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The day was rainy and grey. A constant drizzle covered everything –plants, people, cars, tractors, delicate camera equipment.
It was also cold, something I wasn’t allowed to forget as my advertising manager complained bitterly, her teeth chattering as she huddled deeper into her light fall coat.
We had come to see okra. No, not Oprah, as one of my other colleagues had asked, but okra – also known as lady’s fingers or gumbo – a flowering plant known for its edible green seedpods. And we had driven to a family farm just northeast of the hamlet of Copetown, Ont., to see it.
We weren’t alone. About a dozen other curious souls had braved the weather to catch a glimpse of this new crop being tested by researchers at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC) with support from the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA).
It wasn’t what I was expecting. Not to say that I really knew what to expect. I’d seen the photos of the crop but I hadn’t expected it to be so tall. And I’d seen pictures of the seedpods but I hadn’t expected them to look so similar to the flower buds on my hibiscus. I didn’t want to eat my hibiscus.
Actually, okra didn’t seem to be popular food fare for many of the people there. My advertising manager described it as “quite slimy,” a fact that didn’t make me want to try it. But okra is fast becoming a vegetable in demand within Ontario.
“Several years ago, I began looking at the ethnic diversity in southern Ontario and looking at what we were growing,”
said Art Smith, CEO of the OFVGA. “I started to ask myself whether or not there was an opportunity here.”
He met up with some of the researchers at VRIC and saw the work that was being undertaken examining different world crops and whether they could be produced in Ontario.
“We decided then, through the OFVGA, that we needed to pursue this.”
In 2010, cultural trials were started in the province examining five different crops. For 2011, that study grew to more than a dozen crops, including Indian kaddu, Chinese red hot pepper, okra, yard long beans, Asian eggplant (which is banana shaped), amaranth, fuzzy melon, round eggplant, maca, tomatillo, bottle gourd, daikon radish and Indian red carrot. J. Collins and Sons is producing two of the crops – okra and Asian eggplant.
“We’ve expanded this year,” said Smith. “We’re working with Quebec on a much bigger program. We’ve gone beyond the cultural end of it … establishing market paths, and just seeing what the real potential is in Ontario and across Canada.
“Our challenge is to see whether or not we can grow them successfully (and) whether we can make a profit at it, because if we can’t do that, then of course it’s all for naught.”
If production at the J. Collins and Sons farm is any indication, okra has found a new home in southern Ontario. The onetenth-of-an-acre plot had a lush growth of plants, all about five feet or higher and
RBC Royal Bank, Grape Growers of Ontario and the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival recently announced that Ed Hughes of Hughes Vineyards in Beamsville is the 2011 Grape King.
“We are thrilled to have Ed serve as the 2011 Grape King and act as an ambassador for grape growers and grape growing in Ontario,” said GGO chair Bill George Jr. “Ed is a dedicated grower who is concerned with the sustainability of Ontario’s vineyards and has implemented several bio-controls at his Beamsville operation.”
Hughes’ interest in grape growing began in the early 1990s when, as a cook at the Four Seasons Inn on the Park, he attended a Sommelier course to study food and wine affiliations. In 1993, he purchased a three-acre farm in Beams-
covered in vibrant yellow flowers. The seedlings had been transplanted in early June and, since starting seedpod production, the plot had yielded more than 2,000 pounds of okra.
According to Joan Beck, farms manager at J. Collins and Sons, the crop is a labour-intensive one.
“The crops we currently (grow) on our farm you go in and clear off and you’re finished,” she explained. “With these crops, you go in a number of times, harvest what’s there and go back in again and again. It’s not the same kind of system we’re used to as far as harvesting. I think that’s an important point to make when you’re considering growing a crop and you want to make it pay, you want to make a living from it. You want to consider a harvesting system that’s going to get the crop in and to the consumer as quickly as possible. It can be done but it’s going to take a bit of planning.”
Currently, the J. Collins crew picks okra every other day. The crop is not being sold on the market. Instead, the operation’s South Asian employees take it home for their families to enjoy, an added benefit of working at the farm.
I pick a small seedpod from a nearby okra plant. It breaks sharply and cleanly from the stalk, a sign it isn’t overripe. I twirl the slightly fuzzy pod back and forth in my fingers and think about the future of vegetable production in Ontario and possibly Canada.
I better get used to eating my hibiscus. ❦
ville and began growing grapes in 1995. In 1999, Hughes expanded his operation by purchasing a well-established 21acre vineyard that was planted with a combination of hybrid and concord grapes.
Today, Hughes farms more than 20 acres of VQA premium quality vinifera grapes. He sells exclusively to Malivoire Wine Co. in Beamsville and has also developed a business selling high quality grapes to amateur wine makers and a number of wine clubs in Southern Ontario.
Hughes lives with his wife, Caroline, and their two children in Beamsville, Ont. He was officially installed as the 2011 Grape King during a special ceremony held in mid-September.
2011 Grape King announced
When storing pears, remember – they’re not apples
By Dan Woolley
On the surface, it might seem pretty difficult to confuse pears with apples. But when it comes to storage, Dr. Robert Prange of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) states growers need to be reminded of the differences between the two tree fruits.
Dr. Prange, a post-harvest physiology researcher with the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, states growers must remember there are a great variety of treatment protocols for the various pear cultivars.
“We must recognize our pear industry isn’t large enough to demand a lot of research on it,” he emphasizes.
Growers can make money with pears, Dr. Prange says, but pears take longer as an orchard system to come into production than apples.
“Plant pears for your heirs,” he recommends.
The key to storing pears is firmness, which is determined by the pears’ maturity and time of harvest, explains Dr. Prange. Pear firmness declines during maturation and post-harvest pear quality is dramatically affected by temperature. All pear varieties should be air stored below 0 C, he adds.
He also notes the storage life of d’Anjou and Bartlett pears will be 35 to 40 per cent longer at -1 C than at 0 C. A delay in cooling post-harvest will also shorten the storage life of pears. Immediate cooling of Bartlett pears will result in very little core breakdown, says Dr. Prange.
“If you wait two weeks, you will get 100 per cent core breakdown.”
The quicker the pear core gets down to a temperature of -1 C, the more pear storage problems will be prevented, he says.
“You want high humidity in the storage,” says Dr. Prange, adding pears can quickly lose moisture.
With low storage temperature; however, it is difficult to achieve this balance. He recommends growers consider polyethylene bin liners, “if they can be combined with good temperature control,” he adds.
Dr. Prange stresses that pear ripening
It may seem difficult to confuse pears with apples but when it comes to storage, growers need to be reminded of the differences between the two tree fruits.
is different from ripening in apples. Most pear cultivars require cold storage at -1 C before they will ripen normally at room temperature.
Cold storage time at -1 C varies for each cultivar, he says, with Bartlett taking only two to three weeks, Bosc four to five weeks and d’Anjou seven to eight weeks.
The best ripening temperatures are between 15 and 21 C, says Dr. Prange, adding consumers must also let the fruit set for a short period at room temperature for the final ripening process to get the best flavour and texture for the fruit.
There are also fewer post-harvest chemicals, he notes, for pears than for apples. 1-MCP (Smartfresh) is not recommended for pears, as it stops ripening. Scald control chemicals are also no longer available in Canada and, although DPA scald control (currently used on apples) is allowed on pears at 0.1 parts per million (ppm), it could soon lose European Union approval, Dr. Prange says. Superficial scald on d’Anjou can be controlled by delaying ripening, while pink end in Bartlett is caused by cold temperatures in the orchard before harvest and is triggered by ethylene in storage and by ripening.
Senescent scald and core breakdown (core rot, brown heart or mealy core) are caused by over-mature fruit and friction marking by rough handling, he adds.
Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage is recommended for pears but the CO2 level must be kept below one per cent, lower than CO2 levels for apples. Dr. Prange says the incidence of core browning, senescent scald and internal breakdown are also reduced by CA storage.
CA stored pears maintain high quality much longer than regular air (RA) stored fruit, and disorders, such as scald and internal breakdown, are reduced, Dr. Prange says. DCA (dynamic controlled atmosphere) storages can store fruit at an oxygen level as low as 0.4 per cent and the method also offers maximized pear quality over CA storage, he says. Bartlett stored six months in CA had a core breakdown of 15 per cent compared to just four per cent in DCA storage, while d’Anjou stored eight months in CA had 12 per cent superficial scald compared to zero per cent in DCA.
Dr. Prange says both DCA and CA reduce friction marking, but there is high maturation in CA compared to DCA. ❦
Research led by the Warwick Crop Centre in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, Coventry, U.K., has developed a unique collection of information about the disease resistance of 96 of the world’s onion varieties.
This information will be a crucial resource for commercial growers and seed producers trying to combat one of the most difficult diseases affecting onion crops. This work may also have benefits in terms of reduced fertilizer consumption and enhanced drought tolerance.
The research on onions is being funded by Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and is being carried out by Dr. Andrew Taylor, a research fellow in the University of Warwick’s School of Life Sciences. He has tested and recorded the key traits of 96 varieties of onion from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, India, the U.S. and Japan. The data provide information that will be crucial to growers seeking to use or create onion varieties that can resist Fusarium oxysporum (which causes basal rot in onions), and that respond well to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi – beneficial fungi. An improved interaction with these fungi assists nutrient uptake in onions, potentially decreasing the amount of fertilizer required. These fungi can have other beneficial effects such as increased disease resistance and drought tolerance.
This research will not only help individual commercial growers and seed producers but will also contribute significantly to global food security, particularly in situations where rising temperatures are an issue. Enhanced resistance to Fusarium oxysporum will be of importance in dealing with rising temperatures as basal rot is more active and acute in warmer conditions.
Dr. Taylor presented his work during the Onion Global 2011 conference, held in Deidesheim, Germany, in midAugust. The work forms part of a larger Defra funded study at the University of Warwick entitled the Vegetable Genetic
Research helps breeders really know their onions
Improvement Network (VeGIN) looking at understanding and cataloguing useful traits in a range of vegetables that seed producers can use to inform their breeding strategies.
“We have developed a unique onion diversity set from material sourced from across the globe, said Dr. Taylor. “We now have a extremely useful library of the variation in traits, including resistance to Fusarium oxysporum, response to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and seed/seedling vigour, all of which will be extremely use-
ful to growers and seed producers dealing with changing conditions and threats to onion crops.”
“I am delighted that VeGIN is already providing results that can have a direct impact on the global efforts to enhance food security,” said Dr. Rosemary Collier, Warwick Crop Centre director. “This is just the first of what will be a range of outputs from this Defra-funded work at the Warwick Crop Centre that will be of significant benefit to growers across the planet.” ❦
Basal rot in an onion.
Dr. Andrew Taylor of the Warwick Crop Centre at the University of Warwick.
Dr. Andrew Taylor of the Warwick Crop Centre at the University of Warwick has been working on resistance to Fusarium oxysporum in onions.
Photos from the University of Warwick
Understanding Honeycrisp storage disorders
By Dan Woolley
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers in Kentville, N.S., are seeking remedies for disorders that continue to plague Honeycrisp.
Two of the disorders are soft scald on the skin and an internal condition known as internal breakdown or low-temperature breakdown, explains Dr. Robert Prange.
Dr. Prange, a specialist in post-harvest physiology at the AAFC’s Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (AFHRC), says internal breakdown is a condition that can’t be detected on a packing line because it has no external indications.
Previous research by AFHRC researchers on fruit storage has determined that internal breakdown and soft scald are problems related to delayed cooling. They have demonstrated that the two conditions can be successfully controlled by delaying cooling of the apples for six days after picking, keeping the fruit at 20 C. After the six days, the Honeycrisp can be placed in controlled atmosphere (CA) storage.
Conversely, if the apples are cooled in conditions of less than 20 degrees for less than six days, the door is opened to problems, notes Dr. Prange.
He says AFHRC researchers have shown if they pre-cool at 25 or even 30 C, the pre-cooling storage period can be shortened to as little as just one day at 30 C.
This, however, creates “a logistical issue,” concedes Dr. Prange, because storage operators need to find a source of heat, “and storages are not made to be heated.”
There was also some concern that at 30 C there might be moisture loss from the fruit, but Dr. Prange notes very little moisture is lost in just one day.
They have learned, however, that delayed cooling will not stop either bitter pit or senescent breakdown (late storage complex), he says.
Senescent breakdown appears as a subcutaneous, differential browning of the apple cortex, while bitter pit is a calcium deficiency well known in Honeycrisp grown in other regions, Dr. Prange says.
Senescent breakdown was particularly noticeable in the Annapolis Valley during the 2009 crop storage season, “but we feel it has been there in other harvest years and other Honeycrisp growing areas,” he says.
Bitter pit appeared during the first four weeks of the harvest, was quiescent during
the fifth week, and after the fifth week it was replaced by senescent breakdown, Dr. Prange says.
In the 2008 and 2009 harvest seasons, AFHRC researchers ran a 10-week sampling program, he says, noting the term “senescent” implies the fruit is older and over-mature and may be related to late picking. Dr. Prange says fruit from orchards in all weeks of the sampling program was stored for three months without delayed cooling and they found a substantial increase in senescent breakdown in late-picked Honeycrisp.
These observations suggested that there was an optimum picking period when these two disorders were least likely to occur, states Dr. Prange.
“Therefore, in order to reduce the occurrence of bitter pit and senescent breakdown we have to get more precise data on what is the optimum picking window.”
According to the 10-week harvest samples from 2008 and 2009, Honeycrisp fruit from the fifth harvest, which was closest to the optimum harvest time, had fruit internal ethylene content of about 2.88 ppm, a 5.37 starch index and red colour development of
Annapolis Valley apple producers are learning that proper maturity reduces storage issues with their Honeycrisp crops.
Tilling in the deep zone
By Dan Woolley
Deep zone tillage (DZT) may not be for everyone, according to Dr. Viliam Zavalo. But the Agra Point horticulturalist feels DZT –combining reduced tillage and sub-soiling – could have application for some horticultural crops.
In Nova Scotia, Dr. Zavalo observed vine crops, pumpkins, squash and spinach could benefit from DZT, and he is also examining cole crops and sweet corn. DZT might also work well in fruiting crops, like peppers and tomatoes, he added.
Dr. Zavalo recently reported on a 2010 inspection tour of New England examining DZT in operation. He noted that a lot of the New England growers he visited custom build the DZT implements they use. He also observed the cover crops grown in conjunction with DZT must be completely dead before the deep tillage can be performed in the spring.
In New England, sweet corn is a domi-
nant crop that is able to get by with DZT without using irrigation, Dr. Zavalo said.
“We visited nine farms from 100 to 2,000 acres. The growers said they would never go back to conventional tillage.”
DZT’s advantages include increased organic matter in the soil, improved soil water and nutrient holding capacity, reduced compaction, breakup of plough pan, improved drainage and better soil quality, Dr. Zavalo said. In five to 10 years of use, the tilling practice can significantly change a field’s condition, cut labour by 25 to 70 per cent and lower fuel costs by 25 to 70 per cent compared to mouldboard ploughing.
Cornell University’s Extension service has encouraged movement to DZT throughout New England. Dr. Zavalo reported a lot of cropland around New England cities has been placed in land trusts, which do not advocate
conventional plowing. This has also driven adoption of DZT.
According to reports out of New England, after 10 years of DZT, plough pans have been eliminated and ability to move to strip tillage or no-till has been enhanced, said Dr. Zavalo.
“(DZT) addresses our problems of cold springs and low soil organic matter,” he added.
Among the tilling method’s key downfalls is the fact that weed control typically shifts from controlling annual weeds to managing perennial ones with more applications of Round Up required in the first year, he said.
There is also the required investment in new equipment, although it is reported the payback will come within two years. DZT equipment costs run from $9,000 (US) for a two-row zone builder to $18,000 (US) for a six-row zone builder
Cover crops grown in conjunction with deep zone tillage must be completely dead before the deep tillage can be performed in the spring.
Photos courtesy of Agra Point
Above: A horticultural researcher recently reported on a 2010 inspection tour of New England that examined deep zone tillage in operation.
Right: Many of the New England growers visited during the tour custom built the implements they use.
with an additional $450 (US) for a residue manager attachment.
Dr. Zavalo says growers shifting to DZT need to adapt to a different cropping system. DZT cover crops include rye, oats, barley, field peas vetch, buckwheat and red radish. One Massachusetts grower extended the storage season of his squash
by two months with DZT and its associated cover crop, he said, adding that some New England growers claim they can eliminate phytopthera by using DZT.
In late July, Agra Point held a field day featuring DZT and Jude Boucher, an Extension educator with the University of Connecticut’s Cooperative
Extension System.
The concept of DZT was first introduced to Nova Scotia growers during the 2010 Scotia Horticultural Congress.
Agra Point started DZT trials in 2010 on cauliflower and is now considering another DZT trial on cucurbits (pumpkin and squash). ❦
Keeping it covered
Using cover crops for weed management
Cover crops serve important functions such as enriching soil organic matter, cycling nutrients, and protecting soil from water and wind erosion. Cover crops have also been used as part of an integrated weed management approach.
However, information on cover crop approaches, applications and benefits pertinent to vegetable crops grown in Canada is not readily available. Therefore, a literature review was conducted to determine the feasibility of using cover crops in field vegetable production systems as part of integrated weed management practices meant to minimize the use of herbicides.
Methodology
Published scientific literature and extension articles on cover crop research for key vegetable crops (potato, sweet corn, field tomato, carrot, onion, Brassica crops, peas, cucurbit crops, green and wax beans, and lettuce) in North America and other regions with similar climates in Europe were reviewed. From this review, approaches that can be adopted for weed management in field vegetable production in Canada were identified based on:
• Economics
• Potential to suppress weeds by allelopathy (inhibition of growth of a plant by a toxin released from a nearby plant of the same or
By Dr. Bonnie Ball Coelho
another species)
• Amount of research that has been conducted for the system in temperate regions
• Environmental impact Economics included establishment costs, impact on crop yield, and potential for the cover crop to add value through control of weeds (e.g., reduced herbicide input cost), through control of other pests (e.g., increased yield or reduced input cost of other pesticides) or as a product such as forage.
Weed management is an important crop protection component in vegetable production. Non-chemical weed control options are needed to help growers
reduce reliance on herbicides and risk of resistance development. Cover crops have been identified as an approach to sustainable weed management.
Results
Potential to adopt cover crops as a weed control tool and reduce herbicide use in vegetables has been demonstrated mostly by studies conducted in the U.S. There are few scientific studies on cover crops for weed control in vegetables from Europe or Canada. Full season weed control by cover crops was rare in the literature. Some additional weed control is usually required later in the season.
Cover crops can lessen herbicide use by:
• Reducing the number of pre-plant or pre-emerge (PRE) applications;
• Switching from broadcast to band application; and
• Switching from pre-emerge (PRE) to post-emerge (POST) applications as needed.
Switching to POST usually involves herbicides that are less persistent in the environment than PRE. Savings in herbicide cost compensate the higher cover crop cost in some studies but not others. There is wide variability between studies and systems in degree of weed control, crop response and costs. Some systems add value beyond weed control, thereby increasing profitability.
Species of weeds controlled varies widely between and within systems. In general, annuals, and not biennials or perennials, are suppressed by cover crops. Allelopathy is a promising mechanism of control, and is likely to work best where weeds are small seeded, and the crop is not. Rye residues are allelopathic with better efficacy against annual dicots than grasses, and have consistently controlled lambsquarters, nightshade, plantain, goose grass and barnyard grass. Brassica residues are also allelopathic, depending on stage, and notably provide control of crabgrass and pigweed. Smother crops such as sorghum or sudangrass can provide control of perennials such as quackgrass during growth, but at the expense of about half of the growing season.
Sorghum residues also have allelopathic effects, controlling pigweed, barnyard grass and others.
Conclusions
Growers are encouraged to trial rye/vetch mixtures prior to tomato or rye before cucurbits with minimum or no-till planting, or cereal rye overseeded into late harvested crops, or sorghum before late-planted or after early-harvested vegetable crops. Adoption of these recommended approaches will likely lead to reduced need for herbicides, hence reduced risk from pesticides, better resistance risk management and other economical and environmental benefits.
If using any of these approaches, note:
• Vetch should be planted by September. If available water is limited, it is advisable to burndown the rye or rye/vetch mixture in spring before it uses too much moisture. A tank mix may be needed to kill vetch; in this case, a minimum of two weeks is needed before transplanting the new crop. Reducing nitrogen fertilizer rate to subsequent vegetable according to vetch growth is also advisable.
• Mowing the cover crop may enhance weed control.
• Row cleaners, also called trash whippers, mounted on seeding equipment can improve crop stands when seeding
through cover crop residues.
Herbicide requirement will be reduced according to the amount of mulch left by the cover crop, the existing weed pressure and the weather – spray as needed. ❦
Dr. Bonnie Ball Coelho is a research scientist with the soil and environmental sciences division of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is based in London, Ont.
Building soil health from the ground up
When Nova Scotia fruit and vegetable producer Josh Oulton discovered his fertilizer applications weren’t doing the job and his yields were not as he had hoped, he turned to do-ityourself soil building in hopes of building the productivity of his soil.
Oulton farms a 350-acre operation near Port Williams, N.S., raising both organic and conventional crops. He grows his conventional crops under plastic and in tunnels with the bulk of his crops being tree fruits, strawberries and Brassicas.
He decided to try his hand at soil formation after attending a five-day workshop held by American soil biology researcher Dr. Elaine Ingham. He also consulted with soil expert Gary Zimmer, author of The Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable and Profitable System of Farming With his new knowledge, Oulton started his changeover, building his soil with compost, compost tea, manure and cover crops.
“The goal (is) to create a living soil,” he said. “The soil that we farm is a living, healthy organism.”
One of Dr. Ingham’s fundamental soil building beliefs is moving away from tillage equipment that cuts the soil, opting instead for no-till cultivation. This proved difficult for Oulton, as his soil tends to clump. He decided to plant alfalfa and apply manure to his soil in a bid to add organic matter.
He then started work on his compost.
“To make good compost, you need the right temperature, at the right time and the appropriate ratio of carbon to nitrogen,” he explained.
Oulton uses a combination of cardboard, vegetable waste and wood chips to make his compost, striving to maintain an internal compost temperature between 130 and 150 F. During the active phase of composting, he uses a Stittler Compost Turner to turn the mixture twice a day.
When making compost, a grower will create either fungal dominant or bacterial dominant compost, Oulton explained, adding that with bacterial dominant compost, the soil will need fumigation.
Unfortunately “fumigation was absolutely the worst thing I could do to our land,” he said.
By Dan Woolley
to his soil in a bid to add
With this lesson learned, Oulton now plants a cover crop of rye in place of fumigation.
“Don’t use compost as a nutrient,” he recommends. “It is a soil supplement to build up the soil.”
Instead, he applies manure as a nutrient for his crops.
For his compost teas, Oulton buys ingredients from The Jolly Farmer in Hampton,
N.B. He uses both compost and fungal teas “to replace bad biology with good biology” and applies the teas using a sprayer, ensuring there is no fungicide residue remaining in the tank before use.
For Oulton, a happy soil is a productive one.
“Healthy soil isn’t compacted or airless and won’t support weeds,” he said. ❦
Nova Scotia fruit and vegetable grower Josh Oulton plants a cover crop of rye in place of fumigation.
Josh Oulton also plants alfalfa and applies manure
more organic matter.
October 5-6, 2011 – Ontario Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com
October 29-November 1, 2011 – 2011 NAFDMA Advanced Learning Retreat, Roba Family Farms, Dalton, Pa. www.nafdma.com
November 2, 2011 – Economic, Agricultural and Commodities Outlook and Update, Delhi German Home, Delhi, Ont.
November 4, 2011 – GFTC State of the Industry Symposium, Pearson Convention Centre, Brampton, Ont. www.gftc.ca
November 11-12, 2011 – Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference, Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, Sask. www.sgtc.ca
November 15-17, 2011 – Alberta Potato Conference & Trade Show, Deerfoot Inn & Casino, Calgary, Alta. www.albertapotatoes.ca
December 6-8, 2011 – 2011 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo, DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids, Mich. www.glexpo.com
January 4-6, 2012 – Potato Expo 2012, Loews Royal Pacific, Orlando, Fla.
January 9-10, 2012 – Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Annual General Meeting, Sheraton Fallsview, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.ofvga.org
January 25-26, 2012 – Manitoba Potato Production Days, Keystone Centre, Brandon, Man. www.mbpotatodays.ca
January 26-28, 2012 – 14th Annual Pacific Agriculture Show & Horticulture Growers’ Short Course, Tradex Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford, B.C. www.agricultureshow.net
January 30-31, 2012 – Scotia Horticulture Congress 2012, Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, N.S. www.hortns.com
February 22-23, 2012 – Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.ofvc.ca
March 13-16, 2012 – 2012 Canadian Horticultural Council Annual Meeting, Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Ont. www. hortcouncil.ca
April 11-13, 2012 – 2012 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention & Trade Show, Stampede Park BMO Centre, Calgary, Alta. www.convention.cpma.ca
Fruit and vegetable show launched
The Echo Weeder is the latest in chemical-free weed control and the PTO driven one-row can work approximately five acres per day while a hydraulic driven six-row system is also available, said Univerco manufacturer and owner Mario Bisaillon, who provided a demonstration at the Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change show.
Left: Blueberries last about two weeks in a regular cooler, but with the MicroPallet Controlled Atmosphere system, berry life can be extended to four to six weeks by carefully controlling oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within the sealed plastic sleeves, said Darius Warne, of Storage Control Systems. Warne said during his demonstration at the Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change show that the company’s smallest system will cover eight pallets and the largest 100.
Right: The Dual 12 precision plug planter needs only one person to plant two rows as wide as 20 inches apart, said Walt Weening, R & W Equipment, at the Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change show. Volunteer planter Wes Vranckx demonstrated how one person easily fills the 12 drop slots on the carousel and plants up to 5,000 plants per hour.
By Hugh McElhone
The latest technology was showcased at Canada’s first Fruit & Veg Tech X-Change, held in early September near St. Williams, Ont. The three-day horticulture trade show attracted some 240 vendors featuring everything from controlled atmosphere systems for fruit, to a ridealong machine for picking apples, to four-wheeled robots towing wagons or sprayers through the field.
Dale Vranckx rented out a considerable chunk of his blueberry farm for the event.
“We want to really promote sustainable farming and what it can do for this area,” he said. “Shows like this are for the next generation of farmers.”
“There are really no shows specifically for the fruit and vegetable industry in North America,” said show organizer Jordan Underhill. He said it took four years of planning to put it together and they tried to keep it high tech but also informal and welcoming. “We still need to prove ourselves,” he said.
“This show is driven at the producer level,” said Underhill. He wanted agribusiness, agriculture representatives and producers to network together and come up with new ideas to improve farming. “Consumers want more information too and this show will help promote our industry to them while educating us both.”
Underhill said Norfolk County, where the show was held, is the ideal place for the event because the county is the most diverse fruit and vegetable growing region in Ontario. Perhaps as the show grows and becomes better known, he hopes more agricultural companies will move to Norfolk and set up permanent offices.
“There is great potential in Norfolk with its soils and its climate. We are on the cutting edge of technology in many fields and we’re competitive,” said Toby Barrett, MPP.
“I said go for it,” recalled Marc VandenBussche, president of VandenBussche Irrigation, when asked earlier if he thought the show was a good idea.
Photos by Hugh McElhone
by Roberto
Ultraviolet light boosts carrots’ antioxidant value
Exposing sliced carrots to UV-B, one of the three kinds of ultraviolet light in sunshine, can boost the antioxidant activity of the colourful veggie. That’s according to preliminary studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research food technologist and research leader Tara H. McHugh. She is with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s chief
intramural scientific research agency.
Found primarily in fruits and vegetables, antioxidants are natural compounds that may reduce risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The carrot investigation, conducted by McHugh, postdoctoral associate WenXian Du, and others at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., suggests that a moderate, 14-second dose of UV-B can boost fresh, sliced carrots’ antioxidant capacity about threefold. The dose is energy-efficient and does not significantly heat or dry the carrots.
Scientists have known for at least a decade that exposing plants to UV-B may cause what’s known as abiotic stress. That’s what probably happened with the sliced carrots.
Plants respond to the stress by revving up their production of two natural enzymes, one with the tongue-twisting name of polyphenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and the other known as chalcone synthase. As production of those enzymes increases, levels of phenolic compounds – antioxidants synthesized by the enzymes – also increase.
Despite this and other knowledge about
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a leading doctor are disputing suggestions by television show host Dr. Mehmet Oz that trace amounts of arsenic in many apple juice products pose a health concern.
Dr. Oz said on a recent episode of his show that testing by a New Jersey lab has found what he implied are troubling levels of arsenic in many juices.
However, the FDA says the lab methods were not appropriate and that its own tests show much lower arsenic levels. The agency warned The Dr. Oz. Show producers in advance that their testing was misleading.
Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and former acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also scolded Dr. Oz on a recent episode of Good Morning America for scaring consumers with what Dr. Besser called an “extremely irresponsible” report.
The issue: arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food, and soil in organic and inorganic forms, according to the FDA.
“Organic arsenic is essentially harmless,” the agency says, and it passes through the body quickly. Inorganic arsenic is the type found in pesticides, and consuming it at high levels or over a long period can cause concern.
The testing The Dr. Oz Show did was for total arsenic, and the FDA even disputes those levels. The agency’s own tests
plants’ responses to stress and to UV-B, the idea of using UV-B to quickly, safely and conveniently enrich the antioxidant heft of fresh produce has not been extensively studied, McHugh notes. The carrot research is helping fill in that knowledge gap.
By Marcia Wood, USDA ARS
OnTrace Customer Care Centre makes it easier to register
Recognizing the increasing demand for agricultural premises registration services and for information about food traceability, On-Trace Agri-food Traceability recently announced the startup of the OnTrace Customer Care Centre.
Premises registration is becoming increasingly important to farmers and processors. This is especially true now that a Premises Identifier (PID) certificate is one of the eligibility requirements for the recently announced Risk Management Program (RMP) and the Traceability Foundations Initiative (TFI) Program announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
“Throughout the summer, we’ve seen rising demand for premises registration
found lower total arsenic from one of the same juice batches the show’s lab tested.
“There is no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices. And FDA has been testing them for years,” the statement says.
An independent lab agreed with the FDA’s contention that the form of arsenic matters.
“A lot of things can have organically bound arsenic like kelp, but most of those flow right through you” and don’t accumulate, said William Obermeyer, a former FDA chemist who co-founded ConsumerLab.com. It is a company that tests dietary supplements and publishes ratings for subscribers, much as Consumer Reports does with household goods.
Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for Dr. Oz’s show, sent an email saying: “We don’t think the show is irresponsible. We think the public has a right to know what’s in their foods.”
Sullivan said Dr. Oz does not agree that organic arsenic is as safe as authorities believe, and that the show will do further tests to distinguish organic from inorganic arsenic in juice samples.
“The position of the show is that the total arsenic needs to be lower,” he said. “We did the tests. We stand by the results and we think the standards should be different.”
The Canadian Press
Photo
FDA disputes show’s suggestion of health risk from apple juice
services and requests for PID certificates, which pressed our existing capacity to the limit sometimes,” said Brian Sterling, OnTrace chief executive officer. “We also want to make it easier for farmers and processors to register their premises when it is convenient for them.
“We knew that once premises registration became an eligibility requirement for more government programs we would need to raise service levels for our stakeholders; for these reasons we established the OnTrace Customer Care Centre. A producer or a processor can now call anytime of the day or night to register their premises. And we encourage them to register all their premises because it is now easier than ever and it only takes a few minutes.”
The OnTrace Customer Care Centre will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week with both English and French capability. It can be reached via the toll-free number 1-888-38TRACE (8-7223).
Those wishing to register their premises online may still do so at www.ontrace.ca.
HZPC Americas Corporation begins work on new P.E.I. lab
A company specializing in new potato variety development and potato seed production is setting up a research and development facility on the BioCommons Research Park, says Agriculture Minister George Webster.
HZPC Americas Corporation is constructing a new research and development laboratory, including office premises, to further their work within the potato market.
HZPC Americas Corporation is part of the HZPC Group, an internationally operating company active in the potato market, established more than 100 years ago and known on a global basis for excellence in the seed and table potato markets.
Variety and knowledge development are important pillars of the company. HZPC has developed a research and development program to develop better seed potato varieties, which allows HZPC to serve customers with potato varieties that will meet current and future market challenges.
The government of P.E.I. is supporting HZPC with $126,000 to support research and development work. The facility is expected to create two to four full-time positions and grow from there with company activity in research and development.
“HZPC has a long track record of bringing innovation and quality to the potato industry,” said Fred Koops, general manager of HZPC’s operations in North America.
“With Prince Edward Island’s reputation for excellence in potato production and the province’s strong bioscience industry, it was natural to look at the Island as a place to expand our operations.”
“Our government is delighted that HZPC Americas Corporation have decided to make this further investment in creating their own infrastructure on the BioCommons, further cementing their presence on Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Webster. “The potato industry is vital to our economy and HZPC can help us become more innovative in this important sector.”
Neiker-Tecnalia to adapt software for analysis of grape growing
Researchers at the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (Neiker-Tecnalia) are developing a computer tool – already tried out in other sectors – applied to the requisites of the wine and grapegrowing industry. The software, among other functions, will manage the main environmental impact of and will incorporate the best available techniques for grape growing and wine production. The computer tool will contribute to improving the competitiveness of viticulture companies and favour sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental aspects.
Climate change has a highly important influence on viticulture, which is affected by climate variations and global temperature rise. The agricultural sector overall is also a causal factor in global warming of the planet, given greenhouse gas effect emissions to the atmosphere. This is why the European Union is making great efforts to evaluate the emissions that the various agricultural sectors produce, in order to set out techniques of mitigation. One way of calculating these gas emissions is the Carbon Footprint, which measures the totality of the greenhouse gas effect emitted, directly or indirectly, due to a specific activity.
The goal of these techniques at Neiker-Tecnalia is to develop software adapted to the specific needs of the viticulture sector, in such a way that the companies in this sector can undertake a Life Cycle Analysis of these products. In this manner, producers will have important support in complying with environmental exigencies and, moreover, will enhance their image for consumers, demonstrating their interest in producing wine in a manner that is environmentally respectful and responsible.
There are many initiatives – public and private – for establishing protocols for
measuring the greenhouse gas effect, expressed as Carbon Footprint, but there are few common and specific criteria for the winemaking sector. Thus, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine has drawn up a protocol for calculating the emissions of these gases in the sector. This protocol is structured in two parts: Company Protocol and Product Protocol. The first provides a work tool for companies in order to analyze their production system and to attempt to limit their emissions. The second enables the creation of a system for calculating the Carbon Footprint of the product.
In the case of Spain, the industry is drawing up a methodology based on three components: the evaluation of the greenhouse effect gas emissions, the validation of the results with the participation of interest groups, and the dissemination and use of these results. The Federation proposes a Product Protocol based on Life Cycle Analysis, i.e., the study of the environmental burden associated with a product throughout its entire life cycle. This, in effect, involves being able to determine with greater precision any possible emission of greenhouse effect gases produced by a bottle of wine when it is in the hands of the consumer.
New Products
Sunflower 1800 Series tandem disc harrows
AGCO recently unveiled the latest addition to the Sunflower® seeding and tillage lineup, the new Sunflower 1800 Series tandem disc harrows.
These heavy-duty machines combine bigger blades and wider blade spacing with larger frames to produce high weightper-blade specifications to cut through compacted soils and heavy crop mat.
The Sunflower 1800 Series is available in two models — SF1830 and SF1810 — each with a variety of widths and configurations that cater to the specific needs and field conditions of individual farming operations. The SF1830 model, with cutting widths between 22 feet, 10 inches and 39 feet, is ideal for producers looking to cover a lot of acres. These models boast a weight-per-blade range of 402 pounds to 635 pounds, needed to help penetrate hard soils. The SF1830 models weigh in between 23,771 pounds and 37,568 pounds, depending on the configuration.
Producers who need the same heavyduty cutting and mixing power in a somewhat smaller machine may opt for one of the SF1810 model configurations. These machines feature cutting widths from 14 feet, four inches up to 17 feet, seven inches, with a weight-per-blade range of 333 pounds to
523 pounds, and total weight ranging between 11,152 pounds and 13,580 pounds.
Depending on the model, the Sunflower 1800 Series can be configured with 28or 30-inch plain or notched disc blades, spaced at 11- or 13-inch intervals.
Select models of the 1800 Series also feature spring-cushion gangs to prevent damage in the field where rocks are often encountered. Heavy coil springs allow the entire gang assembly to pivot upward and pass over the obstruction. Once past, the springs expand and the gang assembly returns to its original working position.
The 1800 Series disc harrows are constructed on high-strength 4-inch-by-8-inch by 3/8 inch tubular steel, designed to withstand the horizontal stress and rotational torque associated with aggressive tillage. The frame is cross-braced and gusseted for added strength and durability. A single-lip hitch and the self-levelling hitch assembly that keeps the unit running level are standard.
www.sunflowermfg.com
Oregon PowerNow 40V cordless chainsaw
Blount, a manufacturer of saw chain, recently launched the Oregon PowerNow 40V cordless chainsaw.
The battery-powered chainsaw delivers a combination of performance and features that makes it a true alternative to many gas-powered chainsaws.
The PowerNow cordless chainsaw offers grab-and-go cutting. It is ideal when you need to make a quick cut to level off a fence post that is too tall or quickly clear a tree. When not in use, the Oregon PowerNow chainsaw lithium ion battery holds a charge for months so the PowerNow chainsaw is ready when you are.
The Oregon PowerNow chainsaw offers starting without a pull cord, cutting with nofade power, and long runtime, freedom from the hassles of gasoline or cords. At just under 11 pounds, the chainsaw is lightweight and portable, and offers ergonomic comfort.
Equipped with a 14-inch bar, the PowerNow chainsaw can cut through logs as large as 10 to 12 inches. For smaller cuts, the chainsaw goes non-stop, cutting up to 250 two- to three-inch branches on a single charge with the Endurance battery pack.
The PowerNow chainsaw features the PowerSharp® built-in chain sharpening system so you’ll never cut with a dull chain again. When the chain dulls, simply pull the PowerSharp Lever for three to five seconds with the saw running and the chain will work like new.
The PowerNow chainsaw is sold with either an Endurance or a Standard battery pack. Both 40V MAX lithium ion battery packs feature high-capacity cells with no-fade power that maintain performance throughout the job. The Endurance battery pack doubles the runtime of the Standard battery pack.
Product features include:
• 40 volts maximum power – highcapacity lithium ion battery pack
• Ready-when-you-are instant start
• No hassles with pull cords, no gasoil mixing, no warm-up time and no emissions
• Long runtime, constant no-fade power during the job
• Low noise level in use, silence between cuts
• Lightweight construction, just under 11 pounds, portable with userproven ergonomics
• Built-in PowerSharp precision chain sharpening system
• 14-inch bar length
• Tool-free side cover with easy access to bar and chain
• TUV safety certifification
www.blount.com
www.powersharp.com
Less friction, less power, less fuel –plowshares coated with diamondlike carbon (DLC) slide through the soil like a hot knife through butter. As a result, the tractors pulling them need less power and fuel. In some tests the power required has been reduced by more than 30 per cent.
Extremely hard, diamond-like carbon coatings are used to protect hard disks in computers and ensure that sliding bearings remain smooth. In the future they could help farmers to save fuel while plowing and make it easier to till the ground. Farmers in Germany consume nearly a billion litres of fuel every year to work their land. Around 50 per cent of the energy used when plowing or harrowing is lost as a result of friction between the plowshare and the soil. To change this, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg, Germany, and their partners in the RemBob project are working on DLC-coated plowshares. They have already been able to reduce friction by half. The power required by the tractor has also been reduced, by more than 30 per cent in some tests.
For farmers, the smoothly cutting plowshares mean either a time gain because they can use wider equipment or lower costs for fuel, machinery and maintenance. The tractors can be smaller or can operate in partial load, with longer repair and maintenance intervals.
“From the environmental point of view it would be better for the tractors to be smaller,” says physicist and trained fruit farmer Martin Hörner from Fraunhofer IWM.
They would not only need less fuel but would also be lighter. Lighter machines mean less soil compaction, and the looser the soil, the less power is needed to work it. The quality of the soil would also be better. In highly compacted ground there are hardly any worms and other small creatures that help to turn the soil and enrich it with nutrients. Compacted soils are less able to absorb water and as a result dry out more quickly.
“In Germany we are relatively advanced as far as protecting soil resources is concerned, but even in this country more soil is lost by compaction and erosion than is created by natural processes,” explains Hörner.
A further advantage of DLC coatings on ground-working equipment is the protection
Saving fuel while plowing
Extremely hard, diamond-like carbon coatings could help farmers to save fuel while plowing and make it easier to till the ground.
they provide against corrosion and wear. Plowshares have to be hard and sturdy but also resilient, so that they do not break if they hit a rock. High-durability steels are used, but they suffer visibly if they are used for a prolonged length of time in the ground.
“A tine on a circular harrow can lose 50 per cent of its mass through wear every season,” states Hörner.
But soil, sand and stones wear down conventional coatings within a very short time. This is why plowshares have not been coated up to now. DLC coatings, however, can withstand the extreme stresses and strains. The
problem is that the tough steel on the groundworking equipment deforms too easily and is therefore unsuitable as a substrate for the much more rigid diamond-like coating – it would quickly break or chip. The project partners are therefore testing plowshares made of different materials, including nitriding steel, glass-fibre-reinforced plastic and tungsten carbide, out in the field. The next project goal is to plow at least 20 kilometres of ground before the coating fails.
“If we achieve that, the wear-free plowshare will be within touching distance,” affirms Hörner. ❦
Contributed photos
Invest
in the future of agriculture
Hire a new grad
Are you interested in helping to develop Canada’s newest and brightest graduates for a career in the agriculture industry? The Career Focus Program provides employers with up to $20,000 in matching fundsto create internship opportunities for recent graduates from agriculture-related programs.
For employers, the program offers an economical way to attract new talent and helps provide new graduates with a valuable first job that will help pave the way to a career in the ever-changing agriculture and agri-food industry.
To find out more about the Career Focus Program, the eligibility criteria and to obtain a project proposal form:
Visit:
www.agr.gc.ca/careerfocus
Call: 1-866-452-5558
E-mail: careerfocus@agr.gc.ca
Assurer l’avenir de l’agriculture Embauchez un nouveau diplômé
Êtes-vous intéressé à favoriser le développement des nouveaux et des plus brillants diplômés canadiens du secteur de l’agriculture? Le programme Objectif carrière donne aux employeurs jusqu’à 20 000 dollars en fonds de contrepartie afin d’offrir des stages aux nouveaux diplômés d’un programme connexe àl’agriculture.
Ce programme offre aux employeurs un moyen économique d’attirer des employés talentueux et aide les nouveaux diplômés à lancer une carrière dans un secteur en évolution constante.
Pour en savoir davantage sur le programme Objectif carrière, les critères d’admissibilités ou pour obtenir un formulaire de proposition de projet :
