was a long-time member of the Ontario Pesticides Advisory Committee and our terms almost overlapped.

I have been on it for over 18 years and he was there for about that time too. Our input gave a horticultural perspective that is needed to understand the impact of some pesticide use decisions.

This is just another example of the ways that our members have contributed over the years. Earl had also been an Extension Specialist early in his career before going back to take over the family farm. The experiences gained in that early job I am sure had a bearing on some farm practices he uses today. He still keeps an active role on his farm, and I would expect that to continue (forever).

I had a chance to catch up with several former colleagues from OMAFRA, and to find out who was retiring. (I almost wished I had not asked, because the answer is scary) It seems that there is a plethora of retirements this late winter and spring. They include Margaret Appleby who took on the IPM Systems role after that last big shuffle of staff responsibilities. Her background included managing an apple orchard so she brought that farm production knowledge to her role. It is hard to find these days, and almost impossible to replace. Leslie Huffman was the Apple Specialist in her latest role at OMAFRA, but she had been the Hort. Weeds Specialist as well as also being a regional Horticultural Specialist.

She too has an orchard production background, and with her family continues to make advances in fruit production. The greenhouse sectors, both vegetables and ornamentals, have lost their IPM specialists. Gillian Ferguson and

Graham Murphy were hired when Food Systems 2002 was being created. They were able to invent their roles, and both became well-respected specialists here in Ontario and abroad as well for the knowledge base they accumulated. They both took very active roles at the annual Minor Use meetings, representing the needs of their sectors. Once again, this knowledge on which our growers have come to depend upon is gone in a flash. It will take just as long for their successors to build up that knowledge and credibility.

One day at a time!

OMAFRA is losing staff in other areas as well. I understand that many of the engineering staff (who all started at about the same time) are now leaving together. In the Field Crops area, a couple more significant departures have been announced. Greg Stewart has been the incumbent corn specialist since the position was created with coercion from the former Ontario Corn Producers.

Once again, his collective experience in that job and formerly at the U of Guelph will be missed by growers. He is joined by Peter Johnson. Peter was one of those staff that managers loved and hated at the same time. He had opinions on most agricultural subjects and was never afraid to express them, regardless of ministry policy or direction. He also locked horns with co-workers and consultants on occasion. His duels with Pat Lynch are legendary!

In the end, all of these staff members were on the farmers’ side, and that will be their legacy.

The need for independent, unbiased knowledge will always remain as farmers sort out the truth from the rhetoric.

I was at the annual meeting of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s advisory committee in late February. They too are seeing retirements, and another was announced there. Each one makes me do a flip back in the memory bank to recall what they did, and assess the impact of their leaving.

It was no surprise to me to remember a long discussion with one staff member on ‘why things were like they were’ and what growers could (should) do to mitigate or to change them. It was

Peter Lindley, a past-president of OFVGA, will be inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in June.

Margaret Appleby, OMAFRA IPM specialist, will retire in June.

Photo by Denis Cahill. good advice that I can look back upon as being almost a ‘Cri de Coeur’ from someone who too did not like some of the current realities of those days but was unable to get a fix done internally. A two-hour discussion between insomniacs at a meeting far away had untold benefit for years afterward.

Things have changed, and mostly for the better. It just always takes too much time, and rarely meets all our needs!

This year, those meetings were held with a new board that never-the-less had many familiar faces. That experience at the table certainly allowed a faster uptake, assimilation, and then recommendations. There are many fires burning, many plates twirling on sticks, and much juggling going on simultaneously at PMRA. Its

next five-year plan must deal with these, and I believe it received good advice from the committee.

Time will tell, and above all else, I hope that Health Canada recognizes the strides that have been taken over the past five years.

In spite of the many retirements, it is also a time for renewal. In my own family, I would like to announce the safe arrival for my daughter Rebecca and her partner Leigh of my first grand-daughter: Hayden Hazel Eady entered this world Feb. 4th.

This is cause for celebration in our family and a good omen for our collective futures. Someone will need to be around to re-fill the jobs at hand today, right about the time when she will be finishing her education!

One just can’t plan too far into the future!

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE 35 THE GROWER

PAGE 36 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

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THE GROWER

APRIL 2015

CELEBRATING 136 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

SECTION B

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Alternative water treatments that don’t cost the earth

The canals of Ontario’s Holland Marsh are the lifeblood for 7,000 acres of intensely farmed muck soils. The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association is active in stewardship initiatives to treat not only washwater, but settling ponds. In the future, floating rafts may be employed to remove unwanted nutrients from canal water.

Photo by Glenn Lowson.

KAREN DAVIDSON Bond Head, ON -- The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) is half way through a three-year, $2.1 million water management project. Lessons were shared at a recent seminar that heartened the spirits of growers under increased environmental regulations.

One speaker, Riley Milligan, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, talked about the geology of the Marsh, describing different soil layers and the 50-foot shallow aquifer and another deeper one at the southern end. Water moves laterally and vertically, so a 3-D understanding of the area is important. Growers have the bounty of not only Lake Simcoe but an additional water source supplying their crops. With that

abundant water resource comes responsibility of stewardship, especially as so much water is used to wash produce before it goes to market.

“We’re looking for holistic solutions to manage water in the Marsh,” says Charles Lalonde, HMGA water project manager.

“Let’s clean up the dirt before it gets to settling ponds.”

To meet standards of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), the focus is to decrease phosphorus emissions and turbidity of the water -- the suspended materials in the water which have a large impact on fish in streams. These include soil particles -- clay, silt, sand and muck – as well as phosphorus and nitrogen.

Lalonde explains that potential solutions for improving water clarity are flocculants, agents that

“

We’re looking for

holistic solutions to manage water in the Marsh. Let’s clean up the dirt before it gets to settling ponds.” ~ Charles Lalonde

will clean wash water before being released to settling ponds.

Alum is one example of a flocculent that can cause fine particulates to clump together.

The “floc” then sinks to the bottom of the liquid, similar to the milk layer below the cream of

unpasteurized milk.

Add to that a promising technology called Geotube dewatering containers. These units are constructed of a specially-engineered, dualfilament polypropylene textile that are formed with a high strength patented seaming process that can withstand a high flow of sludge or contaminated water being pumped through them.

Solid materials accumulate within the tube that also trap much of the nitrogen and phosphorus. Once the Geotube is filled with solids, it continues to dewater and go through aerobic digestion over time so the captured nutrients can be reused by the grower for crops instead of being released into the water environment.

The objective is not to pay for removing water, but to remove only the dewatered beneficial solids. The water could be reused

for irrigation or treated and reused within processing facilities says Don Bishop, president and chief technology officer for Bishop Water Technologies.

The Geotube dewatering system has been around for more than 50 years but only within the last decade has it been recognized and used in Canada. Numerous municipalities are now using it to dewater the waste sludge from their waste water or water treatment plants as well as to clean out their sludge lagoons. The Perth Water Treatment Plant is the most recent. Where a traditional solution would have cost $7 million, the Geotube solution cost the municipality just $1.25 million. Costs would be considerably lower for on-farm treatment as flow rates and volume will be less.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PAGE B2 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Water-abundant Ontario can learn from other regions REBECCA SHORTT Ontario is blessed with lots of water, particularly when compared to other regions in North America with significant horticultural production. However, no supply is endless. Of all the water in the Great Lakes, only one per cent is renewable. But of that one per cent (663 BL/d), the USGS estimates that only one per cent is currently being consumed (used and not returned to the Great Lakes Basin)1. This is good news; the Great Lakes Basin is not currently in a water supply crisis. In some regions, however, water supplies can become strained in dry years, even in this province of plentiful water.

What can the horticultural sector do to address these challenged regions and also look at growing the economic activity of the horticultural sector through increased water use and increased production?

All Ontarians are concerned about water supplies and seeing them be sustained into the future.

The agricultural sector in Ontario pays for the full cost of water supply and treatment of their water. Bearing the full cost naturally encourages conservation. All farm water users and irrigators in particular, have an opportunity to proactively describe and promote the activities on their operations that lead to efficient use of water.

Demonstration of stewardship practices is important as news stories from drought stricken regions can lead to questions about how much and how

carefully agricultural producers manage water. There are many positive messages about irrigation in Ontario. All Ontario irrigation is mechanised which is accepted as more efficient than low technology surface irrigation (flooding, border strip or furrow).

More than 95 per cent of Ontario irrigators develop a water supply on their farm property avoiding any potential water losses through long distribution systems. Living near to their water supply also naturally encourages vested interest in the sustainable use of that supply. Note that modern distribution systems, such as the irrigation pipeline near Leamington, have little to no losses as compared to open canal systems from other countries which are often pictured when describing irrigation infrastructure. In fact, investment in Ontario in modern irrigation water distribution systems is an opportunity to increase the level of water use measurement, monitoring, and would allow growers to access more robust and sustainable water supplies.

Ontario has a relatively long history of robust water management. Both surface water (streams and ponds) and ground water (wells) have been regulated through the Permit To Take Water program under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) since 1963. Ontario water taking regulation is intended to protect all water users from encroaching water use. It is also intended to protect water supplies from being over pumped such as we see in California today2. In California the recent extreme drought has

Photo by Glenn Lowson led to the mining of ground water supplies. In 2014 growers spent $5M more in pumping costs over 2013 and 1,500 to 2,000 new wells were drilled2. Over the years ground water pumping has led to some farms experiencing land subsidence of 10m (land dropping into the empty space left after water is removed from the aquifer). In 2014 large areas in the San Joaquin Valley dropped by 25cm in six months leading to damage of roads and canals2.

Increased irrigation pumping of ground water also leads to salt water from the oceans intruding into the coastal aquifers. Sea intrusion is increasing in coastal zones such as the Salinas and Pajaro Valleys which produce 70 per cent of the U.S. lettuce supply3. Until recently there was limited legislated control on ground water pumping in California. Voluntary ground water management was introduced in 1992. The California Sustainable Groundwater Act was implemented in 2014. Growers in

The ‘AQUA Wetland System’ “A new breed of constructed wetland” AQUA Treatment Technologies Inc. designs and installs the ‘AQUA Wetland System’ (AWS) for tertiary treatment of many types of waste water including sanitary sewage, landfill leachate, dairy farm & abattoir wastewater, greenhouse irrigation leachate water & mushroom farm leachate water (i.e. manure pile leachate) and high strength winery washwater.

The ‘AQUA Wetland System’ is operated out of doors and can achieve year-round tertiary treatment of wastewater. This sub-surface, vertical flow constructed wetland consists of sand & gravel beds planted with moisture tolerant plant species. Water is pumped vertically from cell to cell. There is no open or standing water.

Treatment occurs through physical filtration & biological degradation. Plants shade & insulate the cells, cycling nutrients while preventing algae growth. There is no production of sludge.

The AWS has been approved for use by the Ontario Ministry of Environment through over 40 Environmental Compliance Approvals. Recently the Region of Niagara began approving the AWS for treatment of ‘small flow’ winery washwater I.e. < 10,000 liters per day. Other agencies who have issued approvals include Health Canada, USEPA and OMAFRA. Recent projects include: 1) treatment of cider mill washwater at Bennett’s Apple and Cider in Ancaster 2) treatment of winery washwater at DiProfio Wines and Lincoln Farm Winery in Niagara 3) treatment of pond water at Hihojo Farms for supply of hog drinking water

For additional information please Contact Lloyd Rozema at: cell. 905-327-4571 email. lrozema@aqua-tt.com

Ontario can look to the OWRA as part of the scheme which drives the sustainability of water use growth in Ontario. Ontario applicants for new or increased Permits to Take Water must demonstrate the new water taking will not impact other existing water users or the natural environment. Detailed information on ground water supplies has been developed in some regions of Ontario through the source water protection studies and recent work by the Ontario Geological Society. This information can be requested from the local Conservation Authority, can be helpful in supporting PTTW applications and may help defray some costs associated with a PTTW water taking study.

Working with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) we can see that robust and fair regulation is a benefit to all water users in Ontario.

Improving irrigation efficiency has three main areas of activity: Right time and amount, right place and taking advantage of potential productivity gains (such as fertigation or other practices which increased the productivity, thereby increasing the water use productivity). Irrigation Scheduling is the practice of determining the right time and amount to irrigate. Determining the right time to irrigate and the right amount to apply can be a challenge particularly with Ontario’s changeable summer temperatures and significant but unpredictable rainfalls. Both weather data and soil moisture data can refine irrigation decisions. One thing that California does well is their extensive weather monitoring system which can be used for irrigation scheduling. The California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS), is a state funded initiative with many partners covering >145 automated weather stations. British Columbia also has a network of weather monitoring which is linked to an on-line irrigation scheduling software.

This web software will work in Ontario and it is able to automatically ingest Environment Canada weather station data (http://agricultural-calculator.

irrigationbc.com). Growers in southern Ontario can access excellent Evapotranspiration (ET) data and other weather information from Weather Innovations (www.vineinnovations.com, www.onpotatoes.ca, www.turfmonitor.com). In 2013/14 the development of these websites was funded by Farm and Food Care under a special Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative.

Weather Innovations is a private company and growers have an opportunity to come together to support ongoing service.

We can’t manage what we don’t measure. Irrigators in Ontario need to increase the use of technology in measuring water use. Time vs pumping rates are helpful ways to record water use but metering leads to a superior understanding of where and when water is being used. The results may be surprising. Similarly, soil moisture monitoring is another tool which is getting easier and less costly to use (www.omafra. gov.on.ca/english/engineer/ irrigation.htm). OMAFRA experience suggests that these tools help farmers demonstrate their efficient use of water and often result in increased frequency of irrigation leading to better quality production and resulting in higher water use efficiency (more economic value per drop of water).

Water means opportunities.

Let Ontario horticulture master the flow.

1. Howard W. Reeves, 2010, Water Availability and Use Pilot: A Multi Scale Assessment in the US Great Lakes Basin. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1778.

2. Dr. Thomas Harter, UC Davis.

The Future of Ground Water Management in California.

University of Waterloo, The Water Institute lecture series.

Jan 29, 2015. Waterloo Ontario, Canada.

3. Michael Cahn, UC cooperative extension. ASA CSSA SSSA International Annual Meeting.

Nov 5, 2014. Long Beach California, USA. Rebecca Shortt is OMAFRA’s water quantity engineer.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE B3 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Alternative water treatments that don’t cost the earth

Geotube dewatering system

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It can be operated as a batch or flow process and with the data on what the processor’s waste stream is, the company can calculate very accurately the process need and costing says Bishop.

Another alternative technology, BioCord reactors, have been around for 30 years yet still are almost unknown in Canada. They have been tested and enhanced by Bishop Water Technologies to remove unwanted nutrients from agricultural settling ponds or streams.

The reactors are basically a floating raft with multiple strands of braided, looped BioCord rope hung below. They act as a substrate to attract different types of beneficial bacteria that will remove the nutrients from the water. There are 10 different types of BioCord that use different types of fibers and a selection of surface area to attract the most beneficial bacteria. It’s a low-tech system that can deal with algae blooms because it’s

removing phosphorus and nitrogen from the water.

“Think of it as an apartment building for the bacteria to live in,” says Bishop.

BioCord can be installed on stainless steel racks or fixed to a surface frame.

Coarse air diffusers slough off the excessive biofilm growth during high loading periods. Fine bubble diffusers are used to feed the bacteria in closed intensive systems, as in waste water treatment for food processing, or existing lagoons that are not meeting discharge criteria. In the natural environment, the available dissolved oxygen is efficient in most cases.

It’s not inconceivable that the Holland Marsh canals could be “seeded” with floating BioCord islands however the original source has to be dealt with first.

Lalonde says that assessments are required as to placement and how many are needed for best results. If the concept works, it would be a highly visual project that could communicate to the broader public how growers are proactively looking after the water resource.

New BioCords in the water column before bacterial seeding

BioCord raft working with aquatic plants to greatly increase nutrient uptake

Improving irrigation efficiency in orchards and vineyards KATHRYN CARTER AND REBECCA SHORTT In 2013 funding from WRAMI allowed the tender fruit, apple and grape growers to conduct a research project aimed at evaluating the accuracy, user friendliness and cost of three different moisture probes in seven orchards and vineyards across Ontario. The results of this project showed that Decagon EC-5 probes were preferred over the other probes due to their cost, reliability and ease of use. Additionally, results showed considerable differences in soil moisture levels in different soil types. Despite the above average rainfall in 2013, we determined that irrigation efficiency (timing and amount of water applied) in both orchards and vineyards can be improved.

This year’s project focuses on automating and adapting existing soil moisture monitoring systems, as well as installing automated stations in new sites, to allow growers to view real time soil moisture measurements

The nearby irrigation pond is insurance for when extra water is needed at the Flat Rock Cellars vineyard, Lincoln, Ontario. on FruitTracker. The information presented (ideal irrigation trigger, permanent wilting point and field capacity) will assist growers in determining the timing and need for irrigation application. Growers who are set up to do so will also be able to view their soil moisture measurements (12” and 24”) online and use this information to determine if they have over or under irrigated.

Objectives of the project: 1. Allow growers to use soil moisture sensors and FruitTracker to determine if adequate moisture has been applied to the fields and when to irrigate. To provide growers with information to determine if they have over or under irrigated fields.

2. Assist growers in recording

irrigation events and preparing reports on water use for permit to take water applications.

Status of project Soil moisture probes have been set up across the province at all sites. We are working out some issues with the automation equipment. We are in the process of finalizing the presentation of the data on

FruitTracker and WIN site.

Weekly conference calls on Thursdays are being hosted to disseminate information to growers involved in the project.

Kathryn Carter is tender fruit and grape specialist, OMAFRA and Rebecca Shortt is irrigation specialist, OMAFRA

PAGE B4 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Results from the Water Adaptation Management and Quality Initiative MICAH SHEARER-KUDEL Over the last year, the Water Adaptation Management and Quality Initiative (WAMQI) project has provided $1.26 million in funding for 28 water and nutrient use efficiency projects carried out by academic institutions, conservation authorities, universities, and commodity organizations.

Many projects had a focus of water use efficiency and developing and improving irrigation technologies. Three of these projects are highlighted below.

1. Removing salt from greenhouse circulation water

Greenhouses provide a unique opportunity to reuse water, though after water is used, it must be treated in order to be reused.

This is where Enpar Technologies’ innovative electrostatic deionization technology comes into use.

The goal of this project and its technology was to achieve greater than 85 per cent water recovery, significantly reducing the cost associated with waste management and disposal. The technology was optimized for an 88 per cent recovery and was cost-effective to be used for greenhouse water treatment and recirculation purposes.

But how does it work? The

capacitive deionization (CDI) process is a low-pressure, nonmembrane process that removes dissolved ions from a water stream in the presence of an electrical field. In general, water from the greenhouse sump is pumped through cells that contain the charged electrode plates. The electrodes attract and retain ions on the electrode surfaces. As the ions build up on the surface of the electrodes the cells lose efficiency so that treated water produced at the start of the cycle has lowest conductivity, and conductivity gradually increases until a pre-set maximum is reached.

The treated water exits the system as a high volume with low The ESD system was used at a greenhouse in Leamington, Ontario to ensure it could achieve greater than 85 per cent water recovery. total dissolved solids (TDS) content. For every 10 liters into the cells, 8.5 liters can return to the system for reuse and 1.5 liters of water-salt concentrate requiring disposal is produced. From its findings, Enpar concludes: “The ESD system has been shown as a viable option for recycle and reuse of greenhouse leach water.”

2. Adding air is a new twist on subsurface irrigation Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is becoming a popular type of technology for farmers in southern Ontario given that the impacts of drought are still fresh in many farmers’ minds following the dry 2012 growing season.

University of Guelph Simcoe Research Station has been at the forefront of this technology along with several local farms located on the sandy Norfolk Sand Plains.

Peter White at the Simcoe Research Station received funding from WAMQI to research the effectiveness of SDI for field corn in 2014 and 2015, and expanded the project under WAMQI to include a study of aeration of field vegetables using SDI. Researchers in Egypt and Israel have found that when vegetables are drip irrigated using sub surface technology, the root zone can become saturated and that crop yields are improved by adding air to the buried drip tape water. Air was added using a simple Venturi nozzle at the

beginning of the row. The trial compared regular subsurface (buried) drip line against air added and air plus a surfactant to keep the bubbles longer.

Due to the wet year, the research did not indicate a benefit from the aeration in the trial on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers or sweet corn, but 2014 was not a good summer to be testing any irrigation technology as rain provided plenty of water for crops.

As such, the studies will likely continue next summer.

3. Using ground covers to maximize water use efficiency Currently, in Ontario there are more than 7,419 acres of tender fruit orchards with peaches making up the majority at 4,469.

Many of these orchards are not irrigated but with the changing climate, warmer temperatures and prolonged dry conditions, irrigation may become a requirement in this sector. Taking this information into account, University of Guelph researcher John Zandstra conducted experiments at the Cedar Springs Research Station using ground covers to determine their ability to retain moisture in the soil and reduce the need for supplemental irrigation or installation of irrigation equipment for peach trees.

Treatment combinations compared bare soil, drip irrigation and mushroom or wood chip mulch CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE B5 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Results from the Water Adaptation Management and Quality Initiative

Researcher Peter White demonstrates how subsurface drip irrigation can be used to deliver oxygen to crops to boost yields.

Cumulative crop yields over a three-year period were increased by 71 per cent and 44 per cent in plots where spent mushroom compost was applied as a ground

cover when compared to nonirrigated and irrigated bare soil plots respectively. Wood chips were not as effective, but yields were increased by 36 per cent and

John Zandstra stands next to a peach tree where he hoped to gain some insight into the efficacy of ground covers to improve soil moisture retention.

15 per cent when compared to non- irrigated and irrigated bare soil respectively. During a drought year, the advantages of this cover system will be most

quantifiable.

To learn more about all 28 WAMQI projects, including videos and a project results booklet visit

www.farmfoodcare.org/ environment.

Micah Shearer-Kudel is with Farm & Food Care.

MAY 2015 - Book by April 15

A program designed to help Ontario farmers with water taking permit needs CALL ABE FIRST FOR BETTER PRICES, MORE CHOICES, FAST, AND FRIENDLY SERVICE. BUY A DIESEL ENGINE PUMP UNIT FROM THE DIESEL MECHANIC.

Mr. Shearer’s mandate is to provide surface water taking permit and impact study services to agricultural water takers throughout the Province of Ontario. The purpose for the development of this position at the OFVGA was to lessen the confusion and costs to farmers of the required water taking permit process and subsequent studies.

Mr. Shearer will assess clients’ needs in terms of support required in order to successfully complete their PTTW application as well as to assist clients to assess best options for water taking given cost and regulatory constraints.

G W

eorge Shearer ater Specialist

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association 105-355 Elmira Road North Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 p: 519-763-6160 ext. 219 c: 519-222-3272 water@ofvga.org

f: 519-763-6604

NEW IRRIGATION PUMP UNITS ON TRAILER • Cummin 4 cyl & 6 cyl • John Deere, 4 cyl & 6 cyl • Iveco/Cummins, 4 cyl & 6 cyl • Kubota & Deutz etc, etc.

• Perkins-Cat Rovatti Pumps Berkeley Pumps, etc.

And many more new or used up to 550 HP. We build them all big or small.

Also couplers, hoses, clamps, for suction, camlock, ringlock, bauer etc.

A. KOOLMEES R.R. 1, Otterville, ON N0J 1R0 (519) 879-6878 Fax: (519) 879-6319

Special focus: Grapes, berries, vineyards and wineries Call Herb Sherwood to book advertising space 519-380-0118

Pipe & Fittings for Water Systems • PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper • Stainless, Brass, Steel Product Lines • Drip & Micro Irrigation • Septic & Sewer • Drainage & Culverts • Berkeley Water Pumps

Winona Concrete & Pipe Products Ltd. 489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4

info@WinonaConcrete.com

Phone (905) 945-8515 Fax: (905) 945-1149 or call toll-free

1-800-361-8515

PAGE B6 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

Improve water uniformity and crop quality with two new technologies

What could be improved about drip tape? It doesn’t always work efficiently in undulating fields, says Christian Houle, irrigation manager for Dubois Agrinovation. With differences in elevation, the water flow may not be consistent.

The company offers a PBX FC which controls the flow under various pressures. The PBX creates more turbulence to move sediments through the system and resists clogging. The resins in the tape are more supple allowing a higher water pressure without increasing the flow. Houle says

this tape offers 25 per cent more efficiency over standard tape.

“What you’re buying is more uniformity,” says Houle.

The company is also offering a new retractable low tunnel (Tunnel Flex), after three years of research under Canadian conditions. It‘s three times less expensive than high tunnels, but provides more protection than row covers. The structure can be moved which is ideal for growers who are on rented land.

Originally manufactured and distributed in Europe, it’s now available in Canada. The hoops

A miniature model of the new Tunnel Flex retractable low tunnel was on display at the Dubois Agrinovation booth at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention. Photo by Denis Cahill. are durable, with clear thermal film perforated on both sides and bungee elastics. These elastics keep the structure in place. The microclimate can be adjusted by raising or dropping the plastic film for rain and wind protection.

Strawberries, for instance,

don’t like to be wet. There is less disease caused by water with protection against hail, wind and heavy rain. This production system can extend the season and be used for day-neutral production.

As Houle points out, this

system can be used with ProtekNet insect netting against Spotted Wing Drosophila. The kit allows producers to cover four beds of 28” – 30’’ by 410’ long.

The kit can be modified to suit specifications.

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE B7 THE GROWER

FOCUS: WATER MANAGEMENT AND IRRIGATION

PHILLIPS FARM SUPPLIES

Source protection plans underway

1-800-811-6238 pfs@reach.net SPRAYING EQUIPMENT OUR SPECIALITY have been

YOU to the rest, call the NOW BEST!!

NEW . . USED . . SERVICE YOUR SOURCE FOR JOHN BEAN AND DURAND-WAYLAND

WARWICK ORCHARDS & NURSERY LTD. R.R. #8 Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0 Tel: (519) 849-6730 Toll free: 877-550-7412 Fax: (519) 849-6731 Email: warwickorchards@brktel.on.ca

Munckhof Orchard Sprayers Votex Shredders and Mowers Orchard Equipment and Supplies Pruning Tools

Over the next several years, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) will implement Source Protection Plans under the Clean Water Act, 2006, to help ensure that Ontarians have access to safe drinking water. Source Protection Plans address activities - including agricultural practices - that could have an impact on municipal drinking water sources.

Each plan contains a number of policies to reduce existing, and future, threats to drinking water.

Plans are unique to the source protection area or region they cover. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is working with MOECC, source protection committees, local municipalities, conservation authorities and farm organizations to ensure that source protection plan policies are effective and implementable.

If your farm is in a source protection area or region, you are required by law to comply with the local Source Protection Plan.

Source Protection Plans may affect your farm's nutrient management strategy (NMS) or plan (NMP), or non-agricultural

Watersheds such as Dry Creek in Ontario's Haldimand County can be identified through the Ministry of Natural Resource’s Ontario Flow Assessment Tool. source material (NASM) plan.

OMAFRA staff will contact farmers in Source Protection Areas or Regions who have a registered operation, or an approved NMS, NMP or NASM plan. By law, these documents must be reviewed and amended to be in compliance with the Source

Protection Plan.

The Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition has prepared the Farm Source Water Protection Planframework and workbook, found at www.ofa.on.ca/issues/overview/ source-water-protectionframework, to help you prepare.

PAGE B8 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 EQUIPMENT

CLASSIFIED For Sale: Mechanical Transplanters Model 1000 for planting through plastic mulch.

3 units, excellent. $1000 each.

Call 519-259-3242

NEW TURBO-MIST SPRAYERS JUST IN!!!

NEEDED: GOOD USED TRADES

Start new business. Grow a hectare or 2 of raspberries Bareroot Nova and Heritage Canes available in April/May at $1 each. Large quantity discount applies. Call 519-287-3013 Sled-bedder with markers and plastic lining, $1250. Vegetable wash line 24” , receiving belt, brushes,sponges, $1600. Decloet high clearance sprayer, $3750.

Jacobs greenhouse walkway.

519-768-1590 or 521-8455.

** LOW DRIFT SPRAY TOWERS TO FIT ANY TURBO-MIST - IN STOCK ** TURBO-MIST 400 GAL, 24” FAN, DIAPHRAGM PUMP TURBO-MIST 400 GAL, 30” FAN, ONLY 8 ACRES/YEAR, LIKE NEW TURBO-MIST 500 GAL, DIAPHRAGM PUMP , HYDRAULIC CONTROLS TURBO-MIST 500 GAL, CENTRFUGAL PUMP, MINT CONDITION TURBO-MIST 500 GAL, MYERS PUMP, HYDRAULIC, USED ONLY 2 YEARS TURBO-MIST 600 GAL, DIAPHRAGM PUMP, HYDRAULIC, LOW HOURS TURBO-MIST 600 GAL, HIGH OUTPUT FAN, TALL TOWER HARDI 600 GAL, HYDRAULIC CONTROLS, 36” FAN PERFECT KG220 H.D. FLAIL CHOPPER (2012) NEW FLAILS

COMING $12,700 $11,900 $14,500 $17,500 $14,500 $16,950 $4,000 $6,900

POSITION AVAILABLE: We are looking for a mature person who is able to work as a team.

Duties will include the harvesting of cabbage broccoli and kale and row crop cultivation. The right person must have several years of tractor driving experience and be willing to learn new responsibilities. A current pesticide license will be an asset.

Send resume to dedreufarms12@hotmail.com or call 519-619-6873

** All Turbo-Mist parts in stock - 7 days/week in season ** Seppi flail mulchers for grass and prunings ** Perfect rotary mowers & heavy duty flail mowers

PHILLIPS FARM SUPPLIES

D O N A RT H U R O R C H A R D E Q U I P M E N T (519) 599-3058 donarthur3@gmail.com Clarksburg, ON

1-800-811-6238 pfs@reach.net

For Sale: 33 x 25 lb boxes Winmore cauliflower bands, 4 colours, $1.85 per lb.

Universal hoeing machines, 1-2 row 3 P.T.H. PTO belt drive.

1-4 row 3 P.T.H. hyd. drive.

Each machine has 2 sets of teeth.

289-439-0711

SPRAYING EQUIPMENT OUR SPECIALITY NEW . . USED . . SERVICE

have been

YOU to the rest, call the NOW BEST!!

YOUR SOURCE FOR JOHN BEAN AND DURAND-WAYLAND

• VEGETABLE SEEDERS Planet Jr.

Gaspardo

Cole

• CASH CROP PLANTERS Conventional – Pneumatic (Air)

• FERTILIZER ATTACHMENTS

REFRIGERATION

(SideDressers)

• ROW CROP WEEDERS, ETC.

Sell your farm equipment here.

• DISC HILLERS

classified ads

• SPECIALIZED ROW CROP EQUIPMENT Cultivator Steels, Sweeps, Hoes, Furrowers, Hillers, Etc.

call the classified department at 866-898-8488 ext 221

JOHN C. GRAHAM CO. LTD. DISTRIBUTORS 88 Erie Street North • P.O. Box 13 Leamington, Ontario • N8H 3W1

Tel:(519) 326-5051 Fax: (519) 326-0480

"V" spreaders treeform@sympatico.ca 519 599 2299

KOOL JET

®

Reliable Refrigeration Systems

1-866-748-7786 www.kooljet.com Visit our website to view our complete line

One-Piece and Portable Skid-Mount Systems, HydroCoolers, Medical and Process Chillers, Blast Freezers, Vacuum Coolers, Refrigerated Dehumidifiers.

Custom Built Designs • Domestic and International Markets

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE B9 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 IRRIAGTION

Pipe & Fittings for Water Systems • PVC, ABS, Poly, Copper • Stainless, Brass, Steel Product Lines • Drip & Micro Irrigation • Septic & Sewer • Drainage & Culverts • Berkeley Water Pumps

Winona Concrete & Pipe Products Ltd. 489 Main St. W., Grimsby, ON. L3M 1T4

info@WinonaConcrete.com

ORCHARD SUPPLIES

Phone (905) 945-8515 Fax: (905) 945-1149 or call toll-free

1-800-361-8515

If you have a rural route address, please update subscription with your civic address to ensure delivery.

VEGETABLE SEED

Oriental Vegetable Seeds

LABELLING EQUIPMENT

866-898-8488 ext 221

PACKAGING Ginwa

Lucky Green

Nabai Slo

Spring Tower

AgroHaitai Ltd. Ph: 519-647-2280 • Fax: 519-647-3188 seed@agrohaitai.com• www.AgroHaitai.com

www.thegrower.org

PAGE B10 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 SEED AND ROOTSTOCK C.O.

ASPARAGUS ROOTS Jersey Giant Millennium

KEDDY

• Certified Strawberry Plants & Raspberry Canes • All popular varieties available • Grown under the Nova Scotia Certification program.

Plants shipped across North America.

Contact us for a FREE brochure!

Wrightland Farm RR 1 • 1000 Ridge Rd. Harrow, ON N0R 1G0 Keith: 519-738-6120 Fax: 519-738-3358

982 North Bishop Road, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 3V7 Ph: (902) 678-4497 Fax: (902) 678-0067 Email: keddynursery@xcountry.tv

Providing quality apple trees for 40 years.

• • • • • • •

Bench graft Sleeping budded eye 9 month bench 1 year old whip 1 year old feathered KNIP tree 2 year old tall feathered (instant orchard) Brian Van Brenk 31760 Erin Line Fingal ON, Canada N0L 1K0 519-902-6353 www.vanbrenk.ca brian@vanbrenk.ca

ASPARAGUS

ASPARAGUS CROWNS

GLADIOLUS BULBS

Millennium Mary Washington

Wide variety selection for retail sales and commercial cut flower production Catalogue available upon request or visit our website at www.lmbolle.com

Sandy Shore Farms Ltd. (519) 875­3382 www.sandyshorefarms.ca info@sandyshore.ca

L.M. Bolle & Sons 813083 Baseline Norwich, ON (519) 468-2090 Fax 468-2099 email: lmbolle@execulink.com

FUMIGATION

EMPLOYMENT

Propagation Grower (Delta, BC)

• Greenhouse and Field Soil Fumigation • Custom made equipment for bedding, fumigation, mulch laying, planting, solid tarp applicators and equipment rentals • Black mulch plastic - Embossed and U.V. treated • Perforated Tunnels - Clear & white • Wire hoops, row cover, mesh cloth field cover & drip irrigation.

1738 Seacliff Drive Kingsville, ON N9Y 2M6 (cell) 519-919-1738

Position specializes in the care of vegetable seedlings with duties related to germination, grafting, irrigation, hygiene, climate, & pest control.

Experience in commercial greenhouse growing and/or nursery production is required.

Applicant will be familiar with computer functions and be able to carry out commands in a greenhouse climate system.

Applicant must work well in a team environment and be available to work weekends in a rotating schedule with colleagues. To apply for this position, email your resume and cover letter to resumes@houwelings.com

APRIL 2015 –– PAGE B11 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 AUCTION

CONTAINERS

FARM SOLD, CLEARING AUCTION SALE

LOUTH & NIAGARA ORCHARDS

10 TRACTORS, ORCHARD HARVESTER & EQUIPMENT, FARM & IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT, VEHCILES ETC. Selling for DOWNING FARMS LTD. #1477 Windham Road #12 Simcoe, Ontario N3Y 4K3 - located 4kms north of Simcoe on Hwy #24 then 1.5kms west on Windham Rd #12 OR 11kms east of Delhi on Windham Road #12 (Church St.)

*****TUESDAY APRIL 14TH, 10:00AM***** TRACTORS: New Holland TM 125 MFWD c/w cab, 18.4R38 rears, 14.9R28 fronts, 2 remotes - only 3811hrs; New Holland TT 45 A open station with 12.4x28 rears - only 1809 hrs; Landini 8860 c/w Frey loader, 270/95R48 rears - 6560hrs; John Deere 1630 c/w rack & pinion axle; J.D. A20 mounted cultivators; Farmall 140 c/w cultivators; Farmall 130.

ORCHARD TRACTORS: Case IH JX1095N MFWD c/w cab, 380/85R28 rears, only 1678hrs; Case IH 95N MFWD c/w cab, 380/85R28 rears - only 2212 hrs; Case IH 75N 2wd, c/w cab, 380/85R28 rears - only 713 hrs; New Holland 75V MFWD c/w cab, 380/85R28 rears - 3188hrs.

ORCHARD EQUIPMENT: Techno Fruit CF-105 self propelled platform harvester c/w pruning aid & bin trailer - as new; Slimline 600gal orchard sprayer c/w stainless tank & tower - 2 years old; Armis orchard sprayer; Votex Kombi 2000V 3pth orchard mower; Votex V225 7' 3PTH flail chopper; Herb sprayer c/w Bhil Brown boom; 3PTH air compressor with pruning shears; 3 chain driven bin trailers; 4 roll off bin trailers; tree planter; 10 aluminum orchard ladders; approx 300 plastic apple bins; approx 700 good wooden apple bins; qty of picking bags; qty of tree spreaders; FARM EQUIPMENT: Case IH 5300 21 run d.d. grain drill - c/w press wheels & track eliminator - sharp; Case IH 530 s/a manure spreader; Agro Trend t/a 300 gal. sprayer c/w 45' boom & foam markers; 14' hyd. fold S tine cultivator c/w Salford d.r. harrows; RJ 16' crowfoot packer; Kongskilde 4F semi mount plow; 3PTH 3 prong subsoiler; IH 370 44 plate disc; IH 36 plate disc; Bush Hog 9' heavy duty disc; gravity box & wagon c/w fertilizer auger; Horst rear steer wagon; Land Pride 45 3PTH hyd. angle 8' blade; bale elevator; D.F. 7' 3PTH snow blower; Vicon 3PTH fertilizer spreader.

IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT: Cadman 4000S wide body irrigation traveler - new motor; Iveco 4cyl diesel irrigation motor & pump; approx 40 Wade Rain 6"x30' pipe; approx 65 Wade Rain 5"x30' pipe; qty of fittings; drip irrigation Filter; pipe wagon.

GINSENG & TOBACCO EQUIPMENT: ginseng root washer; ginseng cable cloth puller; ginseng box vibrator; ginseng box strapper; hyd. anchor drill; qty of 3" line anchors; 12' ginseng grading table; PTO driven small bale spreader; qty of ground cloth; 2 row Holland transplanter; 2 De Cloet bin caddies; elephant wagon; baggie trailer; tobacco stick elevator; approx 25,000 tobacco sticks; VANS, TRUCK & LAWN MOWER: 2005 GMC passenger van - 112,000kms; 2003 Chevrolet passenger van; 1994 Dodge passenger van; 2001 Ford F350 2wd ext cab truck; Cub Cadet commercial zero turn lawn mower.

MISC: 2 Honda gas power washers; Honda EZ3000 gas generator; battery charger; electronic scale; shop equipment and tools and lots of unlisted items.

TERMS: Cash or proper cheque with ID day of auction. No buyers premium. Verbal announcements take precedence over written ads. Lunch Booth on grounds.

PROPRIETOR: Mike Downing 519-426-2224

A GOOD CLEAN LINE OF EQUIPMENT. A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE ORCHARD EQUIPMENT. PICTURES ON OUR WEBSITE. PLAN TO ATTEND. JOHN, MIKE & LES SHACKELTON – AUCTIONEERS

Shackelton Auctions Inc 519-765-4450 www.shackeltonauctions.com

P.O. Box 43 • Virgil, Ontario • L0S 1T0 • 905-468-3297 4000 Jordan Road • Jordan Station, ON • 905-562-8825

Supplying Fruit and Vegetable Growers with: • Baskets • Masters • Fertilizer • Vineyard Trellis Supplies

• Berry Boxes • Waxed Cartons • Crop Protection Material

PAGE B12 –– APRIL 2015 THE GROWER