bacterial spot taking the focus off of the sprayer -...

Bacterial spotTaking the focus off of the sprayer

Janice LeBoeuf

Vegetable Crop Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Ridgetown, Ontario

Cheryl Trueman

Researcher, University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus

Ridgetown, Ontario

• To collect grower views and knowledge on bacterial

spot

• Sent out at harvest time to processing tomato

growers, processor ag staff, agribusiness

• 32 surveys returned, 24 from growers1

Fall 2014 – grower survey

1There are about 85 growers and 8 processors

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not all all minor problem moderateproblem

severe problem

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Q1. Was bacterial spot a problem this year?

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Q4. In the last 10 years, how many times has bacterial disease been a significant problem?

-Different perspectives on severity?-Location dependent?

15 responses 10 responses

Q3: How widespread are bacterial disease problems in your tomatoes this year?

• Where timing was mentioned, first seen:– Mid-June – 1 report– First half of July – 5 reports– End of July/early August – 1 report

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How much of your acreage was affected?

Q8: Do you think your bacterial disease spray program is helping to reduce losses to bacterial disease?

Total: 28 responses.

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100%

Yes No Unsure

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Kocide 2000 Kocide 2000 alt. Actigard 496/A + 497/B + Actigard

Kocide 2000 + Dithane Kasumin Taegro

Serenade Max Kocide 2000 + Kasumin Agral 90

Kocide 2000 + Serenade Max Kocide 2000 alt. Kasumin Surround

Kocide 2000 alt. Serenade Max Bravo Double Strength Trace Elements

Regalia Maxx Kocide 2000 + Bravo THIS Copper & Sulfur

Kocide 2000 + Regalia Maxx Quintec Cal-Mag-B alt. KP350DP

Kocide 2000 alt. Regalia Maxx Kocide 2000 + Quintec Cal-Mag-B alt. KP350OR

Actigard Kocide 2000 + Dithane +

Quintec

Cal-Mag-B alt. KP1000DP

Kocide 2000 + Actigard 496/A + 497/B

Efficacy trials

• > 5 years of trials, Trueman, University of Guelph

• Not all products tested each year

Trueman, University of Guelph, 2010-2014

Kocide 2000 Kocide 2000 alt. Actigard 496/A + 497/B + Actigard

Kocide 2000 + Dithane Kasumin Taegro

Serenade Max Kocide 2000 + Kasumin Agral 90

Kocide 2000 + Serenade Max Kocide 2000 alt. Kasumin Surround

Kocide 2000 alt. Serenade Max Bravo Double Strength Trace Elements

Regalia Maxx Kocide 2000 + Bravo THIS Copper & Sulfur

Kocide 2000 + Regalia Maxx Quintec Cal-Mag-B alt. KP350DP

Kocide 2000 alt. Regalia Maxx Kocide 2000 + Quintec Cal-Mag-B alt. KP350OR

Actigard Kocide 2000 + Dithane +

Quintec

Cal-Mag-B alt. KP1000DP

Kocide 2000 + Actigard 496/A + 497/B

Efficacy trials

• Only one treatment gave relatively consistent benefits

• Required 8 weekly applications

Trueman, University of Guelph, 2010-2014

Should we be spraying for bacterial

spot in field tomato?

There is little compelling evidence to suggest there is

a benefit• Little benefit (= yield, fruit quality) in small-plot field trials with 8

applications per season

• Research in other parts of North America also showing lack of

efficacy with copper

• Concern about Cu tolerant bacteria

Bacterial populations will continue to evolve tolerance

to any new highly effective products.

• Assumption:

• Overwintering of bacterial spot-causing Xanthomonads in Ontario is minimal

• Limitations:

• Economics

• Field is not a controlled environment

• Approach:

• Cheryl Trueman (University of Guelph – Ridgetown) and I worked with the Ontario processing tomato industry to develop draft best management practices focused on exclusion and limiting spread of bacterial spot pathogens.

• Will adapt based on experience, research data, input from others.

Can we do a better job of exclusion and

limiting spread of pathogen?

• To ensure practicality and learn from each other,

worked in consultation with growers and processors.

• Transplant production:

• Updated an existing bacterial disease management

protocol

• Ontario Tomato Seedling Growers’ Marketing Board

• Processors

• Field production:

• Field growers

• Processors

Can we do a better job of exclusion and

limiting spread of pathogen?

Transplant Production BMPs (draft)

Goal: Exclusion & Limiting Spread

• Mostly standard practices, such as:

• Cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces pre-season.

• Written protocols, recordkeeping.

• Clearing greenhouse and perimeter of

other plant material (weeds, crop debris).

• New, clean trays and growing media.


• More focus on avoiding cross-contamination

between trays, seed lots, crops.

• Clean the seeder and seed hopper when changing seed

lots, when changing crops, and at the end of each day.




• Sanitation when handling plants - between seed lots and

crops (or as often as between trays).

• Visitor biosecurity.

• When shipping plants, no entry by visitors.


Visitor biosecurity



• Sanitation of shipping and

loading equipment


Field Production BMPs (draft)

Goal: Exclusion & Limiting Spread

• Strategy: adopt multiple practices to limit spread

and delay epidemic of bacterial spot as much as

possible.

• Four tiers, based on expected impact.

Field Production BMPs (draft)

Tier 1 – likely to have the biggest impact

Picking up plants

•One crop/plant lot per load.

•Plant trailer sanitation.

Holding plants

•Ventilation.

Transplanting

•Transplanter sanitation between fields and varieties.

•Transplanting crew - hands.

Tier 1 – likely to have the biggest impact

• Bacteria can be spread on workers’ hands. At a

transplanting rate

of 1.5 ac/hr,

with 6 workers

and 13,000 plants/ac,

3,250 plants are touched

per person per hour.

Tier 2 – some impact expected

In-season

•Avoid other host crops.

•Sanitation of field equipment.

•Avoid leaf damage. Stay out after rows start to fill.

Tier 2 – some impact expected

In-season

•Sanitation when working with plants.

•Biosecurity procedures for crop scouts and other visitors.

•8 applications of copper + Actigard, 7-day interval, starting within 7 days of transplanting.

Tier 3 – little impact expected (compared to tiers 1-2)

In-season

•Weed control.

•Fallowing weak areas.

• This tier includes practices mentioned by growers in the

survey, but not expected to help in bacterial disease

management, such as:

• Crop rotation

• Using other spray products/programs

• DSV-based spraying of bactericides (model for fungal disease)

• Disinfecting equipment, hands, surfaces without pre-cleaning to

remove films and organic matter.

• Initiating cleaning and disinfecting after disease is already

established.

Tier 4 – no impact expected on bacterial spot

• Research data

• Evaluation of suggested practices

Gaps

• Gather feedback from transplant and field growers

on their experiences implementing these practices.

• Validate components of the greenhouse and field

production BMPs to determine their impact on

management of bacterial spot.

• Explore and evaluate new techniques and

technologies for exclusion and limiting spread of

bacterial plant pathogens.

Future

Want to talk tomato bacterial disease?

Janice LeBoeuf, Vegetable Crop Specialist

OMAFRA

519-674-1699

[email protected] @ontariotomato

Cheryl Trueman, Researcher

Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph

519-674-1500 ext. 63646

[email protected] @CherylTrueman

Extras

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)Q2. Observations on impact of bacterial disease in

different varieties. (note: growers didn't always indicate 'severe' 'moderate' 'light'

and in those cases a was assigned based on the description or estimated yield loss)

severe moderate light

Ontario processing tomato2: 336,202 tonnes produced with a farm value of $41.5 million(2014)

Ontario fresh market tomato1: 19,025 tonnes produced with a farm value of $16.7 million (2013)

1. Source: Statistics Canada 2. Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers

bacterial spot taking the focus off of the sprayer -...

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