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innovations: More and more orchard management involves the use of labour saving devices
Dan Woolley
new threats to potato production: Zebra chip and PVYntn infections are starting to appear in North
Melanie Epp
Bee issue all the buzz
Concern has been growing across Canada this summer about the future of the honeybee.
I first reported on the problem of the steep rise in bee mortalities back in the March 2013 issue of Fruit and Vegetable Magazine in an editorial entitled “The buzz about bees and neonicotinoids.” I described what actions were being taken in the European Union regarding the use of neonicotinoids and highlighted a conference presentation made by B.C.’s provincial apiculturist on the issue.
Over the summer, more action has been taken to protect bees.
Back in July, the Ontario government announced the formation of an industry working group with a mandate of providing advice on how to prevent bee mortalities. The group comprises beekeepers, farmers, agri-business representatives plus federal and government officials.
At the time of the group’s formation, the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association spoke in favour of the move but stressed that a ban on neonicotinoid use needed to be put in place before the 2014 planting season.
“Our industry simply cannot sustain these losses,” said Dan Davidson, president of the OBA, in a press release. “Allowing the status quo to remain would spell tragedy for the bees that pollinate our fruits and vegetables.”
In early September, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada released a Notice of Intent – Action to Protect Bees from Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides – and invited interested parties to comment on it over the next 90 days. The deadline for written comments is Dec. 12, 2013.
“Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency has determined that current
Ontario farmers recognized
agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are affecting the environment due to their impacts on bees and other pollinators,” the document states.
According to the PMRA, a “significant” number of reports involving the death of bees were received in 2012 from corn growing regions in Ontario and Quebec. When tested, about 70 per cent of the dead bees tested positive for residues of neonicotinoid insecticides. That “significant” number of reports continued in 2013.
“Consequently, we have concluded that current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable.”
The PMRA recommends for the 2014 planting season that the following protective measures for corn and soybean production be put in place: the use of safer, dust-reducing seed flow lubricants adherence to safer seed planting practices new pesticide and seed package labels with enhanced warnings the provision of updated value information to support the continued need for neonicotinoid treatment on up to 100 per cent of the corn seed and 50 per cent of the soybean seed
Some beekeepers don’t think this goes far enough, according to media reports. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food Kathleen Wynne released a statement on the progress being
Premier Kathleen Wynne recently recognized excellence in agrifood innovation by celebrating the contributions of local producers to the overall success of the agri-food sector.
The Foreign Affair Winery of Vineland, Ont., received the Minister’s Award for re-engineering air flows to its vineyard to apply the Italian appassimento method of winemaking to Ontario-grown grapes.
Geissberger Farmhouse Cider Inc. of Hampton, Ont., received
made by the province’s bee health working group.
“Based on the group’s early discussions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working with seed trade and grain farmer organizations to raise farmers’ awareness of their options to plant noninsecticide treated corn and soybean seed,” she said, adding, “We need the federal government to take definitive action and make bee health and pesticide use a top priority.”
To help address the issues facing bees, Bayer CropScience has opened a North American Bee Care Center in North Carolina to complement the company’s existing bee centre in Germany.
“Our scientists are working to help solve some of the most pressing honeybee health problems, as their importance to the global food supply cannot be overstated,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience.
Muddying the issue even more are recent research findings from a study out of the University of California showing that selenium – which can occur naturally in plants – can also be toxic to bees.
The value of honeybees to the pollination of crops is estimated at $2 billion annually.
It is reassuring to see the numerous actions being taken by industry, science and government to address the health of Canada’s bee population. It’s a complicated and contentious issue but all continue to work together to find a solution, a reflection of its importance.
a Leaders in Innovation Award for the operation’s mobile mill that brings the cider-making experience to Ontario orchards.
“I want to congratulate all of our award recipients today,” said Wynne, who also serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Food. “They have shown us that the agri-food sector has excellent potential for growth.”
Fifty regional agri-food innovations will be recognized under the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program.
Horticulture innovations
More and more orchard management involves the use of labour-saving devices
By Dan Woolley
Orchard management and harvesting hasn’t changed greatly in the past few decades but that is changing quickly.
“The orchard industry is one of the last industries to automate or mechanize,” said Matt Peters with N.M. Bartlett Inc., a Niagara, Ont.-based supplier of crop protection products and machinery.
Peters is on the advisory committee of the Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops (CASC) group, whose goal is to develop automation strategies and technologies for the specialty crop (tree fruit) industry. The organization is
comprised engineers, scientists and extension specialists based at various universities, government officials, growers and industry representatives from five U.S. states. This area represents 70 per cent of U.S. apple production.
In 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture provided research funds to the tree fruit industry through the Specialty Crops Research Initiative (SCRI) program to match contributions by industry, said Peters. The funding was to assist in establishing research partnerships to focus on efforts to improve production efficiency. Its $47 mil-
lion in funding will end January 2014.
He estimates U.S. specialty agriculture generates $50 billion annually, while Canadian speciality crops create another $7 to $10 billion annually.
One of the funded projects is examining mechanical blossom thinning without chemicals and minimal hand labour. The CASC is looking at European technology, such as the Darwin Mechanical Blossom Thinner, which offers a saving in peaches of between $185 to $935, Peters said.
The Darwin thinner – when equipped with sensors and mounted on the back
One of the projects being examined by the Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops group is mechanical blossom thinning without chemicals using machinery such as the Darwin Mechanical Blossom Thinner.
Photo by Dan Woolley
of a tractor – offers an additional saving of $63 to $135, he added, noting that N.M. Bartlett is starting to build and market the thinner for North America.
CASC, under the SCRI program, is also looking at crop intelligence, including pest monitoring, crop load scouting, stress and disease detection. As an example, the organization is studying an automated insect trap, the Z-trap, to identify pests, relay information to growers and crop consultants as well as destroying insects using pheromone lures to lure them into an electric coil, said Peters. He added it allows faster access to information than a scouting trap.
CASC is also reviewing vehicles that offer mobility and accurate positioning to assist in harvesting, including an autonomous prime mover that uses a laser, GPS and a camera to conduct routine tasks such as mowing, spraying, tree training and bin moving, plus a disease identification and prediction system equipped with micro-sensors for the orchard, he said.
European technology
“There are a lot things we can learn from Europe,” said Peters. “They have much higher costs than us, so they have thought through this shift.”
European scissor jack platforms such as Blosi or Orsi are self-leveling for up to a 20 degree slope and sensors will also keep them driving straight when in orchard rows, he said.
Additionally, they offer a 46 per cent saving in thinning costs, a 25 per cent saving in pruning costs and a 18 per cent saving in harvesting costs.
Peters stated the orchard platform will pay for itself within three years on lower labour costs.
Mechanical pruners mounted on the platform are being used with great success in Belgium, Germany and France, he said, observing that N.M. Bartlett is importing a German design to be built in Canada featuring a double knife blade mounted on a swing away arm with hydraulic controls to alter the angle of cut.
Peters said a mechanized blossom thinner can also be added to a platform.
N.M. Bartlett will also be introducing the Bin Dog, an autonomous vehicle that pushes up bins from the orchard to an unloading dock.
U.S. technology
Phil Brown Welding, based in Michigan, has designed and built for orchards, vineyards, greenhouses and nurseries. Phil Brown designed his machines in
partnership with Pennsylvania State and Washington State Universities.
Brown has developed a three-wheeled tree trimmer/pruner and fruit harvester (the Brownie One), a self loading and unloading box handler that works with the harvester, a box shuttle, a blossom thinner, brush sweepers and pushers.
He has also mounted his harvester on a scissors platform where two pickers on the platform can work in rows 12 to 18 feet wide as the platform can be extended or retracted.
“We have had less bruising than with a picking bag and ladders,” claimed Brown.
The two pickers feed the apples into a vacuum hose on the platform which feed into a bin which can be filled in six to eight minutes, he said.
His orchard platform has auto-steering and auto-shift and it can be used for thinning and pruning by dismounting its vacuum picking system, said Brown. His latest platform costs about $80,000 and, to date, he has built 50 of them.
U.K. technology
Tim Biddlecombe of Fast Ltd., U.K.based orchard consultants, added a lot of U.K. growers in the past five years have adopted the Dutch picking train system in which a tractor tows five to six coupled, wheeled bins down the rows to where they are to be filled.
He said it offers constant supervision, less bruising and bin bumping, less picker fatigue, less row rutting, less mud splashing, and reduces phytophthera; but it can be difficult to handle on steep slopes or side banks. It also requires more tractors and a large enough central collection point for unloading and there is more apple puncture in the bins, he observed.
Biddlecombe, however, noted one U.K. fruit farm estimated it saved 45,241 pounds in its first year on the bin train system in tractor fuel and a reduction in picking time from 26 to 16 days.
Smart sprayer
Andrew Bishop of Noggins Corner Farm in Greenwich, NS., is very pleased with his latest machinery purchase for his orchard.
In 2012, he began using a John Bean Smart Sprayer he bought from a supplier in Ontario. Since then, “it has been on the go constantly,” he said. “I quite like it. It makes the job much easier.”
With a tracking hitch between the tractor and the sprayer and crab steering on the
An example of a bin trailer, one of several technologies being investigated by the Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops group.
Photo by Dan Woolley
tractor, Bishop said it is quite easy to handle in the orchard. As well, its ultra-sonic sensor system with five sensors mounted on either side of his tractor can tell the computer controller for the sprayer in the tractor cab the distance to the trees and their height.
Bishop said the sensors activate the nozzles on the sprayer’s boom arms through the on-board computer and he never has to stop and shut off the sprayer.
“It is a very sensitive system that gives very good coverage,” he said, noting that if he drove the tractor over 5.5 mph, the sprayer will shut off and he could also reduce drift by adjusting the fan speed on the spryer.
“It is fantastic for the environment and the cost saving,” said Bishop.
The Smart Sprayer has a 400 gallon capacity tank and a very low maintenance cost, he said.
Bill Craig, a tree fruit extension specialist with Perrenia – the provincial consulting agency – added Bishop’s Smart Sprayer is the first sensor-equipped sprayer in the Annapolis Valley.
Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia.
“Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals,” the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.
The insect tested was the striped cucumber beetle, a predator of cucurbits. The insects dine on the plants from the moment they emerge from the ground and when fruit forms, they eat that as well.
Jose D. Fuentes, professor of meteorology, and his colleagues tested the beetles in an enclosed Y-tube apparatus so that the insect could choose which branch to take. Researchers collected the insects from pumpkin and squash plants. They tested the insects using
The striped cucumber beetle, a predator of cucurbits.
buffalo gourd plants, a naturally growing wild gourd that likes semiarid areas.
Separate air streams flowed into the two branches of the Y-tube.
The researchers tested the insects with
all ambient air, with ambient air and ozone, with ambient air and volatile organic compounds, and with ambient air and a mix of ozone and volatile organic compounds. When presented with an ambient air or volatile organic compound airstream, the beetles chose the volatile organic compound tube 80 per cent of the time.
The researchers also tested the beetles with volatile organic compounds and a mix of volatile organic compounds and ozone. At low ozone levels, the insects showed no preference, but as ozone levels increased, the insects increasingly preferred the ozone-free path.
While one might think that higher ozone levels in the lower atmosphere would improve crops because predator insects would be unable to find their hosts, the additional ozone would also interfere with mutualistic insect plant responses such as pollination.
Andrew Bishop’s John Bean Smart Sprayer in use.
Photo
TMaking World Crops Local
his year marks the fourth season that Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) scientists have been involved in researching and promoting the production of non-traditional vegetable crops, also known as World Crops.
“The whole thing started with the recognition of the opportunity presented through the change in demographics in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and across Canada,” said Dr. Michael Brownbridge, Research Director of Vineland’s Horticultural Production Systems program, adding that Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association CEO Art Smith was the catalyst for the program.
“When you look at the diversification, the changing demographics here in Ontario, it’s very obvious we had a very different market than we’ve been accustomed to,” said Smith.
“In order to supply to that new consumer market, you have to grow what that consumer market wants to buy,” added Brownbridge.
That’s where Vineland comes in. For the past few years, the centre has been holding grower information sessions, including two twilight grower sessions this past summer – one in Vineland and the other on a farm in the Flamborough area – plus a session at the Ontario Food Terminal. During that same time period, World Crop producers in the province, working directly with Vineland, have grown from a handful to about 250 in 2013.
“There’s great opportunity, I believe,” said Smith. “It’s really about trying to address what the market wants.”
Researchers and scientists at Vineland are working hard to help producers take advantage of that opportunity and find out exactly what consumers are looking for.
“We’ve been working over the past few years, gathering information and learning about what it is the consumer wants and if the products we’re growing here in Ontario are meeting the consumers’ demands,” explained Dr. Amy Bowen, a Research Scientist in Vineland’s sensory and consumer science program.
She describes her role as helping to understand how consumers really feel about these products. Do they taste different? Do they have different attri-
butes? Different textures? Different characteristics? She is looking for anything that differentiates the Ontario-grown produce from imported product coming into Canada.
“In 2012, we did initial work to see if there really were differences in the taste between local and imported,” said Bowen. “We found that, yes, they did taste different.
“This year, we’re trying to find out what those differences are, how they taste different and how the consumer feels about that. Visually, we know that consumers do like the look of the Ontario produce and they do like the feel and the quality.”
A previous online study conducted through VRIC’s consumer insights and product innovation program found there is “clear demand” for three crops – okra (estimated Canadian market of about $50 million), Asian eggplant (estimated Canadian market of $33.4 million) and yard long beans (estimated Canadian market of almost $60 million). The cross-Canada survey, which also included participants from New York and Pennsylvania, showed that consumers are “quite satisfied” with the imported produce they are currently buying, which may make marketing Ontario-grown product a challenge.
“The marketing strategy to reach out to consumers will not be as easy as ‘buy local’ messaging,” a summary of the study stated. “While respondents of Canadian heritage valued an Ontario label, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian consumers demonstrated a distinct ‘home country’ bias. Therefore, in addition to supplying higher-quality, fresher products, marketing will need to be adapted to different groups to motivate them to buy Ontario produce.”
Vineland is focusing its research on okra and Asian eggplant although other World Crops are also being grown and trialed on the centre’s farm.
“Why are we focusing on these two? They are two of the crops in greatest demand from the retail perspective,” explained Brownbridge. “We also have preliminary data to show … that these are two crops you can make decent net revenue per acre on. You can get good returns from growing these crops.”
Qualifying economic data is currently being generated by Vineland and collaborators at the University of Guelph to analyze the costs of production
as well as pricing of these crops throughout the growing season. This information will confirm the size of the opportunity for growers.
This past summer proved to be a challenge for growing ethno-cultural vegetables due to the wet and cool weather, said Brownbridge.
“But it’s important we do these trials for those very reasons,” he said. “What we have to show and demonstrate is that we can grow these crops and achieve a consistent quality standard and level of supply that’s needed for the retail market. We have to give confidence to the retailers that, yes, we can grow these consistently and growers can sustain supply year on year. That builds confidence to purchase local rather than importing.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Yana Udovychenko, a category manager and buyer with Burnac Produce, which has space at the Ontario Food Terminal.
“The Ontario season fits perfectly into the world production of these crops,” she said. “During July and August there are production challenges in
Athe Dominican Republic, where a lot of these crops have traditionally been sourced from.”
This year was a perfect example with weather issues hindering crop supply from the Dominican.
“There is nothing coming out of the Dominican and that’s why demand for Chinese (Asian) eggplant is high. Right now, people are looking for ethnic (produce) everywhere. Not only Chinese (Asian) eggplant but bitter melon, long bean, [and others].”
She said the biggest mover, representing 80 per cent of the ethnic produce that people are buying, is Asian eggplant.
“Indian eggplant, the little round one, is also a big seller.”
Indian eggplant is a third focus of the Vineland program.
Udovychenko seemed optimistic about the future of growing and selling World crops in Ontario.
“We know these can grow here,” she said. “There’s many opportunities and huge potential.”
Finding protection products for specialty crops
ccording to Melanie Filotas, the specialty crops IPM specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Ministry of Rural Affairs, keeping ethno-cultural crops safe from disease and pests could be a challenge.
“I don’t want to be a downer and discourage anyone but when people go into these crops, you need to be aware that you may find yourself in a situation where you have a pest and you don’t have anything to control it with,” she said.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, she added.
Product registrations can occur through crop group registrations or be provincially sponsored, such as through the Ontario Minor Use Program, coordinated by Jim Chaput.
“Knowing what is registered on a specialty crop really involves looking at the labels, seeing if your crop is in there, figuring out what crop group your crop is in,” explained Filotas, adding that growers should be careful considering many World crops have a different name depending on which ethnic group you are dealing with. “That can be complicated.”
Filotas has also put together a list of resources growers can access when looking for products to use on their specialty crops.
Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) list of residue chemistry crop groups – Lists crops included in each crop group. Note: Not all common names are listed – generally refer to Latin name, except where uses differ greatly (e.g., root chicory and Belgian endive) http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/part/protect-proteger/food-nourriture/rccg-gcpcr-eng.php
PMRA label search – Searchable database of pest control product labels. Note: The search function has limitations. You need to try multiple terms as part of search. Always read the label to ensure it is actually registered. http://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/ls-re/index-eng.php
Ontario pesticide education program www.opep.ca
Ontario pesticide training and certification http://www.ontariopesticide.com/index.cfm/home-page/
Specialty Cropportunities – An online resource for specialty crop growers, including profiles of more than 100 specialty crops. Refer to the pest management section under general agronomics for more detailed information on pest control. Individual crop profiles summarize known pests of the specialty crop in Ontario and specify the crop group. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/en/
OMAFRA publications 838 (Vegetable Crop Protection Guide) and 360 (Guide to Fruit Production) – These publications list registered pesticides for select specialty crops.
For more information, contact Melanie Filotas, specialty crops IPM specialist with OMAF and MRA, at 519-426-4434 or melanie.filotas@ontario.ca.
Two new threats to potato production
Zebra chip and PVYntn infections are starting to appear in North America
By Melanie Epp
Zebra chip is a potato disease that was first observed in Saltillo, Mexico, in 1994, and later discovered in the U.S. in 2000 in south Texas in the lower Rio Grand Valley area. Zebra chip has now spread throughout Latin America and has been reported in at least eight U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. In 2011, it was also reported in the Pacific Northwest – Oregon, Washington and Idaho. It has also been found in New Zealand. Between 2004 and 2005, it is estimated that zebra chip cost growers and processors millions of dollars.
Symptoms of zebra chip
“The thing about zebra chip is that it causes both foliar symptoms and tuber symptoms,” says Dr. Phillip Wharton of the University of Idaho’s Aberdeen Research & Extension Center.
Foliar symptoms include leaf curling, yellowing, purpling and distortion. Symptoms may also include swollen nodes, which result in a zigzag pattern or stems. In the case of a heavy infection, leaves can become scorched and purple.
In the tubers, the most common symptom is discoloration of the vascular rings.
The disease has been named “zebra chip” is because potato chips made from affected tubers display dark stripes and streaks, like those of a zebra.
“This could be confused with some viruses that you can find in potatoes, but classically you see a slice of necrosis of the vascular tissue,” says Wharton.
Zebra chip vector
The insect that transmits the zebra chip pathogen is the potato/ tomato psyllid, or Bactericera cockerelli
“Zebra chip the disease was first associated with the potato psyllid before it was associated with the bacterium, which causes the disease,” says Wharton.
Native to North America, the potato psyllid has also been found in Mexico and as far north as southern Canada. The insect looks like an aphid, with slightly different characteristics. It overwinters in deserts along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. As the season warms up, though, it spreads to the northern regions, as far as British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
“There are other species of psyllids that can appear on the potato, but don’t necessarily transmit the disease,” he says. “One thing to note is that just because you might find psyllids does not mean that you’re going to find zebra chip or the pathogen. Not all potato psyllids have the bacteria in them.”
To control zebra chip, the potato psyllid vector must be managed. “The problem is that even with insecticide the potato psyllid is difficult to manage,” he says. “One of the reasons for that is that you need good coverage. Psyllids tend to be on the underside of the leaf. The other problem is that the different stages of their
life cycle require the use of different insecticides as chemicals that control the adults don’t necessarily control the larvae or kill the eggs.”
What are the implications for Ontario growers? Although potato psyllids have not been found east of the Mississippi river yet, as the weather patterns warm up, there is a risk of migration further north. In North America, for the most part, wind and hot temperatures drive psyllid migration in late spring. Although current weather means the chances of psyllids migrating to Ontario are slim, if they are introduced to Florida they could be blown up the east coast and into Ontario.
“It’s still a very young disease, and there’s still a lot to learn,” he concludes.
To learn more, visit http://zebrachipscri.tamu.edu/.
PVYntn
PVY, which stands for potato virus Y, is also known as “common mosaic” or “potato severe mosaic.” The original strain, PVYo, was the only one found in North America, that is, until very recently when PVYn was reported as well.
“The difference between PVYo and PVYn is primarily their pathogenicity toward tobacco,” says Wharton. “PVYo causes a mild mosaic reaction whereas PVYn leads to mortality. Their impact on the potato is basically the same.”
Aphids transmit PVY. In fact, any aphid that probes the leaf while determining if the potato is a suitable host can spread the disease.
The insect that transmits the zebra chip pathogen is the potato/tomato psyllid, or Bactericera cockerelli.
Until recently when it was confirmed in North America, PVYntn was only found primarily in Europe.
“PVYntn is a strain of PVYn that causes necrosis on tobacco, but also causes flecking and ringspot symptoms in tubers. The ‘ntn’ stands for ‘PVYn – tuber necrotic,’ ” says Wharton.
In PVY infections, typical symptoms include stunting and foliar mosaic, which can be seen in Russet Burbank and Red Norland varieties. A number of other potato varieties, though, display mild or no symptoms at all when contaminated with the virus. These varieties, which are often referred to as “PVY carriers,” include CalWhite, Gem Russet, GemStar Russet, Russet Norkotah (all strains), Shepody and Silverton Russet. In some varieties, such as Ranger Russet, PVY infection may cause severe foliar damage, wilting and even death of the entire plant, a range of symptoms that are characteristic of the “ordinary” strain of the virus, or PVYo.
“The PVYn symptoms are relatively similar, but this new strain of the virus causes milder foliar reactions and there are some latent symptoms as well,” he says.
“The main problem with them is that although they cause less severe foliar symptoms,” she says, “they do cause necrotic tuber symptoms. PVYntn can cause severe internal necrotic ‘circles’ in tubers making them unusable for anything else other than potato flakes.”
These symptoms have been found in other varieties, such as Umatilla, Alturas and Yukon Gold. Other symptoms have been seen in German Butterball and Russet Ranger, as well.
With PVYntn, symptoms include mild mottling and tuber necrosis.
“More work needs to be done on the PVYn and PVYntn strains, but so far it looks like you can get up to 50 per cent losses, depending on the cultivar, but the trouble with these varieties is then you also get tuber loss,” he says. “So you start with low yields and they’re reduced even further because you have tubers that are unsellable basically.”
The first and most important step in the management of PVY is buying disease-free seed, he says. As a seed grower, you should never purchase seed with a little amount of virus thinking that field rouging will bring a lot into certification standards.
“It’s hard to visually identify all of the infected plants,” says Wharton. “Walk your fields and remove any infected plants. The earlier in the season that infected plants are rogued out, the lower the amount of spread.”
“As a commercial grower, you should never buy a seed lot at a bargain basement price when it has a high reading of greater than two to three per cent of the virus because you’re not doing yourself any favours if you do,” he continues. “It can lead to high yield losses.
“In Idaho, two per cent is the threshold for the re-certification of seed potato, so if you have less than two per cent PVY then you cannot use that as seed,” he says. “It has to go to commercial use.”
Aphids transmit PVY. In fact, any aphid that probes the leaf while determining if the potato is a suitable host can spread the disease. Any insect aphid that probes the leaf can spread the disease. Therefore, stopping the spread of PVY using insecticides is almost impossible because the insecticide can spread the virus before the insecticide kills it. Unfortunately, insecticides are only good for keeping the aphids from colonizing a field.
“Research has shown that some of these new insecticides tend to alter the behaviour of the aphids and reduce the spread of the disease, but will not reduce the amount of the infection,” says Wharton. “So it’s more of a barrier than a cure.”
In Idaho, some farmers have applied crop oils from July until vine kill, which has been shown to interfere with the spread of the transmission.
For more information on the potato virus, please visit http://potatovirus.com.
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The ins and outs of potato storage
By Melanie Epp
Post-harvest potato storage expert Todd Forbush of Techmark Inc. in Lansing, Mich., says quality potato storage requires just two things: quality storage facilities and quality potatoes to store.
“Neither will meet their potential without both working successfully together,” he says.
The first step is to evaluate your existing facility to decide if it needs just an upgrade or something different entirely. When evaluating an existing structure, you need to look at its location, the structure itself, its insulation system, its ventilation systems and the controls.
From a location perspective, your operation should be situated near the production point to minimize transport costs, preferably on a road that has 12-month access. Also, it should be located where there is sufficient electrical power supply, specifically three-phase power.
“This is a very important factor,” says Forbush. “Three-phase power is an important piece of the puzzle.”
In terms of size, you need enough rooms to hold each variety. Not only that, but those rooms should also consider the climate that you’re harvesting from. “We want one variety in there, we want to fill that bin in three days’ time, and we want to be able to sell that crop in less than three weeks,” says Forbush.
“If it takes you too long to fill that bin of potatoes, you’re going to have a lot of diversity as far as the harvest conditions that you went through and those are going to come back and cause losses in storage. And losses in storage are losses right across the bottom line.”
When it comes to potato storage, insulation requirements say that you should have an R-value of 45-60 in the ceiling, an R-value of 35 to 40 for the sidewalls, and high to low-density materials from the inside out.
“You don’t want to trap moisture in those walls,” says Forbush. “So what happens is we’ve got a moist, warm environment inside the building. If you let that
In potatoes, the factors that affect storage performance include environment, your agronomy, varietal traits, disease, and harvest and management practices.
moisture get into the insulation system it’s going to condense at some point after. If it condenses near structural material, it can compromise it. It’s important that once that moisture moves into the wall it can move out.”
Ventilation 101
“Why is it that we have a ventilation system in potato storage?” Forbush asks.
Because you want to create a uniform environment, while at the same time maintaining proper potato temperature. You also want to provide oxygen for respiration and remove carbon dioxide from respiration.
A poorly designed ventilation system can cause air to be pulled from and directed to the wrong places in your bin. The result is non-uniform ventilation. There are industry-accepted standards for designing and evaluating ventilation system performance in potato storage. Air takes the path of least resistance, Forbush reminds growers. If you’re not sure whether or not your air is going where you want it to go, measure it. Remember, your ventilation system’s airflow is a function of its design. By quantifying the flow of air through your bin you’ll know just where your system needs improvement.
According to Forbush, a well-designed
ventilation system includes these attributes: adequate airflow 1.25 to 1.5 cfm/cwt for table stock and process potatoes (25 to 30 cfm/ton) inlet and exhaust max of 1,400 ft./min. main air plenum maximum of 900 ft./min.
lateral duct maximum of 1,000 ft./min. slot duct max of 1,200 ft./min.
To calculate where the air is going in your storage space, collect the following information to determine airflow: fan size, horsepower and manufacturer; bin capacity (L x W x potato pile height); plenum area (the chamber prior to the potatoes); fresh air, return air, exhaust air and humicell area; duct area (pipe or flume size and quantity); and slot area (type of slot guarded or not).
For example, here are the calculations for a well-balanced bin:
Bin size: length = 200ft; width = 50 ft.; pile height = 16 ft.
200 x 50 x 16/2.5 = 64,000 - (factor for pile slope) = 60,000 cwt storage
Fans: Two to 48-inch;15 hp Aerovent = 78,000 cfm
Airflow equals cfm/cwt:
78,000/60,000 = 1.30 cfm
“The most important thing is to make sure that your air system in your potato storage has got even airflow throughout the entire storage,” says Forbush. “The most common mistake would be in the sizing of air ducts and slots – the entry point for the air system into the potato pile. The most commonly missed number is the number that determines that the air’s moving at the correct speed going into the pile.”
“The key for slot design is the slot design provides that back pressure, which then gives you uniform airflow,” he continues. “So if you don’t have uniform back pressure, you don’t have uniform airflow.”
Here’s how to determine slot area. If it’s pipe, measure the size, number of rows and distance of holes drilled in the pipe. If they’re flumes, measure the board width and amount of open space between each board. For example, our example: 78,000 / 65 ft^2 = 1200 fpm.
“The other side of slot design is poor slot design can cause a defect called pressure bruise, which is excessive evaporation,” says Forbush. “And even with a proper humidification system, if the slot is designed incorrectly the air can’t carry that water into the potato pile. So poor slot design can also lead to this pressure bruise issue, even with good humidification equipment.”
Creating the perfect potato
The second part of the quality potato storage equation is the potato itself. In potatoes, the factors that affect storage performance include environment, your agronomy, varietal traits, disease and harvest and management practices.
The most important factor in determining storage performance is variety.
“Varietal traits give us a starting point for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the crop going into storage,” says Forbush. When choosing a variety, look for such traits as yield, specific gravity, sugar profile in storage, bruise resistance and disease resistance.
The next most important factor in determining storage performance is the weather, but that’s something you have no control over. While you have no control over the environment, you do have control over soil conditions and your agronomy.
“Those four things come together to kind of create the fingerprint or the way the genetics are expressed for that
potato,” says Forbush. “Given those four things, you’re then going to determine how those impacted each other, and you do that with what’s called pre-harvest sampling.”
Pre-harvest data is a valuable piece of the “complete picture” of your tubers’ maturity and storability.
“What you’re trying to do is figure out how those four main pieces came together in any given season and then determine what the best storage practices are given the way those four variables impacted the crop’s genetic expression.”
Finally, in order to implement these ideas on your operation it’s important that you have great communicate with your staff.
“If your staff members do not understand operations goals, they cannot help achieve those goals,” says Forbush. “Identify areas where improvements in your storage facility and storage management practices can help achieve operational goals.”
Monday, January 27 and Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, N.S.
Meet our keynote speaker Dr. David Gray, Dean, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture
Participate in “farmer to farmer” forums and discussions. Network with professionals from many areas of agriculture. Experience sessions like “Keeping up with the times” and “Making a living off the beaten track.”
Learn what’s new in berry and vegetable research. what is happening in industry-related technology and innovation.
Enjoy great food and company at our banquet while listening to the motivating words of Jamie Reaume, Executive Director, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association.
It’stimetotellthe realstory
Never has Canadian agriculture mattered more to Canada and the world. Ours is a modern and vibrant industry, a leading employer in our country and a major driver of our economy. The Canadian agri-food industry provides safe, high-quality food to millions – at home and around the world. Yet despite all this, we’re often misunderstood.
Research shows that while Canadians see agriculture as an essential industry, many don’t see it as progressive or vibrant. To reach our full potential, we need to clear up the misunderstandings – to enhance consumer trust, attract more capital,
accelerate innovation and grow our talent pool.
Canadians need to hear more positive talk about agriculture. Industry players deserve to blow their own horns a little, to say out loud that they’re proud of what they do. To celebrate their successes. That’s the story of agriculture that needs to be told – today, more than ever.
It has to start with each of us. Be an agvocate and join the conversation at AgMoreThanEver.ca.
It’s time to tell the real story.
#1 canola producer of in the WORLD 25,000 35 Almost 1 in 8 Canadian ag and agri-food jobs are in of corn today than to grow an acre 1990
50,000 fewer gallons of water It takes in farm operators are under the age of
25 billion contributes almost to the Canadian economy BEEF The INDUSTRY annually $
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Speak up, speak positively
Those of us involved in agriculture love what we do and we want the best for our industry. We know why agriculture is important to Canada and the world, and that it provides a lifestyle that can’t be beat. But we tend to be a humble group, so others may not hear this message.
We need to remember: image matters. What we say about agriculture influences how people view our industry. Share your passion and optimism for agriculture and let it shine through everything you say and do – being an agvocate is that easy.
Agvocates look for opportunities to talk about what’s going well in agriculture. They fill in information gaps, help dispel myths and learn more about the industry. Image is critical to our future, and fortunately we have a very positive story that we can tell. So let’s tell it.
• Get young people excited. There are jobs –great jobs. There’s farming of course, but many more options from science and sales to processing and manufacturing.
• Speak positively. Investment tends to flow to progressive industries that have a promising future.
• Inform consumers we’re capable business managers and stewards of the land, driven to produce safe, high-quality food using sustainable methods.
Our image matters –in fact, it has never mattered more. Tell the world why you love agriculture and what the industry means to you. We’re counting on you to tell the real, positive story of Canadian agriculture.
Speak up. Speak positively.
Our industry needs more agvocates
To reach its full potential, agriculture needs everyone in the industry to speak up and speak positively.
Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry-driven cause to improve perceptions and create positive dialogue about Canadian ag. Together we can share the facts and stories about this vibrant and modern industry, and tell the world why we love what we do.
It’s up to all of us to be agvocates and it’s easier than you think –visit AgMoreThanEver.ca and find out how you can get involved.
Registration for the 2013 Great Lakes Expo is open
Registration for the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO and the Michigan Greenhouse Growers EXPO is now open.
The show for fruit and vegetable growers, greenhouse growers and farm marketers is being held Dec. 10 to 12, 2013 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Interested people are asked to go to www. glexpo.com to register online or download a registration form to mail or fax.
If a hotel room is required, make reservations early. For hotels in the Amway Hotel Collection, go to Amway’s Passkey website for online reservations.
Information on other hotels offering convention rates is available at www.glexpo.com.
BCFGA hosts hail tour
The B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association hosted a tour of areas impacted by the severe hail that occurred this past summer.
The tour was attended by area MLAs Steve Thomson and Norm Letnick, and MP Ron Cannan, as well as about 20 growers and B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) representatives.
“Our association and impacted growers appreciate the interest and compassion shown by our elected representatives for the damage and economic costs that arise from this natural disaster,” said Jeet Dukhia, president of the BCFGA.
On August 12, 2013, at about 8:00 pm, a severe hail event occurred in the South Kelowna area. The hailstorm lasted about 15 minutes, with hail pellets up to the size of marbles. In the aftermath, trees and vines were left with shredded leaves, and fruit was severely damaged with bruising and cuts to the skin of the fruit. Damage was extensive to about 700 acres, with much of that acreage suffering damage that will make the fruit unharvestable.
Some of the losses will be recovered from crop insurance and other programs, but extent of the damage is unprecedented. Some of the damage is not covered by current programs, including the harm to the trees and vines from the hail.
“Leaves were shredded during this hail
and it will take trees up to two years to recover, so there will be lower yields in the 40 impacted farms. In the meantime, growers face extra costs that include additional fertilizers and nutrients to restore the health of the trees and vines, extra time pruning out damage fruit, and the cost of getting the damaged apples and grapes off of the trees and vines,” said Dukhia.
The most severe damage was in the riding of MLA Steve Thomson. The tour looked at damage on two of the severely impacted orchards, and one vineyard.
“We appreciate that MLAs Steve Thomson and Norm Letnick, and MP Ron Cannan came to see the damage and talked directly with the impacted farmers,” said Dukhia.
The BCFGA is exploring program responses to the disaster with the government.
Researchers release moth
University of Rhode Island entomologists reached a milestone in efforts to control the invasive weed swallow-wort with the first release of a biological agent to fight the pest.
Recently, the URI scientists, led by Dr. Richard Casagrande and research associate Lisa Tewksbury, sent 500 larvae of the moth Hypena opulenta to partners in Canada for release in patches of swallow-wort near Ottawa, Ont.
In 2006, URI doctoral student Aaron Weed discovered the moth larvae feeding on swallow-worts in southern Ukraine.
After finding that the moth larvae will attack and survive only on swallow-worts, the URI scientists and colleagues in Canada and Switzerland petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2012 to allow field release of this biological agent in North America. The review panel recommended it for USDA approval on Sept. 4, 2013. The USDA has
additional steps in its approval process before the agent can be released in the United States next spring, but the Canadian government granted permission for immediate release.
The URI team sent larvae to partners at Canada Agriculture for the first release. According to Naomi Cappuccino of Carleton University, one of the scientists involved in the study, the release appeared successful and larvae were already pupating in preparation for the Canadian winter.
Pale and black swallow-wort were accidentally introduced into the United States from Europe over a century ago and have since spread throughout the Northeast and well into Canada and the Midwest. These toxic vining plants are major pasture pests and serious weeds in many agricultural, ornamental and forest environments.
Guelph Organic Conference set for January
Celebrating its 33rd year, the 2014 Guelph Organic Conference and Expo includes international speakers, seminars and intro workshops on key topics including permaculture, organic production/certification, organic livestock and pasture issues, pollination and urban bees and more, all of which can help both producer and consumer.
The annual conference’s theme is Catching the Wave – Are you on board? focuses on the organic movement and the ways individuals, customers and growers can improve their organic intake. As well, the conference and expo will also provide a marketplace where attendees can discover new products, sample delicious food and talk directly to growers, producers and retailers about the benefits of certified organic products as well as view ethical products and services. The workshops run from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, 2014, with the expo running from Feb. 1 to 2 only.
As the Guelph Organic Conference has grown, the topics have stretched beyond the how-to of organic growing, now also encompassing a more eclectic roster of challenges focused on responsible stewardship of our soil, air and water. Once such example is an upcoming panel from Hélène St. Jacques, entitled, Waste Not, Want Not.
With the world’s population ever increasing, there is a lot of pressure on farmers to grow more food on less land, with less available labour than ever before. But St. Jacques,
chair of the Toronto Food Policy Council, prefers a different approach.
“Food waste occurs all along the value chain – from farm to fork – but the single biggest proportion, 51 per cent, occurs at the householder level,” says St. Jacques, a market research consultant and an expert in solid waste management. And about one third of the waste that gets picked up at the curb each week, she says, which represents lost water for crops, soil nutrients, fuel for tractors and transport, and energy for storage and refrigeration.
Studies in Canada are still in their infancy, but to encourage dialogue, she is pulling together a panel for the upcoming 2014 Guelph Organic Conference for a Waste Not, Want Not workshop on Sunday, Feb. 2, with informed players from across the many sectors that play a role in our food and waste management systems.
For more information, please visit www.guelphorganicconf.ca/.
OMAF minister releases statement on Bee Health Working Group
Recently, Kathleen Wynne, premier and minister of agriculture and food, issued the following statement on bee health in Ontario: “While Ontario waits for the federal government – the regulator for pesticides in Canada – to provide its direction on neonicotinoid use, we have been doing what we can by taking steps to find science-based solutions to ensure a healthy bee population.
“I have received an update on the work of the Ontario Bee Health Working Group. Based on the group’s early discussions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working with seed trade and grain farmer organizations to raise farmers’ awareness of their options to plant noninsecticide treated corn and soybean seed.
“I applaud the members’ dedication to bringing their diverse expertise to the table, and I have asked them to provide ongoing advice to the ministry in time for spring 2014 planting.
“Ontario continues to address broader bee health issues, including those related to neonicotinoids, through a range of other actions. These include deploying a team of 21 bee inspectors and specialists to support bee health across the province, providing annual funding of more than $100,000 to the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, and committing more than $700,000 to research initiatives on bee health in 2013.
“Bees play an important role in maintaining a healthy and productive agri-food sector. We need the federal government to take definitive action and make bee health and pesticide use a top priority. Addressing this complex problem will result in a stronger industry and a stronger Ontario.”
LaHave Forests’ haskap juice wins big
Nova Scotia’s LaHave Forests won the award for Best New Juice Product for their haskap juice at the 2013 World Juice Awards, held recently in Cologne, Germany.
“This award proves that Canadian agriculture can still create something innovative, exciting and unique,” says Liam Tayler.
“We consider haskap juice to be the most exciting and versatile juice to come out of Canada for some time, and this award will not only put haskapa on the world map, but will raise awareness as to the potential of the Canadian Haskap industry.”
The World Juice Conference, organized by Food News, a juice industry publication, attracts large-scale growers, producers and proces-
sors, suppliers and transport companies to discuss topics covering all aspects of the world of juice.
Ontario growing more local food opportunities
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced recently that applications are now open for a new Local Food Fund.
The fund is part of a $30 million dollar investment from the province to create jobs and support innovative local food projects over the next three years. This fund is also part of the government’s broader local food strategy to increase awareness and demand for foods grown and made in Ontario. It will support projects that market and promote local food, strengthen regional and local food networks by increasing partnerships along the supply chain and use new and innovative equipment and processes to boost the supply, quality, availability and distribution of local food.
“Supporting local food does so much for Ontario,” said Premier Wynne, who also serves as Minister of Agriculture and Food. “We are committed to working with our industry partners to increase the demand for local food, which will feed local economies across the province. By supporting partnerships and innovation, this fund will make sure more people benefit from the good things that grow in Ontario.”
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New Products
Case IH Rowtrac 500
Just as the first Steiger® Rowtrac row crop tractors are about to hit the fields this fall, Case IH is introducing an additional model that will be the highest-horsepower tracked row crop tractor on the market, the Rowtrac 500.
The new model adds 50 more horsepower to the Rowtrac line and introduces an even wider track undercarriage that will accommodate 24-inch and 30-inch tracks. The new option will be available on Rowtrac models from 350 horsepower to the new 500-horsepower model.
The Rowtrac uses a four-track, positive-drive system to minimize ground pressure, reduce compaction, improve traction and simplify transport in row crop situations. Just like the other Steiger Rowtrac models, the Rowtrac 500 tracks oscillate 10 degrees up or down to maintain constant ground contact and minimize compaction. All four tracks maintain constant power for turning without berming. Even when field conditions are less than optimum, this feature allows producers to cover more ground in less time.
www.caseih.com
Bayer expands Aliette and Movento uses Canadian fruit and vegetable growers have access to more diversified crop protection options thanks to the recent label expansion for Aliette fungicide and Movento insecticide.
Aliette is a fully systemic fungicide that allows the plant to build its own defence against disease. A Group 33 fungicide, Aliette is now registered for grapes (wine and table) to control downy mildew, spinach to suppress downy mildew and white rust, and cranberries to control phytophthora root rot. The new label expansion also means Aliette can be used on the whole brassica leafy vegetables crop group, instead of only broccoli and bok choy.
Movento, a Group 23 insecticide, offers a unique two-way systemic control against sucking insect pests. As a Lipid Biosynthesis Inhibitor (LBI), Movento provides activity on hardto-control sucking pests such as aphids, psyllids and thrips. Through the minor use registration process the Movento label has now been expanded to include:
Crop Group 3-bulb vegetables against onion thrip larvae
Crop Group 13B-bushberries and Crop Group 13H-low growing berries against aphids, blueberry maggot, blueberry gall midge, cranberry tipworm and for lecanium scale suppression globe artichoke against aphids sweet corn against aphids
For more information on recently approved and expanded crop protection labels, please visit BayerCropScience.ca.
Veris Technologies soil MSP3 mapping system
Veris Technologies offers three different soil-sensing systems that can provide information on soil type, organic matter (OM) and pH levels individually or in any combination of the three.
Soil electrical conductivity (EC) sensing involves using soil electrical conductivity, a measurement of how much current your soil conducts. It’s an effective way to map soil type and texture because smaller soil particles such as clay conduct more electrical current than larger silt and sand particles. Soil texture has a major impact on productivity, affecting water-holding capacity, cation-exchange-capacity (CEC), drainage, topsoil depth and nutrient use efficiency. Mobile nutrients such as nitrogen are leached through light soil and lost through denitrification in heavy soils. Immobile nutrients such P and K will vary with reason, especially crop removal variances. Soil EC maps define the soil texture variability, so samples are in the right spot and the prescription can change where the soil does.
Soil OM sensing involves the measurement of the level of organic matter contained within soil. To vary inputs based on productive capacity, a precise map of organic matter is crucial. Soil OM is an indicator of past productivity and a driver of current productivity. Because OM forms slowly over time, soils that are higher in OM possess the combination of soil texture, internal drainage, landscape position, and other factors that, over a long period of time, have consistently generated additional plant growth, resulting in higher soil OM. Increased soil OM level also leads to even higher productive capacity due to better
water- and nutrient-holding ability, nitrogen mineralization and soil structure. On fields where organic matter is added through manure and other amendments, an OM map reveals where levels are low and could benefit from additional OM.
Soil pH sensing involves the measurement of the levels of pH contained with soil. Soil pH is an important factor in crop production. Nutrient usage, crop growth and herbicide activity are all affected by the pH of the soil. Grid samples are simply not dense enough to do the job. Within 2.5-acre grids, there is a wide range of pH values, often ranging from soils that call for lime to soils that are extremely high in pH.
www.northernequipment.ca
New Holland introduces Genesis
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Genesis tractor, New Holland has introduced the Genesis T8.
The new six model Genesis T8 Series line-up, with outputs ranging from 273 hp to 419 hp, is powered by ECOBlue SCR Cursor 9 engines, developed in collaboration with FPT Industrial. The rangetopping T8.420 develops a maximum 419 hp with engine power management making it the world’s most powerful continuously variable transmission (CVT) tractor.
The Auto Command CVT transmission offers infinite speed changes and speed control, up to 0.1 mph. Controlled via the CommandGrip handle, the four modes of operation – Auto, Cruise, PTO and Manual – provide flexibility for task or fuel efficiency. If working in Auto mode, the operator selects the desired working speed, and the Auto Command adjusts the engine speed and transmission settings to achieve the most efficient performance.
The Auto Command transmission is standard on the T8.420 model and optional on other Genesis T8 Series models. The option of a full powershift transmission is also available on T8.275, T8.300, T8.330, T8.360 and T8.390 models.
A new front suspension axle is offered as an option on all Genesis T8 Series tractors. The saddle-style design increases suspended load capacity and improves traction in the field. It also reduces cab bounce and improves ride and handling during high-speed transport operations.
The widescreen New Holland IntelliView IV monitor is available as a factory-installed option on the Genesis T8 Series. The 10.5inch IntelliView IV colour touchscreen display on the SideWinder II armrest operates both tractor functions and precision farming applications, on just one screen. Boundary mapping, coverage mapping, data recording, precision application/prescriptions and more are controlled through the large colour touchscreen monitor. www.newholland.com
SmartBlock now registered in Canada
AMVAC Chemical Corporation has received registration from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for the use of SmartBlock in Canada.
SmartBlock is a potato sprout inhibitor used for preserving potatoes during storage.
The Canadian registration was part of a joint submission filing with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). European registrations have been filed, and these approvals are progressing on schedule.
SmartBlock represents a new class of potato sprout inhibitors that offer a new approach for eliminating sprouting in storage and restoring dormancy to potato tubers. The product (3-decen-2-one) is a naturally occurring molecule that is also classified (by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as an approved direct food additive and by the EPA as a biopesticide and therefore exempt from the requirement of a tolerance. It provides a safe, rapid sprout burn-off on all varieties of potatoes without affecting potato quality and is easily applied through existing fogging equipment.
“The registration of SmartBlock in Canada represents a significant opportunity to expand the AMVAC potato product portfolio,” said Eric Wintemute, chairman and chief executive officer of AMVAC. “Based on the excellent results observed already in the United States, we look forward to working with potato management professionals in Canada to better serve that market.
For regular new product updates, visit www.fruitandveggie.com
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
