ofvc speaker presentations - ontario tender fruit...
TRANSCRIPT
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Cover Stories
Ontario Tree
Grant Program
OFVC Speaker
Notes
Available
Notice of
District Annual
Meetings
2
Update on
Tender Fruit
Cold Hardiness
3
Agricultural
Scholarship
Available
3
Navigating
Ontario’s Busy
Rural Roads
3
NC 140 Article
on Rootstocks
4-5
FruitTracker
Changes &
Updates
5
Farm
Equipment
Road Safety
6
CHC AGM 6
GF2 Updates &
Intake Periods
7
Supplement to
Publication 360
7
Wash Water
Fact Sheets
8-
14
2017 Tree
Grant
Application
15
FE
J O I N T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N M A R C H 2 0 1 7
LAST CHANCE TO APPLY TO ONTARIO
TENDER FRUIT TREE GRANT
If you have ordered trees from a nursery
that you are planning to plant this spring,
you may be eligible for a credit of $3.25
per tree.
Certain criteria applies for eligibility,
however growers are still encouraged to
fill out the application on the back page of
this newsletter and submit it by mail, by
email to [email protected], or
by fax to 905-688-5915.
Last Chance for Tree Funding Please attach your nursery sales order(s)
and submit by April 15th 2017.
** We understand that intended tree
numbers can fluctuate, therefore final
invoices will not be due until a later date.
For more information please visit:
www.ontariotenderfruit.ca, Grower’s
Section, Resources, Tree Grant Program or
call Kelle @ 905-688-0990 x 236
OFVC Speaker Presentations Another successful Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention was held this year at Scotiabank Centre in Niagara Falls on February 22nd & 23rd. The following tender fruit speakers’ presentation notes can be found on our website www.ontariotenderfruit.ca under the Growers Section: How Knot to be Seen, update on Black Knot research - Dr. Wendy McFadden-Smith,
OMAFRA Investigating Quality and Sensory Profiles of Redhaven Peaches - Carly Flemming,
VRIC Peach Harvest and Cold Chain Best Practices - James Aiello, VRIC Updates on Peach & Post Harvest Storage Projects - Dr. Jennifer DeEll, OMAFRA More presentations will be added as they are received.
P A G E 2
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
Notice of District Annual Meetings
2017 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGS OF TENDER FRUIT GROWERS Districts 3 & 4 – Essex, Kent and Lambton – Tuesday March 28, 2017 Place: Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens, Kingsville, Ontario Time:
4:00 pm Panel Discussion - Growing High Density Pears vs. Apples Matt Ecker-Vineland Growers, John Thwaites-grower, Bill Medel-grower 4:45pm John Zandstra - Cedar Springs Updates
OTFPMB – District Annual Meeting 5:00 p.m. Annual Meeting 6:00 p.m. Dinner - Call Sylvana to confirm attendance for dinner by March 24th District 5 – Haldimand-Norfolk- Wednesday March 29, 2017 Place: The Blue Elephant, Simcoe, Ontario Time: 11:00 a.m. Annual Meeting 12:00 p.m. Lunch - Call Sylvana to confirm attendance for lunch by March 24th Districts 1 & 2 – Niagara- Thursday March 30, 2017 Place: Hernder Estate Winery – 1607 - 8
th Ave. – St. Catharines
Time: 3:00 p.m. Voter Registration 3:15 p.m. Business Section
Minutes- March, 2016 Auditor’s Report and Financial Statements - Randy Momot Chairman’s Report - Phil Tregunno Secretary’s Report - Sarah Marshall Other business
4:00 p.m. Guest Speakers DOW - Jim Olmstead BASF - Tom Clarke Bayer - Matt Peters Engage Agro - Brock Puddicombe Nufarm - Maria Dombrowsky OMAFRA - Wendy McFadden Smith – Fire Blight Project
5:15 p.m. Award of Merit - Austin and John Kirkby 5:30 p.m. Elections
5:45 p.m. Dinner- Call Sylvana to confirm attendance for dinner by March 27th
Please ensure you RSVP with Sylvana Lagrotteria [email protected]
Or at 905-688-0990 ext. 231
P.O. Box 100
Vineland Station, Ontario
L0R 2E0
Phone: 905-688-0990
Fax: 905-688-5915
Email: [email protected]
www.ontariotenderfruit.ca
P A G E 3
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
In Other News... Update on Tender Fruit Cold Hardiness As a result of the above average temperatures over the past few weeks combined with no snow cover and rising soil temperatures, visible bud swell has been observed in many plum and apricot blocks. Some areas are reporting bud swell in peaches, however most peaches are continuing to show good levels of cold hardiness. Our latest sampling indicates that the warmer weather in February has resulted in some bud de-acclimation (where trees start losing cold tolerance) to occur earlier than in a ‘typical’ winter/spring. As we get warmer and progress through March and April, flower buds will continue to lose cold tolerance. Therefore, it is critical that you monitor cold hardiness ratings for tree fruit commodities in your region regularly during this period. Start-up temperatures for wind machines should be adjusted to account for what we are seeing in tree fruit cold hardiness. For optimal use of wind machines, it is suggested that the start-up temperatures be set at 2 to 3 degrees warmer than LTE50 values at which economic losses might occur. The MOST RECENT COLD HARDINESS DATA can be viewed at http://tenderfruitalert.ca/recent and a complete survival update will be ready next month. Please note: Cold hardiness ratings are estimates only and the information provided are for general guidance. Cold hardiness ratings are site specific and may vary based on tree health, cultural practices and site conditions, among other factors. Any decisions for protection strategies should be based on your own information and site conditions.
Navigating Ontario’s Busy Rural Roads As urban traffic inches closer to some farmers’ fields, farm road safety becomes a growing priority. Farmers have to travel on busy roads to reach their fields and some roads are difficult to navigate with large equipment. Turning off of the road, especially when making a left-hand turn, can be risky. There’s also the risk of rollovers – a risk which can be heightened by soft shoulders and narrow roads. Better Farming's Jennifer Jackson spoke with Dean Anderson, strategic adviser for Agriculture, Workplace & Safety Prevention Services, about these challenges. Anderson provides some tips on road safety as it pertains to farm equipment. Dean Anderson highlights current challenges and tips for safely moving farm equipment on the road. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFnc4NQvXzU&feature=youtu.be
Scholarship Opportunity The Dave Lambert Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association and has been made available to students enrolling in, or already enrolled in post-secondary Agricultural studies. Funding is $1,500. Applications and more information can be found by visiting www.npfvga.org/scholarship. Please note the intake period is March 1st - May 30th.
P A G E 4
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
By; Kathryn Carter, Fruit Specialist (Tender fruit and Grape), OMAFRA Last fall I had the opportunity to attend the North Central 140 (NC 140) project meeting in State College Pennsylvania. The NC 140 project seeks to enhance economically and environmentally sustainable practices in temperate fruit production through the use of rootstocks. The meeting provides the opportunity to discuss ongoing research trials and develop collaborations with tree fruit researchers and extensionists from across the United States and Canada. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest state for apple production in the US. The majority of Pennsylvania’s apples are used for processing. There is some production of peaches, apricots and cherries. The NC 140 meetings include statewide updates on issues affecting the tree fruit industry. Researchers also provide an update on ongoing research trials. Peach Rootstock Trials (Dr. Greg Reighard, South Carolina) Rootstocks serve to increase productivity and improve efficiency through improved tree survival, restrict tree vigor, and increase fruit size, yield and quality. South Carolina is the co-ordinator for a multi-state, multi-year research trial evaluating the performance of 18 rootstocks on ‘Redhaven’ peach trees. Trees were planted in 2009 and tree growth and yields were monitored annually. The results to date suggest that there are significant differences in tree survival between rootstocks, with Empyrean® 2 (Penta), Empyrean® 3 (Tetra), Imperial California, Fortuna, KV010127 and Krymsk® 1 exhibiting poor survival and/or low yields. Rootstock also impacted tree size with Lovell, Atlas, Guardian and Krymsk® 86 producing the largest trees. In comparison Krysmk® 1, Prunus Americana and Controller 5 had the smallest trees. Krymk® 1 and Prunus Americana also had more root suckers than other rootstocks. In New York the most productive rootstocks over the first seven years were Altas and Krymsk®86, followed by Guardian, Lovell and HBOK32. The most yield efficient (kg of fruit/Trunk cross sectional area cm2) rootstocks were Controller 5, Krymsk® 1, Kv-23, KV27, Americana, HBOK32, Empyream2 and Mirobac. The relationship between fruit weight and early season temperatures (Dr. Richard Marini, Pennsylvania State) As climate change is affecting early season temperatures, it is important to have an understanding of how early season temperatures affect fruit weight at harvest. Pennsylvania State is the co-ordinator of a multi-state, multi-year research trial evaluating the impact of early season temperatures on fruit weight at harvest on three cultivars (‘Redhaven’, ‘Cresthaven’, ‘Crimson Lady’). Research suggests that increased early season temperatures result in lower fruit weight at harvest. Preliminary research suggests that there may be varietal differences in response to early season temperatures. Researchers are also evaluating the interaction between crop density, early season temperature and location. Pear Rootstock Trial (Dr. Terence Robinson, Dr. Jaume Lordan and Dr. Poliana Francescatto, Cornell University) A trial was initiated in New York to assess the impact of training systems, rootstocks and tree spacing on pear production. ‘Bosc’ pear trees were planted using three training systems (Tall Spindle, V-trellis, and Bi-Axis), on three rootstocks (OHxF69, OHxF87 and Pyro2-33), and three spacings (3’ X12’, 4.5’ X 12’ and 6’ X 12’). The results of the trial showed that tree spacing did not have a significant impact on tree growth or yields, except that higher yields per acre were observed at 3 and 4.5 feet as compared with 6 feet. Continued next page….
NC140 - Enhancing sustainability through use of rootstocks
P A G E 5
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
NC140 article continued... Tree size from greatest to smallest was OHxF69, OHxF87 and Pyro2-33. Yields were greatest on OHxF87, followed by Pyro-2-33 and OHxF69.
The Tall spindle and V-trellis systems had larger trees. Yields were greatest on the V-trellis system, followed by Bi-axis and the Tall Spindle. Higher yield efficiencies were observed on the Bi-axis, followed by the V-trellis and the Tall spindle. Neither tree spacing nor training system affected tree survival or the number of suckers.
There was a significant interaction among spacing, rootstocks and training system or the cumulative yield per acre. Higher yields were observed with Tall Spindle on OHxF69 at 3’ followed by the Tall Spindle on OHxF87 and V-trellis on OHxF87 at the same spacing. The lowest cumulative yields have been observed with V-trellis on Pyro-2-33 at 6’ and Tall Spindle on Pyro-2-33 at 4.5 feet. Since the trees are just filling the space, it is worth noting that yield and performance data may change significantly in upcoming years.
Cherry Rootstocks and Training Systems, (Dr. Greg Lang Michigan State University) A multi-year research project is evaluating three rootstocks (Gi. 3, Gi. 5, Gi. 6) and four training systems [Kym Green Bush (KGB), Tall Spindle Axe (TSA), Super Slender Axe (SSA) and Upright Fruiting Offshoots (UFO)] on ‘Benton’ sweet cherries in Michigan, in coordination with similar trials with ‘Regina’ in New York and with ‘Skeena’ in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. ‘Benton’ trees on Gi6 and trained to the KGB training system were the most vigorous. Trees on Gi3 and the SSA training system were the least vigorous. Cumulative yields per acre (or hectare, whatever your growers use!) after 7 years were highest on the Gi3 trained to the UFO training system, followed by Gi3 on TSA, Gi3 on KGB and Gi5 on UFO.
FruitTracker Changes Dragonfly Information Technology, the software company behind the powerful agriculture tool Fruit Tracker, has undergone some development to accommodate all types of growers – not just fruit producers. They are excited to announce that the agricultural application has completed a name change from Fruit Tracker to Croptracker to be more unified. Some of the main features in Croptracker include: Spray Records Harvest Record Keeping CanadaGAP® Audits Traceability Employee and Work Crew - Punch Clock System (Now available in Spanish) A Croptracker workshop was held at Vineland’s Rittenhouse earlier this month on Friday, March 3rd. Participants had the opportunity to learn how to use many of the features outlined above, as well as more advanced features during sessions which were held in the afternoon. Growers who have not yet attended a workshop, and those who would like more information are encouraged to visit: www.croptracker.com. Please note this software is available to Ontario Tender Fruit Growers’ members at no charge. Upcoming workshops will be advertised in our monthly newsletters.
P A G E 6
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
The CHC AGM was held in Winnipeg on March 14-16, 2017. Alvan Keenan (PEI) was elected as CHC President. Section Chairs elected for the national committees include: Labour - Murray Porteous, ON Crop, Plant Protection & Environment - Charles Stevens, ON Finance & Business Management - Mark Wales, ON Trade & Marketing - Ken Forth, ON Industry Standards & Food Safety - Andrew Lovell, NB Ontario’s representatives to the CHC Executive are Adrian Huisman and Brian Gilroy, who was also elected Chair to the Apple and Fruit Committee alongside Phil Tregunno (Tender Fruit), Mattias Oppenlaender (Grapes) and Jack Bates (Berries). Brian Gilroy was also elected to the CHC Apple Working Group.
Canadian Horticulture Council AGM
Farm Equipment Road Safety
P A G E 7
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Growing Forward 2 Intakes & Updates Effective immediately, the following updates have been made to the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Cost-share Funding Assistance Program for Producers:
There is no limit to the number of active applications a farm business may have open at any given time.
Producers may submit up to two applications per application intake to any of the project categories.
Project category A.3 Land Application of Manure is now available across Ontario with a maximum available cost-share of $10,000 per project. The priority geographies previously in place have been removed for this category.
The maximum available cost-share per project has been increased for the following project categories: A.0.2 – Environmental planning - $10,000 A.5 Cover Crops - $10,000 for an eligible acreage of up to 200 acres A.11 - Actions for biodiversity/habitat enhancements - $25,000
Under the Environment and Climate Change Adaptation focus area, there are four new project categories addressing greenhouse gas reduction:
A.13 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from indoor agriculture facilities A.14 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through geothermal heating and cooling A.15 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through on-farm energy efficiency and energy
conservation measures A.16 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and benefiting soil health and water quality, through
equipment modifications
A new tool to assist producers in calculating potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is available: GO-CALC - The Greenhouse Gas Ontario Covered Agriculture Calculator
GO-CALC is available at www.ontariosoilcrop.org/growing-forward-2-resources GF2 remains a merit-based program, meaning producers need to take time in selecting a project and make sure they have the necessary assessments and plans in place to support the project. Applications are only accepted during intakes, and the project must receive approval before it can be undertaken in order for costs to be eligible. All projects approved in the 2017 intakes will have to be completed by December 15, 2017, with a claim submitted no later than January 15, 2018. There are two intakes remaining:
Intake Dates April 4 – 18, 2017
May 12 – June 1, 2017
For complete details on eligible projects and program requirements and access to application forms, visit www.ontariosoilcrop.org (found under GF2 Resources). Questions: contact us at [email protected] or call 1-800-265-9751.
Supplement to Publication 360 The 2017 supplement is now available as an update to OMAFRA Publication 360, Guide to Fruit Production 2016–2017. The information within includes new product registrations and changes from December 2015 to November 2016. Grower members were recently mailed a copy of the supplement. For complete information, please refer to the full edition of Publication 360 which can be downloaded, along with the supplement, from the OMAFRA website at www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub360/p360toc.htm. You may also refer to this website for updates throughout the year.
P A G E 8
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water Report
P A G E 9
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 0
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 1
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 2
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 3
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 4
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
Wash Water continued...
P A G E 1 5
M A R C H 2 0 1 7
2017 Tree Grant Application