KAREN DAVIDSON

Within a stones throw of Lake

Simcoe and a seemingly plentiful
water supply, Paul and Ian Smith
are under no illusions: With
population increases, we have
realized that going forward, water
will become a bigger issue.
Along with other family
members, they operate Smith
Gardens, a large carrot and onion
farm that sells domestically and
to the U.S. The company has
installed a system to recycle
about 70 per cent of the 50,000
gallons of washwater used to
clean carrots every day.
We wanted a system with
many benefits, explains Paul
Smith, who started construction
last summer. Its a closed-loop
system that lessens our
dependence on aquifers.
Without an engineering
degree, Smith says its no small
task to quantify water treatment
needs and to hire the right
consultant. A lengthy process of
interviewing six companies led to
Noel Moya of Fluidyne
Corporation. Hes an electro-
mechanical engineer specializing
in physio-chemical and
microbiological process of
wastewater treatment.
Moya recommended an
aerobic digester that kills
bacteria, treats water and removes
solids. A combination of filters,
ultraviolet, ultrasound and ozone
technology is deployed.
The Smiths considerable
investment on this project is the
cost of doing business in a
context increasingly pressured by
more Ministry of Environment
regulations. Their motivation is to
avoid any potential and
unforeseen government shut-
downs and, at the same time,
build stronger sustainability
recognition for their brand.
They are not alone. This story
resonates throughout a supply
chain that is increasingly alarmed
by whats happening south of the
border. California growing a
$45 billion basket of produce
annually -- is in dire drought
straits. Accounts of the scope of
problems there have been provid-
ed by the Smiths Holland Marsh
neighbours John and Cristina
Hambly who recently returned
from a trip to the San Joaquin
Valley.
Ninety per cent of their prob-
lem is environmental, says
Hambly. There is almost no
snow pack in the mountains
which means little snow melt to
feed the ponds.
In the San Joaquin Valley
alone, 200,000 acres of tomatoes,
melons, onions, broccoli and let-
tuce have been idled for lack of
water. The California Farm Water
Coalition estimates that 800,000
acres of land could be fallowed
this year, or roughly 10 percent of
the states total arable land. Those
facts plus first-hand observations
are leading Hambly to look hard-
er at water conservation on his
own farm. By 2015, he may move
to more drip irrigation.
Its a cautionary tale not only
for Ontario but all of Canada, so
richly blessed with fresh water. In
the Los Angeles Times, editorial
columnist George Skelton put the
drought into context by quoting a
public affairs official from a
water district: We didnt get here
through nature alone. We also got
here through environmental regu-
lations that limited the amount of
water sent to the nearby San Luis
reservoir.
The states current debate is
fractious as Governor Jerry
Brown has proposed a 35-mile,
twin water tunnel to divert
northern California water under
or around the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta to central and
southern parts of the state. The
price tag? $15 billion.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
APRIL 2014 CELEBRATING 134 YEARS AS CANADAS PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION VOLUME 64 NUMBER 04
SENSE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Water? Priceless! There are some things money cant buy
INSIDE
Hard cider sourced
fromOntario apples
Page4
Canadian Horticultural
Council highlights Page10
Focus: Irrigation Section B
www.thegrower.org
P.M. 40012319
$3.00 CDN
Brothers Paul (left) and Ian Smith have taken a long-term view to water management on their Smith Gardens family-operated farm near Keswick, Ontario. At their processing plant
for carrots, they are recycling 70 per cent of the 50,000 gallons of washwater required each day. Here, an irrigation rig stands ready to nurse recently transplanted onions with
barley as a cover crop to preserve soil moisture. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
NEWSMAKERS
Keith Kuhl, a Winkler,
Manitoba potato farmer
and chair of Peak of the
Markets board of direc-
tors, will serve a second
term as president of the
Canadian Horticultural
Council. For more
details, see full CHC
coverage on page 10.
Pradeep Sood has
announced that Highbury Canco Corporation has come to an agree-
ment with H.J. Heinz Company to buy its Leamington-Ontario
plant, formerly slated to close in June. The plan is to transition the
ketchup factory into a manufacturing, co-packaging and distribution
facility for tomato juice and other products in early July. The group
of Ontario investors, including current plant manager Sam Diab,
intends to sell its products domestically as well as in emerging mar-
kets. The deal allows the plant to produce domestic tomato juice for
Heinz, using locally grown, whole tomatoes. Under the Canadian
Agricultural Products Act, Heinz is not allowed to import tomato
juice into Canada.
Foodland Ontario recently honoured the best in produce retailing
with Vision Awards in three categories. They went to Sobeys Inc.
(conventional); Food Basics, Metro Ontario Inc. (discount), Longo
Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. (independent).
The British Columbia Tree Fruit Growers Association announced
the 2014 board of directors at a recent annual general meeting.
They are: Fred Steele (Kelowna), president; Bhupinder Dhaliwal
(Oliver), vice-president; Peter Simonsen (Penticton), South District;
Sukhdev Brar (Summerland), South District; Ravinder Bains
(Keremeos), South District; Surjit Nagra (Kelowna), North
District; Niel Dendy (Kelowna), North District, Sukhdev Goraya
(Kelowna), North District.
The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association recently recognized
excellence in four distinct categories. Amy and Channing Strom
won the Leadership Award for sharing their best practices through
the OFFMA board and activities. Heather and Brad Fraser,
Harvest Goodies won the Food Innovation Award for adding value
to garlic scapes in vinaigrettes, mustard and bean pickle. The
Ambassador Award went to Elizabeth Baird, former food editor of
Canadian Living Magazine. The Outstanding Farm Marketer Award
went to Anne Just, Kurtz Orchards, an entrepreneur who has
opened several satellite locations including Carmel by the Sea,
California.
The federation of Quebec apple producers has promoted two
employees. Melanie Noel becomes assistant executive director and
Genevieve Perigny becomes communications officer.
Congratulations to Ron Koop of Koop Farms, recipient of the
Cuve Award of Excellence in Viticulture, sponsored by BASF
Canada Inc.
Bob Seguin has left his position as executive director of the George
Morris Centre, Guelph, Ontario to become director, economic
development, Region of Niagara. Hes responsible for economic
development activities and liaising with municipal economic
development officials. His background meshes with the emphasis on
economic growth in the agri-food sector.
In the meantime, Barb Miller and John Scott are acting as interim,
co-managing directors of the George Morris Centre.
Congratulations to Sue-Ann Staff for winning the Niagara
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She is recognized for
successfully steering Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, a Lincoln-
Ontario company thats been established in the last five years which
has demonstrated excellent prospects for continued growth.
THE GROWER
AT PRESS TIME
PAGE 2 APRIL 2014
Reported changes to
inspection require-
ments for U.S. apples
shipped to Canada
An unexpected provision
added to the U.S. Farm Bill has
raised a number of questions per-
taining to the compulsory inspec-
tion requirements for U.S. apples
destined for Canada. Canadian
and U.S. officials are now in the
process of reviewing the impacts.
The added provision exempts
fresh apples shipped in bulk bins
(any containers over 100 lbs.)
from the provisions of the U.S.
Export Apple Act which state that
apples being exported from the
U.S. must be inspected before
shipment and certified that they
meet minimum quality require-
ments.
Current Canadian import
requirements still apply and
require certification for every
load of apples shipped from the
U.S. in bulk containers moving
under a Ministerial Exemption or
containers weighing less than 100
lbs. (e.g. the 40 lb. ctn.).
Absolutely nothing has changed
in regard to the 40 lb. ctn. that is
properly graded and packed to
Canadian standards. These still
require USDA inspection and
apples imported from other than
the U.S. still require compulsory
Customs Clearance inspections
performed by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency, e.g. Chile,
South Africa, etc.
The following is a summary of
what is known related to the bulk
imports:
Canadian inspection require-
ments still remain in place and
inspections are still required on
all apples in bulk bins upon entry
into Canada from the U.S.
according to the requirements
outlined in the approved
Ministerial Exemption
USDA have confirmed that they
have not changed any procedures
related to the inspection of apples
as a result of the recently passed
Farm Bill and that the inspection
of all U.S. apples will remain sta-
tus quo until further notice
USDA has indicated that they
are still discussing the de-regulat-
ed requirement and that they
intend to collaborate with CFIA
before implementing any changes
The Ontario Produce Marketing
Association will be monitoring
the decisions from both USDA
and the CFIA and will provide
updates as new information
becomes available.
New fees for DIS
The Destination Inspection
Service (DIS) is entering its final
phase of a three-year process to
implement full cost recovery as of
April 1.
the hourly inspection rate
increases to $171 (from $145 in
2012/13 and $99 in 2011/12)
the call-out fee in the amount of
$50 per inspection will no longer
be applied.
A year ago, the proposed
hourly rate was to increase from
$145 per hour to $190. Over the
last year, and upon the request of
the industry, the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) has
studied the business model for
their service and been able to
shave costs.
Although DIS is no longer a
dedicated service, it still remains
a prioritized service. In other
words, destination inspections
remain the priority of DIS inspec-
tors, regardless of other work
they may be expected to perform
explains Ian MacKenzie, general
manager, Ontario Produce
Marketing Association.
Keith Kuhl (L) and Prime Minister
Steven Harper at budget time.
SPAIN
The cherry Ferrari
revs up
Glamour cherries are now
being harvested from high-tech
glasshouses in Lleida, Spain,
beating the global market by two
months. Produced in small
quantities, they fetch top dollar
in upmarket department stores
such as Harrods of London. A
500-gram bamboo punnet can
cost between 85
and 125 during
the eight-week
season of March
and April.
The harvest is
expected to
weigh in at
72,000 kg of fruit
from an area of
50,000m
2
, with
an additional
10,000m
2
of
young plantations
due for harvest in
Water? Priceless! There are some things money cant buy
APRIL 2014 PAGE 3
THE GROWER
SENSE AND SUSTAINABILITY
INTERNATIONAL
UNITED STATES
Use multi-pear
varieties in ads
Washington-based Stemilt
Growers report that Anjou pear
volumes were 24 per cent higher
in the last quarter of 2013,
compared to the same quarter the
year previous. Overall, volumes
and sales of Red dAnjous,
Barletts and Boscs also raised the
category.
The tree fruit leader says that
more use of ripening programs,
value-bag offerings and multiple
varieties are stimulating
consumer sales according to
marketing director Roger
Pepperl. Hes a strong advocate
of multiple pears on advertising
blitzes which result in 15 to 20
per cent increases in volume
compared to one-item pear ads.
Organic pears make up 20 per
cent of Stemilts pear volumes.
Source: ThePacker.com
two years. The agricultural
research team has improved the
levels of fruit sugars and
robustness notes Oscar Ortiz,
sales manager.
Brand owner SAT Edoa
currently markets Glamour
cherries to Russia, Dubai, Qatar
and the U.K. with its sights set
on Canada and Singapore in the
future.
Source: SAT Edoa news release
MICHIGAN
Green light for tree
fruit levy
The states tree fruit producers
have voted for a levy to create
the Michigan Tree Fruit Research
& Development Program. The
levy will be in place for the 2014
season starting April 1.
The levy is not to exceed
$2.50 per ton of cherries sold;
four cents per 100 pounds of
apples sold; $2 per ton of
peaches sold; or $4.50 per ton of
plums sold. The funds will
support research stations and
extension programs to keep
growers current with the latest
technology and marketing
opportunities.
Michigans agriculture
department reports that of 253
valid ballots, 181 producers
voted yes and 72 voted no.
CHINA
Great leap forward
in productivity
Expect faster agricultural
growth in China, according to
New Chinese Agricultural
Policy a report published by
Rabobank. The pressure of
feeding 1.3 billion citizens is
forcing the government to revise
agricultural policy.
Agriculture has been the
backbone of the Chinese econo-
my for thousands of years,
states Rabobank analyst, Chenjun
Pan. At present, he says the frag-
mented supply chain is not work-
ing smoothly to guarantee food
safety or to transport food from
small plots to burgeoning cities.
Greater mechanization, new
technology and the transfer of
land-use rights will create
economies of scale. Rabobank
predicts that cooperatives, family
farms and specialized large farms
will coexist and thrive in the next
decade.
Source: Rabobank news release
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
For some tunnel opponents, its all
about protecting fish, particularly the smelt
and the salmon. Theyre not convinced
there is enough surplus water to divert
when plans are already underway to truck
millions of young California salmon to the
coast this April.
For others, water has become a drug,
mainlined by Californias agribusiness
users. The fact that detractors have framed
the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan in terms
of agribusiness interests does not bode
well. Already, citizens are talking about
non-sustainable versus sustainable
agriculture in a crisis that is deepening by
the month. Perhaps even more worrisome,
lack of water is pitting farmer against
farmer in a complex web of water rights.
For large operations such as Harris
Ranch, CEO John Harris told the
Sacramento Bee that even with the
wherewithal to buy water, its a pretty
illiquid market because theres not much
around. The Buena Vista Water Storage
District sold 12,000 acre-feet of surplus
water (an acre foot is 326,000 gallons) for
an average price of $1,135 per acre-foot
four times the normal cost.
While southern competitors cope with
an epic drought, its time to shore up water
conservation plans here for the upcoming
summer. And for good reason. Just days
ago, Farm & Food Care Ontario released
results of a survey of 400 Ontario farmers.
Ninety per cent of those surveyed placed
environmental issues among farm
concerns, listing availability of water, loss
of soil fertility, adapting to climate change,
soil erosion and ground water
contamination.
The Smith family would totally agree.
Be mindful of water. Its not a completely
renewable resource.
Tumbleweed, that ubiquitous symbol of drought, is lodged in an irrigation channel near
Cantua Creek, California. Altogether, about 800,000 acres of prime farmland will remain
fallow in the state this year at a loss of about $5 billion. Crops ranging from almonds
and asparagus to tomatoes and tree fruit will be affected.
This irrigation channel linked to the Lake Simcoe watershed is a critical artery to the
carrot and onion fields at Smith Gardens, Keswick, Ontario. Water conservation efforts
are underway to protect soil health. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
PAGE 4 APRIL 2014
THE GROWER
LOCAL FOOD
VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
Growers to sign Foodland Ontario
logo agreement
Foodland Ontarios mandate is to build an emotional
connection between consumers and their food and the
Ontario farmers who produce it. Through various market-
ing activities, the depth, breadth and variety of local food
is showcased. This makes the local food choice easier for
consumers at grocery stores, farmers markets and on-farm
markets across the province.
Responding to consumers demand for recipes,
Foodland Ontario continues to develop recipe brochures
that are distributed in stores, farmers markets and on-farm
markets. For the remainder of 2014, look for spring, sum-
mer and fall brochures. Also coming in 2014, farmers
market and on-farm market vendors will have access to
commodity specific recipe cards. Twenty-four recipes fea-
turing more than 50 different Ontario commodities will be
available this season. These recipes, along with the regular
roster of complimentary Foodland Ontario merchandising
materials are free of charge and can be ordered on-line, fax
or by mail. Please visit: www.foodlandontario.ca for a cat-
alogue and order forms.
One of the biggest challenges facing consumers today is
being able to identify local at point of purchase. Ontario
producers and processors are encouraged to use the
Foodland Ontario logo. Nine out of every ten shoppers
recognize the logo as Ontario fresh food. If you are not
using the logo to identify your locally grown and
processed food, get started today. New in 2014, producers
using Foodland Ontario resources are required to sign a
logo agreement to ensure those resources will only be used
to identify Ontario food. This practice protects the
Foodland Ontario brand and Ontario growers.
For more information on the Foodland Ontario program
or how to get the Foodland Ontario agreement, contact
Foodland Ontarios Client Services Officer by email
Sandra.jones@ontario.ca or 1-888-466-2372 ext. 63947
Ontario apples + processing + marketing = Pommies dry cider
KAREN DAVIDSON
Cider is made like wine and
drunk like a beer. With this
insight, Britain natives Lindsay
and Nick Sutcliffe are grafting the
hard cider habit of their home
country to the local food trend in
Canada.
Cider is a massive drink in
the U.K., says Nick Sutcliffe,
Southern Cliff Brands, Caledon,
Ontario. It represents 10 per cent
of all alcohol sales. When we talk
about cider, we mean hard cider.
Unlike sweet cider, the term
dry means that the natural sugar
has been fermented out, leaving a
hard cider that contains between
five and seven per cent alcohol.
Working with Grant Howes, a
Prince Edward County apple
grower and cider maker, the
Sutcliffes crafted a recipe that
contains Ida Red, Northern Spy,
Gala, Empire and Russet apples.
The result is a refreshing, dry and
light-bodied cider with a crisp,
lasting finish. While the apple
variety proportions and yeast
remain proprietary, its no secret
that the apples are sourced from
the Georgian Bay area.
Abandoning former sales and
marketing careers in Toronto,
they first approached the Liquor
Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
with a private tasting of their
fledgling cider. With a thumbs-
up, they began working with a
local advertising company in
Toronto to brand the product.
Pomme is French for apple, so
its not too far a stretch to plural-
ize the word. And with tongue in
cheek, theyre proud to invoke the
Australian derogatory term for
Brits: pommies.
The Sutcliffes launched
Pommies Dry Cider in September
2012. Gently carbonated and
made with no added artificial
flavourings or colourings, the five
per cent alcoholic beverage is
now the top-selling SKU in the
Ontario craft cider category at
LCBO. With further insight into
the category, they deliberately
steered away from the masculine
positioning of Strongbow, a major
competitor, to appeal equally to
male and female consumers.
Frequent appearances at food
and beverage shows are helping
raise awareness of hard cider as a
sparkling alternative to beer, cool-
ers and light white wines. Sales of
Pommies Dry Cider are expected
to double every year for the next
five years. For four 355 mL bot-
tles, a pack costs $12.95. In just
two years, the brand is now avail-
able in Alberta, Saskatchewan
and parts of New Brunswick.
Part of that sales growth will
be pushed by cider tastings and a
tree give-away at select LCBO
stores this April and May.
Consumers who purchase three,
four-packs of Pommies Dry Cider
will be given a three-foot tall
Gala apple tree with detailed
planting and growing instructions.
The dwarf variety trees will not
exceed a height of eight-feet tall
when fully grown, a trait ideal for
home gardeners. The promotion
underscores that Pommies is
made from 100 per cent juice
from Ontario apples and furthers
the messaging about local, sus-
tainable agriculture.
Lots of companies give away
stuff, usually plastic, but we
wanted to make sure that we
offered consumers something that
benefits them for years to come,
says Sutcliffe.
Cheers to hard cider.










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One step closer to Canadian Strawberry Promotion and
Research Agency
The Farm Products Council of
Canada (FPCC) is holding hear-
ings this month regarding the
establishment of a Canadian
Strawberry Promotion and
Research Agency. They are
scheduled for Vancouver, B.C. on
April 1, 2014 and in Montreal,
Quebec on April 23, 2014.
Written submissions were due at
the Farm Products Council of
Canada office by March 28.
An application to create a
research and promotion agency
for the Canadian fresh strawberry
industry was submitted to FPCC
in December 2013. The proposal
is based on the results of consul-
tations carried out between
October 2012 and December
2013 with strawberry growers and
their provincial associations, other
industry associations, buyers, sell-
ers and importers. The proposal
outlines a mechanism to raise
funds, based on a fixed rate per
pound, from domestically pro-
duced and imported fresh straw-
berries. These funds would be
used to carry out, among other
things, the following:
promotion of strawberries to
increase sales of domestic and
imported strawberries
research into new varieties,
more economic production meth-
ods, health benefits, longer
shelf-life
the development of promotional
tools for retailers, wholesalers,
u-picks and on-farm markets
consumer research and studies
FPCC must enquire into the
merits of establishing an agency
for any farm product where
producer groups file such a
request, and then recommend to
the Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food in accordance with the
Farm Products Agencies Act. A
panel chaired by Tim OConnor
along with member Mike Pickard,
will conduct public hearings.
Once concluded, the panel will
make its recommendations to the
FPCC which in turn will report to
the Minister of Agriculture. It is
then up to the Minister to decide
whether or not to proceed with
the Proclamation of the Agency.
It is important to note that the
Act stipulates that in making
recommendations to the Minister,
Council will not recommend the
establishment of an agency unless
it is satisfied that a majority of
producers and importers are in
favour of such an action. They
will also assess any proposal
for its ability to implement an
equitable contribution system
on strawberries that are
imported and produced
domestically.
The Ontario Produce
Marketing Association, along
with other marketing associa-
tions across the country, has
taken a neutral position on the
matter as directed in the
following motion:
The Ontario Produce
Marketing Association (OPMA)
supports the marketing and
promotion of all fresh produce in
Canada and recognizes the right
of individual commodity groups
to self-organize for marketing and
research purposes. At the
direction of the Board of
Directors, OPMA will not make
submissions of support or
opposition on applications for the
formation of Agencies.
However, individual compa-
nies may request to appear at the
public hearings or make written
submissions to the FPCC.
Full details of the procedures,
look to http://fpcc-
cpac.gc.ca/index.php/en-GB/pub-
lichearingsetc/public-hearings-
home Or call FPCC at 613-759-
1165 or 1-855-611-1165
Source: Ontario Produce
Marketing Association news
release
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 5
PROMOTION
T he O ntario Produce
M arketing A ssociation, along
with other marketing
associations across the
country, has taken a
neutral position.
KAREN DAVIDSON
Maple syrup isnt the first crop
anymore. Just as sweet, Ontarios
greenhouse vegetables are out of
the gate in tandem with the first
day of spring, and often before.
With 2,398 acres now in
production, growers are anxious
to supplant Mexican product in
the northeastern U.S. and Canada.
Up by 126 acres in the last year
alone, Ontarios industry is striv-
ing to maintain market share with
premium product. To sustain that
growth, marketing efforts are
becoming more expansive and
sophisticated.
The track record of the Ontario
Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
(OGVG) has earned the awarding
of $181,000 in Growing Forward
2 funding over the next two years
to launch a comprehensive U.S.
in-store demonstration program.
The results of sampling programs
are well worth the effort, as
proven in a 2013 pilot.
Domestically, initial food-
service outreach won early
success with last years
procurement process to supply
Hero Burgers with greenhouse-
grown tomatoes. To broaden that
foodservice strategic plan, OGVG
has been awarded $168,750 in
funding over the next two years,
also through Growing Forward 2.
Were building brand aware-
ness with chefs, buyers, restaurant
chains, says Nancy Hewitt,
foodservice market specialist,
OGVG. These potential clients
are amazed at the size and scope
of our industry. The momentum is
starting to build.
Fresh from last months
Canadian Restaurant and
Foodservice Association trade
show in Toronto, Hewitt is now
turning attention to about 100
culinary students at Liaison
Colleges throughout Ontario. She
will be introducing locally
harvested produce right off the
vine, coinciding with the official
start of spring. The surprise of
that early harvest should stick
with the next generation of chefs.
OGVGs messaging will be
reinforced by an advertisement in
the April edition of Foodservice
and Hospitality Magazine with
the tag line: From our house to
yours. While artful displays of
plated produce tempt the palate,
the ad shows a grower and a bee
at work in their natural habitat: a
greenhouse.
Beyond promotion, OGVG is
developing unique tools to
educate the supply chain about
how to use greenhouse produce.
The tomato category is bursting
with specialties that have unique
qualities. For instance, beefsteak
tomatoes are rated a one for
sweetness, while cherry and grape
tomatoes are rated a five. Those
gradients of sweetness are critical
to chefs who may choose
different culinary applications
based on flavour profiles.
The demands for flavour and
quality are changing very rapidly
within the foodservice market-
place and this will provide our
members with the opportunity to
cater to this growing demand,
says Don Taylor, OGVG chair.
This program will allow us to
expand on established and new
relationships to increase the
overall demand from foodservice
operators, chefs and buyers for
Ontario greenhouse vegetables.
From Toronto to Toledo,
Ontario greenhouse
vegetables build favour
MARKETING
THE GROWER
PAGE 6 APRIL 2014








































































































































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BEEFSTEAK TOMATOES
Known for their fir
verage diameter: 3 " A




































































Our sweetness level ranges from 1-5, where 1 is less sweet and 5 is very sweet. Check out the ratings below!
To identify our tomatoes, look for the PLU sticker that indicates Ontario or Canada origin.
BEEFSTEAK TOMATOES
e m meaty textur Known for their fir
ox. appr Yield in slices: verage diameter: 3 "




































































Our sweetness level ranges from 1-5, where 1 is less sweet and 5 is very sweet. Check out the ratings below!
To identify our tomatoes, look for the PLU sticker that indicates Ontario or Canada origin.
10 ox.
CLUSTER TOMATOES
Harvested with the vine, which
verage diameter AAv
ONTARIO GREENHOUSE TOMATOES
March to November




































































Our sweetness level ranges from 1-5, where 1 is less sweet and 5 is very sweet. Check out the ratings below!
To identify our tomatoes, look for the PLU sticker that indicates Ontario or Canada origin.
CLUSTER TOMATOES
Harvested with the vine, which
ox. 6 appr Yield in slices: verage diameter: 2 "
ONTARIO GREENHOUSE TOMATOES
March to November




































































Our sweetness level ranges from 1-5, where 1 is less sweet and 5 is very sweet. Check out the ratings below!
To identify our tomatoes, look for the PLU sticker that indicates Ontario or Canada origin.
ox. 6
ONTARIO GREENHOUSE TOMATOES
ROMA TO
Oval shape
verage diameter: 2 AAv




































































MATOES ROMA TO
verage diameter: 2 " Not usually sliced








































































































































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pr and p




































































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HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
colours and sizes
Found in a variety of shapes,
6 to 10 Yield in slices:
verage diame AAv
Sweetness Level: 1
topped with cheese for a tasty r




































































HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
colours and sizes
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Sweetness Level: 1
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Sweetness Level: 2
delicious chopped into a Gr
COCKTAIL TOMATOES
sweet and
High sugar level,
Juicy
verage diameter AAv




































































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COCKTAIL TOMATOES
High sugar level,
: 2"




































































CHERRY & GRAPE TOMATOES
ellow and orange varieties Y
Small, ripe and sweet
fect bite-sized snacks Per
verage diameter: 1 AAv
Sweetness Level: 3
grilled fish, meats or on pasta!




































































CHERRY & GRAPE TOMATOES
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verage diameter: 1 "
grilled fish, meats or on pasta!
i ti








































































































































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excellent addition to salads, pastas;
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ellow and orange varieties Y




































































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Sweetness Level: 3
Store in refrigerator for up to one week and only wash when ready to use.
ONTARIO
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Sweetness Level: 3
Store in refrigerator for up to one week and only wash when ready to use.
GREENHOUSE BELL PEPPERS
verage weight: 9 oz (256 g)
ONTARIO
March to November




































































Sweetness Level: 4
Store in refrigerator for up to one week and only wash when ready to use.
GREENHOUSE BELL PEPPERS
March to November




































































GREENHOUSE BELL PEPPERS
for up to 10 days and minis up to 2 weeks.
English cucumbers can be stored in refrigerator
ONTARIO




































































Sweetness Level: 5
for up to 10 days and minis up to 2 weeks.
English cucumbers can be stored in refrigerator
Year-round
GREENHOUSE CUCUMBERS ONTARIO




































































for up to 10 days and minis up to 2 weeks.
English cucumbers can be stored in refrigerator
GREENHOUSE CUCUMBERS








































































































































soups or salsa
as top or bottom slice use in casser
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and nutritional values ar
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sweetness levels
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verage weigh AAv




































































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verage weight: 9 oz (256 g)








































































































































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ee, low in calories Fat-fr
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no peeling = no waste
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mand crisp Fir
Both Varieties:
Range 2 1/2" - 6"; 1 - 3 oz (28 - 85 g) each Minis & Cocktail
verage le AAv English




































































Seedless - easier to digest
verage length: 12-14; 1 lb(454 g) by weight
Range 2 1/2" - 6"; 1 - 3 oz (28 - 85 g)
waste
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Minis




































































snacking; in salads; appetizers; chilled soups; drinks. Add to
verage length: 12-14; 1 lb(454 g) by weight
h
English








































































































































illage Salad and mor V
Roasted Red Peppers; Stuf
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filling; stir fries; fajitas; in dips such as hummus, Romesco sauce, coulis.
Culinary applications:
crudits; in salads; r Performs well:
soups or salsa




































































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e. illage Salad and mor
fed Peppers; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus; Roasted Red Peppers; Stuf
ellow Pepper Soup; Red Pepper Coulis; on Y fr Saf Recipes from our website:
filling; stir fries; fajitas; in dips such as hummus, Romesco sauce, coulis.
oasted for antipasto platters; omelette pizza topping; r Culinary applications:
oasted and tossed in salads and pastas. crudits; in salads; r
soups or salsa




































































h
fed Peppers; Roasted Red Pepper Hummus;
ellow Pepper Soup; Red Pepper Coulis;
filling; stir fries; fajitas; in dips such as hummus, Romesco sauce, coulis.
oasted for antipasto platters; omelette
oasted and tossed in salads and pastas.




































































t
asabi Salad. Cucumber and W
Cucumber Gazpacho, Cold Cucumber Soup, Cucumber Mint Sauce,
Recipes fromour website:
or cold soups.
fed cucumber cups; Gr Raita; stuf
Culinary applications:
addition to a jug of r
efr sandwiches for a r
snacking; in salads; appetizers; chilled soups; drinks. Add to Performs well:




































































asabi Salad.
Cucumber Gazpacho, Cold Cucumber Soup, Cucumber Mint Sauce,
fed Cucumber; Gazpacho; Grape and Stuf Recipes fromour website:
eek salad; day pickles; sauted or used in hot fed cucumber cups; Gr
crudit platters; sandwiches; dips such as Tzaziki and Culinary applications:
. eshing drinking water efr addition to a jug of r
eshing crunch. Sliced cucumbers make a welcome efr
cking; in salads; appetizers; chilled




































































Cucumber Gazpacho, Cold Cucumber Soup, Cucumber Mint Sauce,
fed Cucumber; Gazpacho; Grape and
eek salad; day pickles; sauted or used in hot
crudit platters; sandwiches; dips such as Tzaziki and
eshing crunch. Sliced cucumbers make a welcome
snacking; in salads; appetizers; chilled soups; drinks. Add to












































































































































































































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NHOUSE.COM ONTARIOGREE




































































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NHOUSE.COM




































































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Vegetable Growers
CONFERENCE
9-10 APRIL 2014 B
R
A
D
F
O
R
D
MEETINGS, TRADE & EQUIPMENT SHOW
Contact:
Matthew Sheppard, Bradford Co-operative Storage Limited
msheppard@bellnet.ca 905.775.3317




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9-10


CONFERENCE
0 APRIL 2014
A
D
F
O
R
A
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F
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0 APRIL 2014
Announcement
Gintec Shade Technologies Inc. welcomes Mark
VanGoethem, formerly with Dubois Agrinovations, to our
expanding sales force. M ark brings with him expertise in mulch
and irrigation systems
for ginseng, vineyards,
vegetables, and
orchards.
M ark will be located at
the same location 710
O ld Highway #24 in
Waterford.
M ark looks forward to
servicing the mulch and
irrigation needs of all his former customers and welcomes new
inquiries. He can be reached by phone at 877.443.4743 or
email mvango@ gintec-shade.com.
Were building
brand awareness with
chefs, buyers,
restaurant chains.
T hese potential clients
are amazed at the size
and scope of our
industry. T he
momentum is
starting to build.
~ N ancy Hewitt

THE GROWER
Pristine

fungicide delivers exceptional broad-spectrum disease control,

resistance management & the benefits of AgCelence

. With AgCelence,
increased growth efficacy & stress management result in improved quality
and higher yield potential, allowing you to get the most from your apples.
For more information on Pristine fungicide, call AgSolutions

by BASF at
1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visit www.agsolutions.ca
Always read and follow label directions.
Technical support provided by
AgCelence and Pristineare registered trade-marks of BASF SE, used with permission by BASFCanada Inc. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of
BASF Corporation, used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. 2013 BASF. Image courtesy istock photo.

Disease control
that adds up.
Pristine
Fungicide

APRIL 2014 PAGE 7

The quest for flavour in greenhouse-grown tomatoes
RESEARCH
THE GROWER
PAGE 8 APRIL 2014
Like the grape industry, the
quest for flavour in greenhouse
tomatoes involves balancing the
elusive ratio of sugars and acids.
Particularly in tomatoes-on-the-
vine (TOV), the Ontario
Greenhouse Vegetable Growers is
seeking to enhance those
qualities. Thats why OGVG has
turned to David Liscombe, a
research scientist in biochemistry
at Vineland Research and
Innovation Centre (Vineland).
The research effort is timely
because the foodservice industry
is showing increasing interest in
the tomato category. Along with
beefsteak and specialty tomatoes,
TOVs make up 38.4 per cent (921
acres) of total Ontario greenhouse
acreage. Altogether, the tomato
category tallies a farmgate value
of about $258 million.
Tomato flavour is governed by
a complex mixture of sugars,
organic acids and dozens of
volatile chemicals that affect our
perception of sweetness and
flavour intensity. The ratio of
sugar to acid is very important,
but the volatiles are just as impor-
tant. A tomato variety can have
half the sugar of another but is
percieved as twice as sweet due
to volatile content. Those crucial
elements can vary according to
the varietys genetics and
growing conditions, even in a
controlled greenhouse
environment.
Most commercial TOVs
produced in Ontario were
developed in greenhouses in
Europe, says Liscombe. Our
environment here is quite
different and thats why its so
important to do research right
here in southern Ontario, to select
varieties that perform well and
taste fantastic when produced
under local conditions.
Using a multidisciplinary
approach, project leader
Liscombe and Vineland
colleagues Amy Bowen
(Consumer Insights), Valerio
Primomo (Vegetable Breeding)
and Travis Banks
(Bioinformatics) are establishing
an Ontario breeding program.
The team has sequenced DNA
of 285 genetically-diverse tomato
varieties and has determined
flavour chemical profiles for 180
varieties. This information will be
analyzed to narrow the contenders
to 50 tomato varieties,
representing a wide range of
flavours.
They are using DNA marker-
assisted selection to ensure the
new, flavourful varieties possess
resistance traits against a number
of diseases including Tobacco
mosaic virus, Fusarium wilt,
Verticillium wilt, Fusarium crown
and root rot.
Finally, the consumer insights
team is evaluating for specific
sensory characteristics such as
aroma/flavour, taste and texture.
The taste traits preferred by
Ontario consumers will be
relayed to the breeding team and
integrated into the genetics map
of the perfect Ontario greenhouse
tomato.
This research project is funded
through the Growing Forward 2
AgriInnovation Program, with
contributions from the federal
government and OGVG.
David Liscombe studies various tomato samples for sugars, organic acids and dozens of volatile chemicals
that affect perception of sweetness and flavour. Photo by Denis Cahill.
Photo by Denis Cahill
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 9
Pristine

fungicide delivers exceptional broad-spectrum disease control,

resistance management & the benefits of AgCelence

. With AgCelence,
increased growth efficacy & stress management result in improved quality
and higher yield potential, allowing you to get the most from your berries.
For more information on Pristine fungicide, call AgSolutions

by BASF at
1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visit www.agsolutions.ca
Always read and follow label directions.
Technical support provided by
AgCelence and Pristine are registered trade-marks of BASF SE, used with permission by BASFCanada Inc. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of
BASF Corporation, used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. 2013 BASF. Image courtesy istock photo.

Disease control
that adds up.
Pristine
Fungicide

THE GROWER
PAGE 10 APRIL 2014
Sitting Canadian Horticultural
Council president Keith Kuhl was
re-elected to a second term at the
92nd Annual CHC Annual
General Meeting held March 4-6,
2014 in Kelowna, BC. Kuhl is the
first CHC president elected to a
second term. The rule change per-
mitting successive term presiden-
cies was part of an overall update
of the CHCs bylaws in 2012.
The by-laws were further amend-
ed in 2013 to fully comply with
the new federal Not-for-Profit
Corporations Act 2010.
Kuhl is well-known in the
industry as owner and operator of
Southern Manitoba Potato in
Winkler, MB, which he runs with
his two sons. He chaired the CHC
Potato Committee and the
Canadian Potato Council for near-
ly nine years, and currently serves
as Chair of the board of directors
at Peak of the Market and Vice-
Chair of the Horticultural Value
Chain Roundtable. Keiths father,
John, was actively involved with
the CHC for many years and
served as President in 1987.
Keith Kuhl re-elected as CHC President
The late Joe Sardinha, a well-
known BC fruit grower, was
posthumously awarded the
CHCs Doug Connery Award for
his long and selfless service to
the fruit growing industry. The
son of Portuguese immigrants,
Sardinha grew up on his familys
4.5 hectare farm in Summerland,
BC, which he took over at the age
of 19. Sardinha later served as VP
and then as president of the BC
Fruit Growers Association
(BCFGA) during some of the
industrys most difficult and
tumultuous years. The whole
industry was shocked and sad-
dened when he suffered a heart
attack and passed away at the age
of 51 in May, 2014.
Joe was a man of high intelli-
gence and quick wit, but he had
no pretentions and he put on no
airs, said CHC President Keith
Kuhl during the awards ceremo-
ny. He could have led a fulfill-
ing, busy and very full life doing
nothing but cultivating his own
trees and his own rich and
rewarding family life. But Joe
was also a man with a profound
commitment to BCs fruit indus-
try and to his fellow growers, and
he advocated for them tirelessly.
The award was accepted on
Sarndinhas behalf by his wife
Julie.
The award, which celebrates
leadership excellence and hon-
ours exemplary passion, commit-
ment and dedication to advancing
the interests of Canadas horticul-
tural industry was established by
the Board of Directors in 2012 in
memory of Doug Connery.
Previous honourees include Steve
Levasseur, Keith, Kuhl and Ken
Forth.
Joe Sardinha honoured posthumously
for his service to the fruit growing
industry
CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 92ND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING



For Fruit and Vegetable Producers Marheting tbrougb Retail Stores

Training, Worhsbops and Rebates Available

Sashatcbewan Program Delivered By:

Sashatcbewan Vegetable Crowers Association
Sashatcbewan Fruit Crowers Association
Sashatcbewan Creenbouse Crowers Association



Murray Cray
Sash.Coordinator
Aylsbam,SK.
Pbone: 30.27.8847
m.d.graysashtel.net










































































































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Joe Sardinha
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 11
Pristine

fungicide delivers exceptional broad-spectrum disease control,

resistance management & the benefits of AgCelence

. With AgCelence,
increased growth efficacy & stress management result in improved quality
and higher yield potential, allowing you to get the most from your vegetables.
For more information on Pristine fungicide, call AgSolutions

by BASF at
1-877-371-BASF (2273) or visit www.agsolutions.ca
Always read and follow label directions.
Technical support provided by
AgCelence and Pristineare registered trade-marks of BASF SE, used with permission by BASFCanada Inc. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of
BASF Corporation, used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. 2013 BASF. Image courtesy istock photo.

Disease control
that adds up.
Pristine
Fungicide

2014-08 Accessible Weather Data for all Canadian Horticultural Producers

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
lobby Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for adequate funding of a national
weather data collection and analysis network.
2014-09 Phytosanitary Certificate Requirements for Leek Moth
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the CHC demand the CFIA imple-
ment the online electronic signature system by summer 2014.
2014-10
Updating the ReTain label to Maximize Returns for Canadian Apple
Growers
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
ask both Valent Canada, the registrant of ReTain, and the (Health Canada)
Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to include a range of use rates
on the Canadian label to reflect the wide range of sensitivity to ReTain
among apple varieties;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
request that Valent Canada seek to the (Health Canada) Pest Management
Regulatory Agency amend the current Days to Harvest Interval in Canada (28
days) to match that of the United States (seven days).
LR2014-
11
Single Licensing for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sector
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
request the CFIA and AAFC to:
replace the Licensing and Arbitration Regulations for fresh fruit and veg-
etable dealers with an industry-led and government-mandated membership
and arbitration model to be delivered by a single entity;
name the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC),
including its rules and regulations, as the single entity;
not require primary producers who only market products that they have
grown themselves to be members of the DRC, and ensure that these primary
producers have full access to the DRC system on a pay as you go basis, and
not increase the scope, requirements or criterion for posting financial securi-
ty by applicants to or members of the DRC as the current policies and rules
of the DRC provide a level of security for specific instances without creating
a barrier to entry or needless burden on small and medium size businesses.
LR2014-
12
Foreign Worker Mobility
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CHC makes representations to
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Employment and Social
Development Canada, and the supply countries so that employers who have
an approved LMO can exchange SAWP workers for a short period of time in
order to meet their manpower shortage.
LR2014-
13
Definition of Greenhouse
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the CHC replace the definition of
Greenhouse as it was previous-
ly approved by resolution number
2011-17 and replace the defini-
tion with the following:
A Vegetable Greenhouse or
Hothouse means a fully
enclosed permanent aluminum or
steel structure clad either in glass
or impermeable plastic which
must:
(a) Use automated irrigation and
climate control systems, includ-
ing heating and ventilation capa-
bilities: and
(b) Utilize hydroponic methods
Vegetable Greenhouse/Hothouse
Production Standards also
include:
i) Minimizing pesticide use by
utilizing no herbicides and fol-
lowing production practices such
as Integrated Pest Management;
and
ii) Complying with the standards
of a globally accepted Food
Safety program.
A certified organic
greenhouse/hothouse vegetable
facility must meet the greenhouse
definition, with the exception of
(b), as, according to Canadian
organic standards (CAN/CGSB-
32.310-2006), hydroponics are
not allowed and soil must be
used as the growth medium.
CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 92ND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
THE GROWER
PAGE 12 APRIL 2014
AGM delegates pass 13 resolutions
Delegates to the Canadian Horticultural Councils 2014 Annual General Assembly, which took place March 4 - 9 in Kelowna, BC, passed 13 resolutions on significant issues
affecting Canadas fruit and vegetable growers.
2014-01 National Clean Plant Program
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the CHC demand that the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency enact a program similar to the US National Clean Plant
Network (UCPN) and/or participate in (or join) the existing US NCPN
2014-02 Lack of Consultation with the Potato Industry Prior to Specific CFIA
Program Cuts Made in the 2012 Federal Budget
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the CHC continue to work with the
Canadian potato industry and the federal government to maintain the approved
standard containers (3 lb. or less, 5 lb., 10 lb., 15 lb., 20 lb., 50 lb., 75 lb., and
100 lb.) in Canada,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the CHC work with the fed-
eral government to ensure that future specific program changes are not included
in omnibus budget packages without prior consultation with industry, and that in
the future AAFC and the CFIA work on a more proactive and consultative basis
with the Canadian Horticultural Council on such issues
2014-03 Timing of Approval and Signing of Agreements under Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canadas AgriInnovation and AgriMarketing Growing Forward
2 Programs
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
continue to lobby the federal government for more timely approval and finaliza-
tion of funding agreements and the disbursement of funds.
2014-04 Cooperation Required to Assist Growers in Dealing with Wireworm
Pressure
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:
the registration for Thimet be extended until 2017; and
the federal government provide further research support to identify chemical
and cultural practice options that may provide solutions to this serious problem.
2014-05 Licensing and Registration by the CFIA Pursuant to the new Safe Food for
Canadians Act
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
work to ensure that the CFIA will require all license holders to enroll in a food
safety program equivalent to those managed by CanAgPlus.
2014-06 Limited Stay for Temporary Foreign Workers
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council
lobby Citizenship and Immigration Canada to have agricultural workers (agricul-
ture stream of the TFWP) exempted from the 48-month limit.
2014-07 AgriInnovation Programs Agri-Science Project
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Horticultural Council are-
quest that AAFC allocate specific funding for small fruit, tree fruit, vegetable
and greenhouse production projects in Canada as part of the Agri Science Project
component of the AgriInnovation Program.
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 13
KAREN DAVIDSON
The Annapolis Valley is one of
those icons of Canadian geogra-
phy, made famous by its annual
apple blossom festival. Now in its
82nd year, the ritual focuses on
the rich agricultural heritage of a
valley thats just a hop, skip and a
jump to the fishing grounds of the
Bay of Fundy. In addition to that
abundance, there are vegetables.
Dominion Produce is one such
example operated by brothers
Peter and John Swetnam at
Centreville, Nova Scotia. Their
second-generation farm comprises
900 acres of which 325 acres pro-
duce onions and carrots. The
onions are packed under the
Country Magic label with partner
Nova Agri and carrots including
regular/rainbow varieties are
packed under the Dominion
Produce label to reach local mar-
kets through retail stores, small
chain stores and farm markets.
The issues experienced here
are mirrored across the country.
Were always looking for
ways to be more competitive,
says Peter Swetnam. As a repre-
sentative of Horticulture Nova
Scotia and a director on the
Canadian Horticultural Councils
(CHC) executive and Crop
Protection Advisory Committee,
he has become very interested in
promoting harmonization between
Canada and the U.S. It is impera-
tive to have access to the same
crop protection products at a
comparable price point as the
U.S. As one of two Atlantic rep-
resentatives to the CHC, Swetnam
has appreciated the opportunity to
network at a national level.
Swetnam points to the recent
strawberry virus crisis which has
affected many farms across Nova
Scotia. Although there is a
national disaster relief program,
this provincial catastrophe was
deemed ineligible to receive relief
under this program, says
Swetnam. Short term support is in
place while industry is exploring
a long term solution.
The prime objective is to pro-
tect the strawberry industry by
protecting nursery stock. For the
next two to three years, because
of the high levels of inoculum
still present, there will be diligent
testing and surveying for the pres-
ence of the strawberry virus and
aphids.
But just as importantly, we
need more access to insecticides
with shorter reentry periods for
harvesting, adds Swetnam. The
U.S. has access to more products
with one-day re-entry labels.
These are choices that also offer
strategies for pest resistance man-
agement.
With this recent example of a
pest outbreak, theres more of a
resolve than ever to present grow-
er needs to the Canadian Pest
Management Regulatory Agency
and the Pest Management Centre.
Part of that dialogue has
included the pollinator issue in
the last year. Bees are important
to many crops, but as Swetnam
has realized, none of us want to
be alienated on this issue. He
encourages a science-based
approach to a complex topic of
bee colony decline and unex-
plained bee deaths. Bayer
CropSciences launch of a seed
fluency agent for air seeders man-
dated by PMRA (Pest
Management Regulatory Agency)
in November 2013 is an excellent
example of a positive, proactive
approach to a complex national
problem.
Without access to specific her-
bicides used in the U.S., Swetnam
says that production of his onion
crop this year will once again
mean a return to hand weeding;
extra field workers will be needed
for hand labour at Dominion
Produce. This is a perfect exam-
ple of how a deficiency in access
to crop protection reveals a need
for strength in another area of
national concern: the Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Program
(SAWP).
months CHC annual conven-
tion in Kelowna passed a resolu-
tion that calls for more foreign
worker mobility:
THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED that CHC makes
representations to Citizenship and
Immigration Canada (CIC),
Employment and Social
Development Canada, and the
supply countries so that employ-
ers who have an approved Labour
Market Opinion can exchange
SAWP workers for a short period
of time in order to meet their
manpower shortage.
Together, these interrelated
issues harmonization of crop
protection products, importance
of pollinator bees and access to
seasonal workers on a timely
basis demonstrate that local
needs require national strategies.
To that end, Swetnam encourages
membership in provincial horti-
cultural organizations which are
members of the Canadian
Horticultural Council, who are
diligently working on behalf of
the entire industry.
Local needs require national strategies
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THE GROWER
PAGE 14 APRIL 2014
What path will we take?
I often wonder where horticul-
ture in Ontario will be in 10
years.
I believe that on a global scale
the future of the fruit and veg-
etable sector is very bright. We
see this every day when we go to
the grocery store, an ever expand-
ing produce sector more and more
products from around the globe
and increasing prices. The only
problem is that most of Ontario
producers are not participating in
those increasing consumer prices.
From 2002 through 2012, con-
sumers paid nine per cent more
for fresh fruit and eight per cent
more for fresh vegetables and this
at a time when food inflation was
running at about 32 per cent and
CPI (all goods) was running at
approximately 23 per cent. This,
of course, is unsustainable and is
why I am concerned about the
future of much of our sector.
The consolidation of the retail
sector and globalization have
changed everything. Getting that
extra nickel or dime is more diffi-
cult than ever before. You, the
farmer, are expected to be price
competitive with the cheapest of
imports . . . after all your product
was produced locally so it should-
nt have that transportation cost!
Oh if life were so simple.
Now you know that transporta-
tion is not the reason for competi-
tiveness problems; no its just
about everything else we do in
production including such things
as the cost of regulations, materi-
als and labour.
We live in a high cost of pro-
duction society with charges for
societal benefits often being
down-loaded onto the backs of
the farmer. We are not alone in
having to pay these costs, other
businesses also have to pay many
regulatory charges but in most
cases they pass these costs onto
their consumer. We cannot!
This, more and more, has
become our albatross and it keeps
challenging our farmers. The
inability to recover these addi-
tional costs is forcing many farm-
ers out of business. According to
OMAF stats there were 2,831 edi-
ble horticulture farms in 2007 by
2012 there were 2,243. That is
about 20 per cent of the farmers
gone in just five years.
Now to be sure many of those
farms are still in production as
they have been amalgamated with
another farm as the purchaser
seeks to achieve further
economies of scale. Nonetheless,
it is an alarming figure and in my
opinion illustrates quite clearly
the severity of the problem many
of our farmers are experiencing.
The Premier has challenged us
to add another 120,000 jobs in the
agri-food business by 2020 and
also to double the rate of increase
in this sector. This will be most
difficult in horticulture with the
current mindset of the retailers
and consumers as it pertains to
pricing and as well, government
as it pertains to regulatory costs.
It is impossible for many of our
farmers to absorb any more costs
because they cannot pass them
along to the marketplace.
I know there are many who
would say if you cannot compete
or you cannot be profitable then
stop growing what you are grow-
ing, get out of the business. From
a widget point of view I would
agree, but we are talking about
food production and somehow I
think thats different; maybe Im
wrong.
The population of the world is
expanding at a rapid rate and is
predicted to be nine billion by
2050 and these people will all
need to be fed. To do this, global
farmers will need to produce like
never before and Ontario farmers
must be a part of that.
I believe that as a society we
must keep food production sus-
tainable and I dont just mean
environmentally, it also means in
a profitable manner, not to every
single farmer but at least to the
sector or we risk losing that pro-
duction.
For years we tried to grow
everything for everybody but that
was before globalization and a
transportation system that could
move produce around the world
within 48 hours. Maybe we need
to rethink what we grow here,
maybe it will come down to
doing only what we can do best.
Im not sure but whatever form it
takes government is going to have
to play a key role if we are to be
sustainable. For governments,
food production will need to be a
priority and policies will need to
be formulated with that priority in
mind.
It will no longer be acceptable
for farmers and food production
to be collateral damage to non-
food policies.
For what its worth, its the
way I see it.
ART SMITH
CEO, OFVGA
STAFF
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ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS
ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Chair RayDuc, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Vice-Chair JasonVerkaik, Bradford
Fruit Director NormCharbonneau, Port Elgin
VegDirector JanVander Hout, Waterdown
Director Charles Stevens, Newcastle
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Apples Charles Stevens, Newcastle
FreshVegetable- Other Mary Shabatura, WindhamCentre
Tender Fruit John Thwaites, Niagara-on-the-Lake
ON Asparagus Grws. Mkg. Brd. Jason Ryder, Delhi
GGO/FreshGrapeGrowers Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake
FreshVegetable- Muck Jason Verkaik, Bradford
ON. Potato Board Mac James, Leamington
Small Fruit/Berries NormCharbonneau, Port Elgin
ON. GinsengGrowers Ken Van Torre, Burford
Greenhouse Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown
Greenhouse Don Taylor, Durham
OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS
CropProtection Charles Stevens, Newcastle
Research HaroldSchooley, Simcoe
Property BrianGilroy, Meaford
Labour KenForth, Lynden
SafetyNets Mark Wales, Alymer
CHC MurrayPorteous, Simcoe
When the Minimum Wage
Advisory Panel was struck last
year, ostensibly to take politics
out of future increases, I praised
the Wynne government. Sounded
like a good plan, one that we
could get behind.
The Minimum Wage Advisory
Panel agreed with our position
that future increases should be
based on the Ontario Consumer
Price Index and be adjusted annu-
ally. This method would bring
fair, small, annual increases that
would be both manageable and
bankable. The Wynne govern-
ment also agreed and adopted this
policy. The problem is that it also
reached into the pockets of
employers for another $0.75 an
hour. This was a decision based
on obtaining votes and position-
ing for the upcoming election.
Pure politics.
While most employers can
pass this additional cost on to the
consumer, our members cannot.
The farmers input costs, at least
for non-supply managed crops,
have no bearing on what they
receive for their farm products.
This is a reality that most do not
understand.
The provincial government set
up the panel to take politics out of
this process but could not resist
taking one more kick at the can.
So now we have it -- an $11 per
hour minimum wage, the highest
in North America.
The cost of this increase is
estimated at $30 million to the
horticultural industry in Ontario,
money that cannot be found in
our global marketplace. We are
not accepting this increase lightly.
Over the next couple months we
will be taking the numbers to the
grass roots level to impress on the
Minister what this will cost indi-
vidual farms, and show how it
will have a negative impact on
jobs and investment. This mini-
mum wage increase does not sup-
port the Ministers local food pol-
icy nor her desire to grow the
agricultural industry.
I would encourage all fruit and
vegetable producers in Ontario to
contact your local MPPs and let
them know how this increase in
minimum wage will affect your
operation. The government will
not reverse its decision to raise
the wage rate, but it must be
impressed on them that this will
have a major impact on our
industry. We cannot continue to
pay for social programs when our
margins are so slim.
I believe the Premier took on
the role of Minister of Agriculture
for two primary reasons: the first
because she has an interest in
local food production and a
healthy agriculture sector; the
second was to win back votes and
seats in rural Ontario.
Forcing another $30 million
cost unto the backs of our fruit
and vegetable farmers, causing
inevitable job loss and decrease in
spending power, I cannot under-
stand how anyone could believe
that this is a good strategy for
winning votes in rural Ontario.
What good is an increase in
wage rates if the result is fewer
jobs and less money to reinvest in
both our farms and community?
Keep politics out of our pockets
RAY DUC
CHAIR, OFVGA
Photo by Glenn Lowson
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 15
Naysayers who believe local
food is mostly about smoke and
mirrors and surprisingly, some
still exist, right here in Ontario --
need only look towards Stuart and
Esther Horsts greenhouses in
Elmira, where, yes, you can now
find local beefsteak tomatoes and
green beans.
OK, theyre in a greenhouse.
But so what? Its been one of the
harshest winters in recent
memory, and people are dying for
local produce. Whether its in a
greenhouse, a garden or an open
field, local is local.
I learned about the Horsts
green thumbs when I spoke last
month in Guelph to participants
in a local food initiative called
Taste Real. Part of that discussion
was about how to get local food
stories in the media.
My message was pretty
simple: know your story, and
contact a journalist. Thats about
all it takes. Journalists thrive on
relationships. Businesses thrive
on marketing. When one reaches
out, good things can happen.
After speaking to Taste Real, it
wasnt long before I received a
nicely written news release as
temperatures hovered around -
30C -- with this headline: Taste
of Spring: Floralane Greenhouse
Produce Now Ready!
Stuart, along with Anna
Contini from FoodLink Waterloo
Region had heard my suggestion.
They knew a journalist couldnt
resist a tomatoes-in-winter
proposal. And they were right.
Floralane has an acre of
greenhouses, and winter
production is now in its 11th year.
Following the consumer trail, the
company wisely branched out
into more value-added products
with its own line of salsa. It will
soon be adding a new pizza
sauce, tomato-based soup and
homemade ketchup to their
line-up.
Floralane will also be a part of
Taste of Woolwich scheduled for
April 7 at St. Teresas in Elmira.
Federal finance minister Jim
Flaherty had a goodie for
companies such as Floralane in
his recent Economic Action Plan.
He said, in one short paragraph, a
private-sector steering committee
would be struck to lead a
pro-Canada branding campaign,
to help drive consumers at home
and abroad to Canadian food.
Almost immediately he faced
criticism by some marketers and
economists who think people buy
food based on price only. I felt
his pain often when I write
about the local food movement, I
get messages telling me Im nuts.
When I hear that term [local
food] spoken so reverentially, I
freeze, said the latest.
But I say when it comes to
branding food, Flaherty is on the
right track. And almost every-
thing else Ive seen and heard
lately suggests Made In Canada
has pop.
For example, in a report
entitled Mapping Your Future
Growth, the federal Business
Development Bank of Canada
calls "local" one of the top five
game-changing trends.
Local is also an extremely
flexible term, which drives some
people crazy but offers up a lot of
flexibility. It can be far-reaching,
associated with values consumers
find desirable, no matter where
theyre from. Wholesomeness,
sustainability, quality, safety,
nutritious, fairness and a sense of
community are among those
values.
Do those values sell at home
and even abroad? Absolutely.
Beyond its borders, Canada has
always marketed itself as being
green and pristine. Its our image,
and it works (oilsands aside).
Even in its embryonic stages,
the campaign has traction with
farm groups. The Guelph-based
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
calls it a win for Canadian
agriculture, and claims it will be
a boost for farmers.
So I hope youll join me in
encouraging Ottawa to stay the
course. It should be applauded for
this initiative, not criticized.
Just like the Horsts should be
thanked for growing tomatoes in
winter.
Local tomatoes in winter: no longer a fairy tale
OWEN ROBERTS
UNIVERSITY OF
GUELPH
PERSPECTIVE
N
EW
M
ODE OF ACTION
CITED IN APHID DEATHS.
www.uap.ca
Western Canada: 1-800-561-5444
Ontario & Maritimes: 1-800-265-5444
Quebec: 1-800-361-9369
British Columbia: 1-604-534-8815
























































































































































































THE GROWER
PAGE 16 APRIL 2014
BRUCE KELLY
I may be showing my age
here, but sustainability has been
here before. The concept is not
new.
In England, King Edward I
banned the burning of sea coal in
1272 after its smoke became a
problem. In Europe, the Industrial
Revolution created modern
environmental pollution as it is
generally understood today. The
great factories of the day gave
rise to the consumption of great
quantities of coal, resulting in
unprecedented air pollution and
large volumes of chemical dis-
charges. The first large-scale
environmental law was passed in
the form of the British Alkali
Acts of 1863 which regulated air
pollution and acid rain from the
pollution made in soda ash
production.
In my generation of the 1960s
and 70s, the environmental
movement grew rapidly as Rachel
Carson published the Silent
Spring (1962) chronicling the
impacts of the indiscriminate
spraying of DDT. This era
marked the emergence of
Environmentalist as a
profession, as National
Geographic published monthly
articles of sights never before
seen by most people. Who could
forget Jacques Cousteau, using a
scuba mask, who explored the
environmental relationships
between man and the ocean
ecosystems creating underwater
photographs never before avail-
able.
At around the same time in
India, peaceful protesters who
wanted to stop deforestation start-
ed hugging trees. Hence the term
tree hugger became known as a
label of environmentalists.
Did I mention the little
invention called the colour TV,
which allowed us to see these
natural wonders in our living
rooms and now instantly on the
internet and in high definition.
Another popular vision for the
future in the 1970s was that with
our population growth, we feared
we would run out of food. In
1973 Soylent Green, an American
science-fiction film starring
Charlton Heston and Edward G.
Robinson, portrayed a desolate
future for mankind, suffering
from pollution, overpopulation,
depleted resources , poverty,
dying oceans and a hot humid
climate due to the greenhouse
effect.
This era painted a grim future
for many at the same time as new
technologies were making the
dream of space travel a reality
and the dawn of the electronics
age we now enjoy. What went
wrong with the grim prognostica-
tions? Or what went right is likely
the better question.
Some foreshadowed doom; the
Green Revolution (1940 1970)
was quietly transforming the food
system and increasing agricultural
production. Norman Borlaug, the
Father of the Green Revolution,
is credited with developing high-
yielding varieties of cereal grains,
hybridized seed, expansion of irri-
gation and modern management
techniques. Since then, science
has offered even more opportuni-
ties with enhanced breeding tech-
nologies that may offer biological
solutions rather than relying on
chemicals and oil-based products.
The critics of modern
agriculture point toward the
reliance on chemicals, synthetic
fertilizers and oil- derived prod-
ucts and declare that they are not
sustainable. This brings us to a
difference of opinion on what
sustainability is, what it includes
and what are its measures of
success. What is our time line on
sustainability? One generation,
two generations or infinity and
what technologies are we allowed
to use in the equation. Are the
problems of today limited by
solutions of today, or do we allow
ourselves access to solutions we
generate along the way as we
have done since 1272 when we
first took steps to save us from
dirty coal burning ways?
At a recent talk on sustainabil-
ity at the Ontario Soil and Crop
Improvement Associations
annual meeting, Terry Daynard
shared some seemingly
conflicting definitions of
sustainability and how agriculture
faces challenges in moving for-
ward on a topic where everyone
seems to know what it means, yet
whose definitions can be worlds
apart.
Take the definition as used by
the United States Department of
Agriculture: Sustainable
agriculture is the act of farming
using principles of ecology, the
study of relationships between
organisms and their environment.
It has been defined as an
integrated system of plant and
animal production practices hav-
ing a site-specific application that
will last over the long term.
Then consider that from
National Geographic,
Sustainable agriculture takes
many forms, but at its core is a
rejection of the industrial
approach to food production
developed during the 20th
century. The concept of sustain-
able agriculture embraces a wide
range of techniques, including
organic, free-range, low-input,
holistic, and biodynamic.
I agree with Daynards conclu-
sion that this is why mainstream
agriculture has been turned off by
the term sustainability for many
years.
Its hard to consider pouring
unlimited resources into the issue
of sustainability where we cannot
seem to agree on the definition or
what the measure of success
might be. Yet not addressing sus-
tainability flirts with extinction.
In the long run, addressing sus-
tainability is good business. The
cost of doing nothing to ensure
sustainability is higher than the
cost of taking a few wrong turns
along the way.
Bruce Kelly is environmental
program coordinator, Farm &
Food Care Ontario.
April 2 Grape Growers of Ontario 66th Annual General
Meeting, Club Roma, St. Catharines, ON 7 pm
April 2 4 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention
and Trade Show, Vancouver Convention Centre,
Vancouver, BC
April 3 Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc. 24th Annual
General Meeting, The Cutten Club, Guelph, ON
April 4 B.C. Grapegrowers Association Growers Day,
Linden Gardens, Kaleden, BC
April 5 Food & Water First: Economic Importance of
Ontarios Prime Farmland, Royal Canadian Legion,
Shelburne, ON
April 9, 10 63rd Annual Muck Vegetable Growers Conference
& Trade Show, Bradford & District Memorial
Community Centre, Bradford, ON
April 15, 16 Farm & Food Care Ontario Annual General Meeting
and Conference, Teatro Conference Centre, Milton,
ON
June 10-13 FMI Connect & United Fresh Produce
Association, Chicago, IL
June 25 Alliance of Ontario Food Processors Annual General
Meeting, Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery,
Beamsville, ON
July 5, 6 Prince Edward County Lavender Festival, Hillier, ON
July 18 University of Saskatchewan Haskap Day, Saskatoon,
SK
COMING EVENTS 2013
Sustainability: How can we spend so
much time and money on something
we cannot even define?
This insect-eating flicker, a sign of a balanced eco-system, was
observed in Chris Hedges apple orchard at Vanessa, ON.
Photo by Glenn Lowson.
G ARLIC & O NIO N
PLANTERS
HARVESTERS
G ARLIC SPLITTER
G ARLIC G RADER
G ARLIC C LEANER
G ARLIC BRUSH
TABLE
G ARLIC LEAF AND
RO OT C UTTER
AG RI- DISTRIBUTIO N INC 370 route 205 Hemmingford, QC J 0L 1H0
T: 1-514-817-9731 E: jp@adjm.ca.
Official Canadian importer of Erme garlic and onion equipment
ERM E M e c h a n i za t i o n
o f g a rl i c g ro w i n g
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 17
Since acquiring the Woolco
stores in Canada in 1994,
Walmart has invested hundreds of
millions of dollars in the
Canadian market to grow to a
total of 389 stores. Originally the
company was opening stores that
focused on general merchandise
with a small food offering. Now
all of the new stores are
Supercentres with the same
amount of food as a traditional
food store, including perishables.
Currently Walmart has 247
Supercentres and 142 Discount
stores in Canada.
Walmarts fiscal year ends in
January. In early February they
announced expansion plans for
the upcoming year. Despite our
over stored market, Walmart will
spend $500 million in 2014/15 to
open 35 more Supercentres. This
will translate into one billion
square feet of additional retail
space. With plans like these, it is
no secret Walmart needs to gain
share from the competition.
I always find it interesting
when you talk to consumers about
Walmart. It can be difficult to
find people who say, I am a
Walmart shopper. However,
when you go to the stores, it is
tough to find a parking space. It is
important to remember that what
consumers say and what they do
can be different.
There are four reasons for
Walmarts success:
1. Pricing
2. Assortment
3. Execution
4. Size
There is no doubt they are
among the price leaders in the
markets where they compete.
Discount stores can get lower, but
Walmart will be very close. One
of the challenges for the other
food retailers is that, if they want
to get aggressive with pricing in
the discount stores, Walmart will
go down with them. Then retail-
ers are forced to lower prices in
traditional food stores, such as
Loblaws or Sobeys or Metro. This
can be a very expensive strategy,
especially when Walmart is clear
they will not be out-priced. The
entire organization is focused on
looking for opportunities to
reduce costs and pass some of the
savings on to consumers.
Walmart has very good buyers
of merchandise. If you have chil-
dren, Walmart has what your kids
are talking about. They also have
functional items for you and your
home. It might not be the best,
but it usually works and it deliv-
ers value for a large segment of
the population. They are also very
good at timing with assortment.
They have systems to understand
what sells, where and when. They
are disciplined about moving
through seasonal stock, and when
needed, discounting to get ready
for the next season.
Walmart gets things done, and
they get it done at the right time.
It is not fancy or high end, but in
one stop you can accomplish a
lot. They are the masters of inter-
rupting the shop with items for
you to put in the cart on the way
through checkout. Greeters are
not really there to be nice; they
are there to give you a cart to fill
up in your way around the store.
There is a purpose with every-
thing they do.
In retail, size matters.
Walmarts annual sales for the
year were $473,076,000,000
across all divisions. It is interest-
ing to note that they did have
negative comparable sales in the
final quarter in the U.S. Walmart
has stores in 27 countries plus e-
commerce in 10 countries. They
have the clout to fight a number
of battles, and they have deep
pockets to invest for the future as
opposed to requiring a short-term
payback. The other advantage of
their size is the impact on the
competition. It is daunting to
compete with them and difficult
when you know they will never
give you price.
There are examples where
retailers have competed very suc-
cessfully with Walmart, such as
Wegmans in NY, H.E. Butt in
Texas, and Trader Joes. One
consistent thing with these retail-
ers is that they have their own
strategy and they execute it. My
opinion is Canadian retailers have
not defined their own strategy
that will resonate with consumers
in the market. They simply try to
battle with Walmart. No doubt it
is easier in markets where there
are more people (like the U.S.),
but we need to see some differen-
tiation and great execution.
Here are my top 10 considera-
tions when developing relation-
ships with Walmart:
1. Understand their philosophy
of retail. You cannot change
them so you need to know what
they are looking for and deliver it.
Make sure it is a good fit with
your business. Do not assume it is
not a good fit.
2. Walmart expects different
things from suppliers than
other retailers. It is important to
understand what they expect as
suppliers are a bigger part of the
equation. Learn from others who
already supply them; Walmart
does not have time to teach you.
3. It is impossible to run their
business without great systems.
They have them and you need to
ensure you have great data
integrity. You and your item will
get lost in their system if every-
thing is not correct.
4. One component of the system
is retail link. This is the suppli-
ers opportunity to understand
forecasting and other information
related to sales of the products.
Use it and learn from it.
5. Be prepared to be challenged
on costing if you see volume
increases that are a result of
your sales to Walmart.
6. Logistics at Walmart are
very important. They have a lot
to move around and they look for
opportunities to eliminate cost
with more efficient supply chain.
Understand what they are doing
and where you fit.
7. The best retail website
belongs to Walmart. Spend time
on it and learn from it. They use
this tool very effectively. Use
walmart.ca and corporate.wal-
mart.com.
8. Watch who your sales people
are calling on. Walmart does not
really worry about it, but some of
the other retailers do get nervous
when their sales person calls on
Walmart.
9. Do not underestimate the
autonomy at store level. For a
huge business they do give the
people at the stores power to
make decisions. They cannot list
products, but they can be advo-
cates for local items.
10. Walmart is the leader in
sustainability. Make sure you
understand what they want and
how you are going to deliver it.
Peter Chapman, a retail food
consultant and professional
speaker, is principal of GPS
Business Solutions, based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Peter works
with producers and processors to
help them navigate through the
retail environment with the ulti-
mate goal of getting more items
into the shopping cart. pchap-
man@gpsbusiness.ca.
RETAIL NAVIGATOR
Walmarts march across Canada
PETER CHAPMAN
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MICHAEL TESFAENDRIAS,
MARION PAIBOMESAI,
MICHAEL CELETTI, JEN-
NIFER FOSTER AND MARY
RUTH McDONALD
Stemphylium leaf blight is a
foliar disease of onions caused by
the fungus Stemphylium
vesicarium (Fig. 1). The pathogen
S. vesicarium also causes stem-
phylium leaf spot of asparagus
(Fig. 2). There have been several
research projects completed over
the last few years trying to learn
more about the prevalence and
management of these diseases on
onions and asparagus. Below is a
summary of research completed
in 2013.
Onion disease survey in Ontario
A survey of foliar diseases of
onion was conducted in the main
onion producing areas in Ontario
from July 20 to August 23, 2013.
A total of 19 commercial dry bulb
onion fields in Chatham-Kent,
Lambton, Simcoe, York, Niagara
and Waterloo regions/counties
located across southwest and
central Ontario were assessed for
stemphylium leaf blight, purple
blotch and anthracnose.
Stemphylium leaf blight, purple
blotch and anthracnose were
detected in this survey.
Stemphylium leaf blight symp-
toms were observed and
confirmed in all of the onion
fields (100%) assessed. Given the
occurrence across the major onion
growing regions, further research
on management of stemphylium
leaf blight is warranted. Ninety-
five per cent of the fields and 37
per cent of the plants assessed
were observed to have visual
symptoms with both stemphylium
leaf blight and purple blotch.
Similar results were seen in 2012
survey. In 2013, anthracnose was
confirmed in 16 per cent of the
fields, which was found for the
first time in this survey.
Results from the onion fungi-
cide efficacy trials (Table 1)
Field trials were conducted at the
Muck Crops Research Station,
University of Guelph to deter-
mine the efficacy of several
fungicides for control of stem-
phylium leaf blight of onions. In
2013, disease pressure was
moderate in onions with symp-
toms started to develop in mid to
late June in the Holland/Bradford
Marsh. Significant differences in
stemphylium leaf blight severity
were found among the treatments.
All of the fungicides reduced
disease compared to the untreated
check. Quadris Top was more
effective in reducing stemphylium
leaf blight with 11.8 per cent
foliage with symptoms, as com-
pared to Pristine, Fontelis,
Switch, Inspire and the untreated
check that had 18-29.7 per cent
foliage with symptoms. Luna
Tranquility and Dithane had
similar effect on stemphylium
leaf blight as Quadris Top. No
differences in marketable yield or
bulb size distribution were found
among the treatments. However,
onion yield decreased as the per
cent total leaf length with
stemphylium leaf blight
symptoms increased. Not all
fungicides tested are registered on
onions in Ontario or for control of
this disease on onions. Quadris
Top is registered for control of
stemphylium leaf blight on onions
at a maximum of one application
when targeting this disease.
Testing disease forecasting
systems for onion (Table 2)
Disease forecasting systems were
tested and compared in field trials
to determine if disease manage-
ment could be improved.
Fungicide was applied in the
onion trials following Botcast (the
Botrytis leaf blight forecasting
model), Tomcast with Disease
Severity Value 20 and 30
(forecasting model for early
blight, septoria leaf spot and fruit
anthracnose), spraying following
the first appearance of a spore on
spore trap rods compared to a
standard calendar spray schedule.
For this trial, Quadris Top at a
rate of 1.0 L/ha was used.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
THE GROWER
PAGE 18 MARCH 2014
MUCK VEGETABLE GROWERS CONFERENCE, APRIL 9 - 10
Get Moving



Sign up NOW or contact OSCIA Program Leads or Workshop Leaders at
www.ontariosoilcrop.org for workshop schedules and additional information.
Growing Forward 2
A federal-provincial-territorial initiative












































































































































































































An update on Stemphylium leaf blight
1
Numbers in a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P = 0.05, Fisher's
Protected LSD test.
2
Not significantly different
Table 1. Disease ratings for stemphylium leaf blight symptoms and marketable yield of onions, cv.
Patterson, treated with various fungicides, grown near the Muck Crops Research Station, Holland/Bradford
Marsh, Ontario, 2013. Not all products are registered on onions or for this disease on onions.
Treatment Active Ingredient (s) Rate
(per ha)
% foliage with
symptoms
Marketable
Yield (t/ha)
Quadris Top azoxystrobin + difenoconazole 1.0 L 11.8 a
1
61.0 ns
2
Luna Tranquility fluopyram + pyrimethanil 1.2 L 13.0 ab 60.2
Dithane mancozeb 3.25 kg 16.1 abc 58.0
Pristine pyraclostrobin + boscalid 1.3 kg 18.9 bc 56.5
Fontelis penthiopyrad 1.4 L 19.4 bc 52.0
Switch cyprodinil + fluodioxinil 975 g 19.6 bc 49.9
Inspire difenoconzole 512 mL 20.3 c 44.9
Check -- 29.7 d 41.9
Three fungicide sprays applied
following Botcast provided
equivalent control as the other
spray timings that resulted in five
sprays. No significant differences
were observed in marketable
yield or bulb size distribution
among the treatments although
the untreated check and the
Botcast model resulted in the
numerically lower yield. Further
improvements can be made to the
forecasting models.
Efficacy and disease forecasting
trials for asparagus
In 2013 trials, both protectant and
translaminar fungicides provided
control of stemphylium leaf spot
of asparagus. However,
differences in treatments applied
according to the forecasting
model Tomcast varied among
trial years and locations.
Future work in onion and
asparagus
Fungicide efficacy trials will con-
tinue to help with minor use reg-
istrations, as well; there will be
more research to help with appli-
cation timing. In 2014, various
disease forecasting models will be
evaluated to determine the best
time to initiate spray programs for
stemphylium leaf blight of onions
and stemphylium leaf spot of
asparagus. Because the same
species of pathogen (S. vescari-
um) is causing these diseases in
onions and asparagus, Jennifer
Foster, PhD. candidate from the
University of Guelph, is interest-
ed in determining if this pathogen
can cross-infect asparagus and
onions (i.e. will S. vescarium
from onion infect asparagus and
vice versa) as this is an important
aspect of managing these dis-
eases. Stemphylium vesicarium
isolates obtained from asparagus
and onion from Ontario and Nova
Scotia in 2012 and 2013 will be
used to inoculate onion seedlings
as well as asparagus to determine
the host range, pathogenicity and
virulence of the various isolates
from different crops and regions.
MUCK VEGETABLE GROWERS CONFERENCE, APRIL 9 - 10
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 19
An update on Stemphylium leaf blight
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Fig 1. (right) Stemphylium leaf
blight of onions. Initial symptoms
on onion leaves consist of tip
necrosis followed by small, light
yellow to brown discolouration
with water-soaked lesions. The
symptoms of stemphylium leaf
blight can be confused with
purple blotch caused by
Alternaria porri. Although both
stemphylium leaf blight and
purple blotch are managed
similarly, it has been reported
that stemphylium leaf blight is
more challenging to manage
than purple blotch.
Fig 2. (far right) Stemphylium
leaf spot (purple spot) lesions on
harvested asparagus spears.
1
Numbers in a column followed by the same letter are not
significantly different at P = 0.05, Fisher's Protected LSD test.
2
Not significantly different
Table 2. Disease ratings for stemphylium leaf blight symptoms and
marketable yield of onions, cv. Patterson, treated with fungicide at
different periods grown near the Muck Crops Research Station,
Holland/Bradford Marsh, Ontario, 2013.
Treatment Spray Date % foliage
with
symptoms
Marketable
Yield (t/ha)
Tomcat 30 Jul 12, 25 Aug 2, 9, 19 15.5 a
1
64.5 ns
2
Tomcat 20 Jul 3, 22 Aug 2, 9, 19 16.3 a 60.9
Calendar spray Jul 15, 25 Aug 2, 9, 19 16.3 a 54.9
Spore trap Jul 15, 25 Aug 2, 9, 19 16.5 a 49.1
Botcast Aug 2, 9, 19 17.9 a 45.0
Check Not sprayed 23.7 b 44.6
The University of Guelph has
announced the closure of
Kemptville and Alfred College
agricultural academic programs
by the end of 2015. Intake to
these programs for both campuses
in eastern Ontario will be sus-
pended for the fall 2014 semester.
The university has managed these
programs since 1997.
We are operating in an era of
scarce resources, said University
of Guelph president Alastair
Summerlee. We must make
difficult decisions together with
changes that minimize
duplication and preserve
programs that are unique and
central to our mission.
While Kemptville College did
mostly field crop research, its
closure is still worrisome to
horticulture.
Losing agriculture faculty
and facilities at any time is not
good because once lost, you dont
get them back, says Harold
Schooley, chair of OFVGAs
research section. History and
continuous field records become
disrupted by other uses.
Laboratories and greenhouses
soon become unusable.
It has been many years since
horticulture research was carried
out at Kemptville but field crop
and dairy programs have been
active. The dairy program is
being consolidated with that in
the Guelph area. The fate of the
land base used for field research
in eastern Ontario is to be deter-
mined by the University of
Guelph, the Agricultural Research
Institute of Ontario and
OMAFRA. It is important to con-
duct field research in the soils
and climate of potential research
use so it is likely technicians will
continue to staff field crop trials.
The faculty affected by this clo-
sure will have the opportunity for
re-deployment at either Guelph or
Ridgetown campuses.
There is a positive side to this
that should be considered, says
Schooley. Yes, students will
have to travel away from home
for their education experience.
But it will be enhanced by the
wealth of experiences, idea shar-
ing, quality of instruction and stu-
dent amenities that are common
to a larger critical mass of stu-
dents. And faculty members --
especially new or young faculty -
- will have the benefit of rubbing
shoulders with more experienced
peers, creating research proposals
that win competitive funding, and
drawing on a larger body of
students for summer research
assistants.
THE GROWER
PAGE 20 APRIL 2014
ACADEMICS & RESEARCH
Kemptville College to close
Thank You!
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On behalf of CPMA, the organizing committee and
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ANNUAL
Since 1946 - Depuis 1946
Organization: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Growers Association (OF&VGA)
Organization: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Position: Executive Vice-President
Status: Full Time Position
Relevant Work Experience:
Substantial experience in and
understanding of the Ontario and
Canadian horticultural and/or
agricultural sectors, and understand-
ing of roles, structures, and decision-
making processes of government in
Canada.
Education Level: Post-secondary degree or diploma in a related
area of study including Agriculture, Science or Business.
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Location: Guelph, Ontario with travel throughout Ontario and to other
parts of Canada.
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OF&VGA) has
need of an experienced manager with strong leadership ability to
assume the senior staff position of an organization that advocates on
behalf of the interests of all fruit and vegetable farmers in Ontario.
The position reports directly to the Board of Directors through the
Chair, and provides strategic and functional support to the Board in
carrying out its roles. The Executive Vice-President provides
leadership to staff in operationalizing the Board-approved strategic
directions and resource allocations. The position manages all aspects
of OF&VGA administration, including finances, human resources and
infrastructure. The Executive Vice-President also supervises the
publication of The Grower newspaper, Canadas preeminent fruit and
vegetable sector publication.
In this role you will:
Work with the Chair to prepare Board and Management Committee
monthly meeting agendas, and ensure that background information is
developed to assist Directors in their deliberations and decision making.
Provide leadership to the Board in developing and updating the
OF&VGA Strategic Plan, including Vision, Mission and Strategic
Objectives.
Work with the Chair and Board to develop priorities for lobby efforts
directed towards government and the industry.
Act as the liaison between the Board and staff.
Provide leadership to staff in developing operational programmes
and processes to deliver on the Strategic Objectives.
Maintain contact with key agriculture and horticulture sector
organizations and individuals, and government elected officials and
staff.
Participate in and lead lobbying efforts and events with the goal of
decisions that are favourable to Ontario fruit and vegetable growers
and the horticulture sector.
Coordinate communication with key media to ensure that OF&VGA
messaging is delivered to sector stakeholders and to consumers and
the public.
Oversee all aspects of financial management of the OF&VGA includ-
ing initial preparation of budgets, financial reports and ensure that
income and expenditure policies are followed.
Provide leadership to and manage OF&VGA staff, including
recruitment, compensation and performance management.
Work closely with the Editor of The Grower newspaper to ensure
that the publication is meeting the needs of growers and other target
audiences, and that advertising and subscription revenue objectives
are met.
Qualifications
Post-secondary degree or diploma in a related area of study including
Agriculture, Science or Business. Substantial experience in and
understanding of Ontario and Canadian horticulture and/or agricul-
ture. Demonstrated understanding of roles, structures, and decision
making processes involved in influencing public policy decisions for
the agricultural industry in Canada. Demonstrated experience and
competence in business and/or organization management including
finance and human resources functions. Strong leadership, visionary
and communication skills with ability to establish support and credibili-
ty at all levels within and external to OF&VGA. Strong work ethic with
sense of fairness, diplomacy, an open mind and ability to be flexible.
Background in primary agriculture, either farming or working with
farmers considered an asset.
Please apply by April 18th in writing to:
Personal & Confidential
Deanna Hutton
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
105 355 Elmira Road North Guelph, ON N1K 1S5
Or by email to: dhutton@ofvga.org
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 21
S
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KAREN DAVIDSON
For potato growers, moving to
liquid seed piece treatments is a
seismic shift from dusts. To make
that transition easier, Gary Secor,
North Dakota State University
plant pathologist, has been on the
Canadian speaking circuit this
past winter, educating about the
basics of good seed and handling.
Use liquid seed treatments as
necessary, says Secor. Theres
a different mind set required than
using dusts because they must be
used at ultra-low volumes.
Two liquid seed treatments are
registered in the U.S. and Canada.
Emesto Silver (Bayer
CropScience) contains two
fungicides which are combined
with Titan, a liquid systemic
insecticide, and Cruiser Maxx
Potato Extreme (Syngenta) which
consists of a systemic insecticide
and two fungicides all in one seed
application. Apply at very low
volumes of water, i.e. 0.5 gallon
product per tonne. Emesto has a
red dye, Cruiser does not.
The application technology is
the biggest challenge, the steepest
learning curve, Secor told 200
growers at the Ontario Potato
Conference. Growers must
avoid wet seed. Both liquid and
dust treatments can exacerbate
soft rot decay if applied
improperly. If cut seed is too wet
from a liquid treatment, growers
can still have problems. Find the
right equipment to provide the
recommended coverage volume.
Secor suggests that a
Milestone barrel treater or a
MAFEX spray unit work well.
He also cautions planting into wet
soil.
Whether using dust or the new
liquid seed piece treatments, best
management practices should be
followed. Many factors affect
seed performance from the
variety (number and distribution
of eyes) to diseases to storage
temperatures.
Ideal seed has been grown in a
field free of disease in an area of
northern vigour. It should have
passed certification for mosaic
virus and bacterial ring rot.
Handle gently during harvest and
store at temperatures of 2 to 4 C.
Physiological age is a
measure of stress, health and
metabolism, not time, says
Secor. The more heat and
handling that the seed endures,
the more physiologically aged it
will become.
So buy the right seed in the
first place: the right variety for
the right market, physiologically
young and free of disease.
Examine the seed for disease.
Field readings are necessary for
mosaic virus which cant be
detected in storage. Less than five
per cent of the tuber surface
should show signs of Rhizoctonia
and up to one per cent for
Fusarium. There is zero tolerance
for bacterial ring rot.
My personal advice would be
to lobby for PCR testing of ring
rot, says Secor.
There should be no powdery
scab, but it is an emerging issue.
There is one per cent tolerance
for late blight in Canada.
When transporting seed, load
seed gently so that theres no
entry site for diseases. Put
sawdust on the truck floor and
educate the truck driver. When
unloading seed, be gentle. Pile
newly arrived seed out of direct
sun and weather, no more than
six feet high. Provide humidity
and oxygen while warming the
seed gradually to 10C.
The most common cause of
poor stands and emergence is
bacterial soft rot caused by
Erwinia carotovora. But be aware
that seed treatments dust or
liquid cannot control this dam-
aging disease. Wet conditions are
to be avoided. If air is cut off
from the seed by a film of water,
preventing it from breathing, soft
rot decay from the lenticel-borne
bacteria will begin and develop
quickly the warmer, the faster.
Liquids are coming, says
Secor. They offer better worker
safety and broad-spectrum
efficacy.
THE GROWER
PAGE 22 APRIL 2014
ONTARIO POTATO CONFERENCE
Sharpen application skills for liquid seed piece treatments
Better worker safety and broader spectrum efficacy promised
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This cut potato seed has been treated with Titan Emesto. Photo
courtesy of Bayer CropScience.
ProGuard Row Cover
Premium Frost Protection
Plastic mulches, ground cover, twine and
wood stakes
Gintec is a world renowned provider of innovative growing solutions
from the ground up!
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THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 23
Phostrol

helps maintain the quality of your

potatoes while in storage so you can get the most
out of your crop. Phostrol

is an extremely systemic
and highly unique fungicide that provides effective,
convenient & flexible preventative protection of late
blight and pink rot when applied during the season
and at harvest.
Make them
all count.
Always read and follow label directions. Phostrol is a registered trade-mark of Engage Agro Corporation.
For more information on Phostrol please contact
Engage Agro 1-866-613-3336
engageagro.com
ONTARIO POTATO CONFERENCE
All eyes on aeroponics for seed potatoes
Since 2007, Chinese researchers have improved seed
potato production by 40 per cent with the finetuning of
aeroponics. As the term implies, potato tubers are grown
in air without any growing medium.
He Wei, a researcher with the Sichuan Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, is leading this success story. Peter
Vander Zaag, Sunrise Potato Storage Ltd., explained at the
Ontario Potato Conference that the method confers a
number of benefits:
- oxygen is available to the root zone
- greatly reduced pathogen pressure
- greater control of plant environment
- all nutrients are utilized
- no growing media are needed
- user-friendly
Large-scale private sector adoption is now underway.
Aeroponics production has been proven in a 10,000 square
metre space with an average of 5,000 tubers per square
metre. Researchers have recorded up to 75 tubers per
plant per crop.
This is just one of the research projects that will be
featured at the next World Potato Congress hosted in
Beijing, China in July 2015
Large-scale in-vitro multiplicate
Tissue cultured plants are placed in aeroponic beds
Aeroponic system
Apical cuttings placed in aeroponic beds
Tuber production in aeroponic beds
Tubers harvested from aeroponic beds
JANICE LEBOEUF,
VEGETABLE CROPS
SPECIALIST, OMAF - MRA
There have been several miti-
cide registrations for field veg-
etable crops recently in Canada.
To help you keep track, here are
some quick reference tables for
fruiting vegetables.
Spider mites are usually kept
under control by natural enemies,
but populations may explode
when conditions are very
favourable to mites or after popu-
lations of natural enemies have
been set back by insecticide
applications. Some organophos-
phate and pyrethroid insecticides
actually cause the spider mites to
reproduce at a faster rate.
Remember to always rotate
between chemical groups in order
to manage resistance.
2014-15 Vegetable Crop
Protection Guide
available soon!
ELAINE RODDY, VEGETABLE CROPS SPECIALIST,
OMAF-MRA
The Ontario Crop Protection Guides are revised on a bi-annual
basis. Many people ask how much really changes from year-to-
year? The answer is a lot!
1. New products! As new insecticides and fungicides become regis-
tered, the crop profiles change. There may be newer, better options
to control your pests or to help prevent the development of resistant
populations in your vegetable crops.
2. New uses are added to older labels. The success of the minor
use program as well as joint Canada/U.S. minor use initiatives
means that there are a significant number of new uses registered
each year.
3. Pest control products are constantly under review by the Pest
Management Regulatory Agency. Re-entry intervals and pre-har-
vest intervals may change as a result of these re-evaluations.
In fact, the 2014-15 edition is almost two times bigger than the pre-
vious one!
In todays complex farming environment, it is often hard to stay
on top of every new technological development. Let the OMAF-
MRA specialists take care of the changes to crop protection for
you. OMAF's 2014-15
Vegetable Crop Protection
Guide offers one place to
look for the full range of
current options.
The Vegetable Crop
Protection Guide (publica-
tion 838) will be available
for purchase in early May
at the Service Ontario
Warehouse
http://bit.ly/1cVA0Qa or at
a regional OMAF-MRA
office near you.
For more information
call the OMAF-MRA con-
tact centre at 1-877-424-
1300.
THE GROWER
PAGE 24 APRIL 2014
Miticides for fruiting vegetables
Leah Erickson
(BC/AB)
604-957-2359
Marc Andr
Laberge (QC)
514-984-4589
Jim Robinson
(ON/MB)
905-715-8595
Paul Banks
(ON/NS)
905-688-4300
Henry Zomer
(ON/MB/SK)
905-308-4396
Rob Hovius
(ON/PEI/NB)
519-580-3231
Laura
Caralampides (QC)
514-984-0662
~ Quality Seed Since 1881 ~
Quality Seed Quality Service Quality Information
www.StokeSeeds.com
1-800-263-7233 Fax: 1-800-272-5560
Stokes Seeds Ltd PO Box 10 Thorold ON L2V 5E9
Figure 1 Adult Two Spotted Spider Mite and Eggs
Trade name
(active ingredient)
Chemical
group
Labelled pests
Notes
Acramite 50WS
(bifenazate)
Unknown Two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Good coverage of foliage is
important. Quick knockdown.
Oberon Flowable
(spiromesifen)
Group 23 Broad mite,
two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Translaminar movement, but
thorough coverage of foliage is important. An
adjuvant may be used to improve coverage and
control. Also effective against eggs.
Malathion 25W
(malathion)
Group 1B Two-spotted
spider mite
Registered, but not considered effective. Use of
organophosphate insecticides can worsen two-
spotted spider mite infestations.
Malathion 85E
(malathion)
Group 1B Two-spotted
spider mite
Registered, but not considered effective. Use of
organophosphate insecticides can worsen two-
spotted spider mite infestations.
Field Tomatoes
Trade name
(active ingredient)
Chemical
group
Labelled pests
Notes
Acramite 50WS
(bifenazate)
Unknown Two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Good coverage of foliage is
important. Quick knockdown.
Kanemite 15 SC
(acequinocyl)
Group 20B Two-spotted
spider mite
Quick knockdown. Thorough coverage of foliage is
important.
Oberon Flowable
(spiromesifen)
Group 23 Broad mite,
two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Translaminar movement, but
thorough coverage of foliage is important. An
adjuvant may be used to improve coverage and
control. Also effective against eggs.
Malathion 85E
(malathion)
Group 1B Two-spotted
spider mite
Registered, but not considered effective. Use of
organophosphate insecticides can worsen two-spot-
ted spider mite infestations.
Field Eggplant
Trade name
(active ingredient)
Chemical
group
Labelled pests
Notes
Acramite 50WS
(bifenazate)
Unknown Two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Good coverage of foliage is
important. Quick knockdown.
Oberon Flowable
(spiromesifen)
Group 23 Broad mite,
two-spotted
spider mite
Contact activity. Translaminar movement, but
thorough coverage of foliage is important. An
adjuvant may be used to improve coverage and
control. Also effective against eggs.
Field Peppers
The Ontario Lavender
Association has just launched a
new marketing campaign at
Canada Blooms, the countrys
largest flower and garden festival
in Toronto. The verdant venue is
ideal for coaxing consumers to
visit lavender farms through a
travel and info guide: The Purple
Road. The 15,000 brochures and
social media campaign represent a
significant step in promoting fes-
tivals, products and services
throughout the province says
Kevin Beagle, chair of The Purple
Road Committee and a grower
himself.
For the last three years, weve
focused on research and educa-
tion, says Beagle, referring to the
work of 40 members. Now its
time for public outreach, to grow
the number of lavender con-
sumers.
Eleven members have
described their farms in a compre-
hensive brochure format with
icons that communicate services.
They may range from buses
accepted to whether food is avail-
able or if plants are for sale.
Some farms say that visitors can
cut their own lavender or indicate
that its a wedding venue or pho-
tography location. Some even list
that an apiary is also located at
the farm. Several online business-
es also participate including
Stoney Hollow, Lavender-Blu and
Flowers to Fragrance.
To educate consumers about
culinary uses, recipes explain how
to make lavender-roasted pota-
toes, lavender salad dressing and
lavender lemonade.
The brochures will be distrib-
uted to tourism bureaus, ON route
service stations, hotel chains and
bed and breakfast associations.
For more information, go to
www.thepurpleroad.ca or follow
on Twitter @thepurpleroad.
APRIL 2014 PAGE 25
THE GROWER
NEW EQUIPMENT
AGRITOURISM
Ontarios minimum wages are
forcing more apple growers to
consider mechanized tools.
Werner Zurbuchen, for example,
is now importing Fama CKP250
pruning machine from Italy.
The machine attaches to the
front of the tractor either by three
point hitch or bolted to the front
ballast. It is unique, says
Zurbuchen, in the way that it cre-
ates a canopy shape from top to
bottom of the tree. It has the
option of several short blades
which cut near the trunk to create
light channels. This pruner cuts
with a lopping action replicating
hand lopping tools. The pruner
will cut up to 30mm and driving
speeds range from three km/h to
six km/hr depending on branch
density, size etc. The electronic
joystick controls the movements
of the pruner giving the operator a
wide range of flexibility when
pruning. Other manual adjust-
ments can be made quickly by
means of loosening and tighten-
ing clamps. The hydraulic oil
requirements are 55 Lpm
(14.5Gpm). If this requirement is
too high an auxiliary hydraulic
system is available with PTO
operation..
The productivity times vary
from orchard to orchard. For us
having orchard spacing at 3.30 m
by 1.20 m, we can roughly calcu-
late it will take one hour to pre-
prune one acre, says Zurbuchen.
The timing for using the
mechanical pruner is important
and will impact re-budding devel-
opment for the following year. He
will be testing this concept this
spring. From the experience of
some research stations and a few
farmers already using the system,
it is recommended to do the first
at bud break.
Nitrogen amount and timing
needs to be considered seriously.
Pruning too late in the season
along with a possible heavy rain-
fall may shock the trees into re-
growth, resulting in the loss of
many fruit buds and making more
pruning for the following year.
This practice is already being
used in Europe. Results are show-
ing that an early summer prune
results in 10-15cm of re-growth,
terminating and developing a fruit
bud.
The mechanical pruner is suit-
ed for high density plantings with
low vigour rootstocks creating a
fruiting wall.
It is clear to us that this will
not eliminate hand pruning but
can reduce the work load by
about 40-50 per cent, says
Zurbuchen. If this can be
achieved our labour cost for prun-
ing will be significantly smaller.
We will still prune all of our trees
annually to make the corrections
needed.
For the future, a bi-annual
hand-pruning may be needed.
This practice will be tested in a
few trial rows first before apply-
ing to the entire orchard.
Mechanical pruning machine to reduce hand labour
Ontario lavender growers rev up
promotion campaign The
Purple
Road
Discover lavender in Ontario
TRAVEL AND
INFO GUIDE
Explore local lavender farms,
businesses, shops, and online stores.
Discover Ontarios most beautiful crop.
Find Provence in your own backyard.
Visit www.thepurpleroad.ca
THE GROWER
PAGE 26 APRIL 2014
CONSUMER RESEARCH
SUNGHWAN YI
Due to extensive efforts to
communicate the benefits of
healthy eating to the public, it is
widely acknowledged that fre-
quent intake of fruits and vegeta-
bles provides long-term health
benefits. However, consumers
knowledge of the health benefits
of fruits and vegetables is not
translated into consumption
behavior. For example, although
health authorities recommend
seven or more daily servings of
fruits and vegetables for adults,
national studies suggest that only
about one-quarter of Americans
and Canadians report eating five
or more servings of fruits and
vegetables a day. The low corre-
lation between knowledge and
behavior is stronger in the case of
vegetables than fruits, likely
because vegetables require more
effort and time to prepare than
fruits. Following recommenda-
tions that fruits and vegetables
should be targeted separately in
health promotion, we focused on
motivations for eating vegetables
in our current research project.
Although it is tempting to
attribute a low intake of vegeta-
bles and other healthy foods to a
lack of motivation, recent
research released by International
Food Information Council
Foundation indicates that con-
sumers believe that fruits and
vegetables provide a variety of
health benefits and a majority
report making efforts to eat more
of these foods. Thus far, existing
fruit and vegetable promotion
campaigns in Canada and the
United States have been promi-
nently focused on provision of
health information based on the
assumption that becoming
informed about health benefits
associated with sufficient intake
should prompt consumers to com-
ply. It appears that the ultimate
outcome associated with the
informational approach of health
promotion is people fully accept-
ing the value and importance of
healthy eating and integrating this
into self, which is known as iden-
tified regulation in the psycholo-
gy literature. Identified regulation
is one of the autonomous motiva-
tion dimensions along with intrin-
sic regulation, which refers to
engaging in the target behavior
out of a sense of pleasure and
enjoyment.
The main research question of
our consumer research was
whether intrinsic regulation is
more or less strongly associated
with the consumption of vegeta-
bles than identified regulation.
Furthermore, considering our pre-
vious finding that the frequency
of preparing and consuming bitter
cruciferous vegetables is substan-
tially lower than familiar vegeta-
bles, we explored the possibility
that the association between
intrinsic versus identified regula-
tion may be different between
vegetable types.
We conducted two-wave
online survey with a consumer
panel, which was stratified by
gender, age and educational status
to reflect the demographic profile
of Ontario based on 2006
Canadian Census data. 610 pan-
elists provided usable data for the
two-wave survey. Participants
were asked to answer questions
about different motives of healthy
eating, including intrinsic and
identified regulation, as well as
the frequency of preparing specif-
ic vegetables within the past two
weeks. They were also asked to
indicate how confident they felt
preparing vegetable-rich meals in
commonly encountered challeng-
ing situations.
Findings from the survey indi-
cated that intrinsic regulation (i.e.,
eating healthily out of a sense of
pleasure and enjoyment) was
more strongly associated with the
frequency of preparing and serv-
ing vegetables than identified reg-
ulation (i.e., firmly accepting the
value and importance of healthy
eating). Furthermore, we found
that intrinsic regulation was
strongly related with the felt con-
fidence in preparing vegetable-
rich meals in challenging situa-
tions, whereas identified regula-
tion was not. Thus, it appears
that fully accepting the impor-
tance of healthy eating is not
enough for people to prepare and
eat vegetables; you cant beat the
sense that healthy food can be as
enjoyable as less healthy food.
Our findings provide practical
implications for health promotion.
Given the predominance of public
health promotional efforts that
emphasize the personal value and
importance of healthy eating to
individuals, our findings suggest
that one way of increasing veg-
etable intake is to help consumers
enjoy the taste of vegetable-rich
meals rather than to have them
consciously value their health
benefits. This is consistent with
previous findings in which taste
was found to be more important
than health awareness in influenc-
ing consumers fruit and veg-
etable consumption. Our findings
suggest that new marketing cam-
paigns for vegetables are needed
that focus on enhanced sensory
attributes and enjoyment of
preparing vegetable-rich meals.
Strategies could include, for
example, offering consumers
samples of delicious vegetable-
rich meals and then encouraging
them to re-create these meals at
home by providing easy-to-follow
recipes.
Sunghwan Yi is associate
professor, Marketing and
Consumer Studies, University
of Guelph.
Exploring consumer motivation of eating vegetables
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vineyards.
Taste was found to be more important than
health awareness in influencing consumers fruit
and vegetable consumption.
On the cusp of spring,
Horticulture Nova Scotia and
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada hosted a social media
event in Kentville called The
Connected Farmer.
Marketing in 2014 is all about
relationships and creating positive
customer experiences both in
online and offline efforts, says
facilitator Nancy Beth Guptill,
Sweet Spot Marketing. An exer-
cise that is very beneficial is map-
ping your customer touch points.
A touch point is simply any point
of contact you, your company,
your brand comes in contact with
customers, both existing and
potential.
Sit down, put yourself in the
shoes of your customers, and
explore the world from their per-
spective. What are the opportuni-
ties your brand will come into
contact with them?
Growers are encouraged to
map touch points from the per-
spective of potential customers --
people who have never heard
about your business before but are
seeking out your products and
services. Where will they stumble
upon you? How do they find you?
What experience are you creating
each time your brand comes into
contact with them?
Guptill says you also need to
map touch points from the per-
spective of existing customers
who have new needs or require
re-fill orders. What touch points
have you created that keep your
customers coming back? How do
you stay top-of-mind? How do
you create positive experiences
that keep your customers loyal?
This exercise takes time but is
worth it!
CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST
Greenhouse vegetable growers
launched BC Veggie Day on the
first day of spring, with the
Vancouver Art Gallery north
plaza as backdrop. The innovative
promotion included a pop-up
greenhouse filled with plants and
good bugs from the Bug
Factory, a farmers market, live
entertainment and the first-ever
pop-up restaurant: Earls Kitchen
+ Bar. Food trucks Verinicey
Pankoras and Mangal Kiss were
also parked streetside, adding to
the festive atmosphere.
Media hits were guaranteed
with local radio coverage and the
offer of veggielicious prize pack-
ages.
Quebecs deputy premier and
agriculture minister Francois
Gendron has challenged the
provinces growers to increase
fruit and vegetable production by
10 per cent within five years to
put more fresh produce on con-
sumer plates. He issued the chal-
lenge during Horticulture Week,
before the writ was dropped for
the Quebec election April 7.
In a March newsletter, the
apple growers federation presi-
dent Stephanie Levasseur says she
reminded the minister that
despite the apple industrys con-
certed efforts, we currently supply
only 50 per cent of the market
and we face giants such as the
State of Washington and Chile in
the fresh apple market, and China
in the processing apple market.
Organizers of the consumer
campaign known as Pomme
Qualite Quebec believe that a
coordination model is required to
help optimize value chains. This
thrust requires agreements with
major distribution outlets and the
ability to collect and share market
information. Retail sector partici-
pants are on record that they are
ready and willing to buy
Quebec, but not at any cost.
Levasseur writes, Why do
growers margins have to be
reduced whenever talk turns to
competitive pricing while retail-
ers margins continue to increase?
The cost of food increases and so
does margins. Couldnt there be a
better sharing system? Everyone
will benefit if all the members of
the supply chain pull in the same
direction bearing in mind the ulti-
mate goal of increasing the share
of Quebec products on the plates
of consumers.
Pop-up restaurant reels in greenhouse veggie
customers
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 27
BRITISH COLUMBIA
QUEBEC
Apple growers seek more value chain cooperation
NOVA SCOTIA
Build your brand with several touch
points
BRITISH COLUMBIA
CPMA
CPMAs 89th Annual
Convention & Trade Show takes
place in Vancouver, April 2-4.
By the numbers:
442 - The number of exhibit
spaces (10 x 10 ft)
250 - The number of exhibiting
companies
9 The number of countries
represented
44 - The number of first-time
exhibitors
29 - The number of new
CPMA members, exhibiting for
the first time
52 The number of companies
participating in the New Product
Showcase
118 Unique international,
national and local retailers
registered
2453 The number of
registrants to date
THE GROWER
PAGE 28 APRIL 2014
MINOR USE
The Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval
of an URMULE registration for
Allegro 500F fungicide for sup-
pression of purple blotch and
Botrytis leaf blight on the bulb
onion crop subgroup which
includes dry bulb onions, garlic
and shallots in Canada. The
active ingredient fluazinam was
already labeled on potatoes,
Brassica vegetables, legumes,
bushberries, ginseng, carrots,
muskmelons, peppers and apples
for several important diseases.
This minor use project was
sponsored in 2012 by Fresh
Vegetable Growers of Ontario as
a result of minor use priorities
established by growers and
extension personnel. The minor
use label expansion for Allegro
500F fungicide is a helpful step
towards developing an improved
pest management toolkit for these
diseases in Canada.
The following is provided as
an abbreviated, general outline
only. Users should consult the
complete label before using
Allegro 500F fungicide.
Allegro 500F fungicide should
be used in an integrated pest
management program and in rota-
tion with other management
strategies to adequately manage
resistance. Do not contaminate
aquatic habitats when cleaning or
rinsing spray equipment or con-
tainers.
Follow all other precautions
and directions for use on the
Allegro 500F fungicide label
carefully.
For a copy of the new minor
use label contact Marion
Paibomesai, OMAF/MRA,
Guelph (519) 826-4963 or visit
www.bartlett.ca/BartlettWeb.nsf
or www.syngentafarm.ca/labels/
Allegro 500F fungicide to suppress diseases on bulb onions
JIM CHAPUT, OMAF/MRA, MINOR USE
COORDINATOR, GUELPH
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval of an URMULE registra-
tion for Agri-mek insecticide/miticide for control of potato
psyllid on potatoes in Canada. Agri-mek insecticide/
miticide was already labeled on potatoes for other pests,
apples, pears, caneberries, strawberries, celery, grapes and
bulb onions for several important pests.
This minor use project was sponsored in 2013 by
Ontario Potato Board as a result of minor use priorities
established by growers and extension personnel. The
minor use label expansion for Agri-mek insecticide/miti-
cide is a helpful step towards developing an improved pest
management toolkit for this new pest in Canada.
The following is provided as an abbreviated, general
outline only. Users should consult the complete label
before using Agri-mek insecticide/miticide.
Agri-mek insecticide/miticide should be used in an
integrated pest management program and in rotation with
other management strategies to adequately manage
resistance. This product is TOXIC to aquatic organisms,
fish and wildlife. Do not contaminate aquatic habitats
when cleaning or rinsing spray equipment or containers.
This product is also highly TOXIC to bees exposed to
direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds.
DO NOT apply this product or allow drift to blooming
crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area.
Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the
Agri-mek insecticide/miticide label carefully.
For a copy of the new minor use label contact Eugenia
Banks, OMAF/MRA, Guelph (519) 826-3678 or visit or
www.syngentafarm.ca/labels/
Agri-mek insecticide controls potato psyllid on potatoes
Get Started
Apply NOW for Capacity Building or Implementation Program Funding.
READ
ENROL
APPLY
Go to www.ontariosoilcrop.org
to learn about program requirements
and access resources
Enrol in the GF2 program
Complete and submit
application forms
Producers in Ontario can apply for Growing Forward 2 (GF2)
project funding by following 3 easy steps:
Need help? Sign up for Growing Your Farm Profts and
Environmental Farm Plans workshops or contact OSCIA Regional
Program Leads and Workshop Leaders at
www.ontariosoilcrop.org
All the information you need is at your fngertips.
You have from April 1, 2014 to May 1, 2014 to submit an application
for the next intake of Implementation Program Funding. Applications for
Capacity Building Program Funding can be submitted at any time.
Growing Forward 2
A federal-provincial-territorial initiative






































































NOW Apply
Get Started









f C NOWW
Get Started









for Capacity Building
Get Started









or Implementation Program Funding.










or Implementation Program Funding.










or Implementation Program Funding.










NOW Apply
Program Leads and
Environmental Farm Plans workshops or contact OSCIA
Need help? Sign up for Growing
project funding by following
Producers in Ontario can apply for Growing Forward 2 (GF2)










for Capa NOWW
orkshop Leaders at W Program Leads and
Environmental Farm Plans workshops or contact OSCIA
our YYo Need help? Sign up for Growing
3 easy steps project funding by following
Producers in Ontario can apply for Growing Forward 2 (GF2)










for Capacity Building
orkshop Leaders at
o i g e R Environmental Farm Plans workshops or contact OSCIA
our Farm Profts and
: 3 easy steps
Producers in Ontario can apply for Growing Forward 2 (GF2)










or Implementation Program Funding. for Capacity Building
l a n o
Producers in Ontario can apply for Growing Forward 2 (GF2)
and access resources
to learn about program requirements
Go to










or Implementation Program Funding.
and access resources
to learn about program requirements
.ontariosoilcrop www Go to










or Implementation Program Funding.
to learn about program requirements
g .or .ontariosoilcrop










tive
for the next intake of Implementation Program Funding.
ou have from YYo
All the information you need is at your fngertips.
.ontariosoilcrop www
Program Leads and










tive
for the next intake of Implementation Program Funding.
2014 to submit an application 2014 to May 1, April 1,
All the information you need is at your fngertips.
g .or .ontariosoilcrop
orkshop Leaders at W Program Leads and










tive
Applications for for the next intake of Implementation Program Funding.
2014 to submit an application
All the information you need is at your fngertips.
orkshop Leaders at










Applications for
application forms
Complete and submit
Enrol in the GF2 program










application forms
Complete and submit
Enrol in the GF2 program






































































Crop(s) Pest Rate (L/ha) No. apps
/ year
PHI
Bulb onion crop
subgroup 3-07A
Botrytis leaf
blight, purple
blotch
1.16 5 7 days
Crop(s) Pest Rate (L/ha)
No. apps /
year
Interval PHI
Potatoes Potato Psyllid 1.0 L in 185 L
water per ha
2 7 days 14 days
Bayer CropScience Canada
announces the registration of
Serenade SOIL, a new biological
fungicide for fruit and vegetable
crops, including potatoes, lettuce,
onions, strawberries and many
more. With a unique mode of
action (FRAC Group 44),
Serenade SOIL creates a disease
protection zone around the seed
and roots. The beneficial bacteria
in the fungicide grow with the
plant, expanding the disease pro-
tection zone and creating armor
for the seed and the roots against
common soil diseases such as rhi-
zoctonia and pythium.
Serenade SOIL works unlike
any other fungicide, colonizing
the seed and roots to continually
protect against harmful diseases,
said David Kikkert, portfolio
manager, horticulture, Bayer
CropScience. Its unique mode of
action offers growers a new tool
for disease management, is
exempted from maximum residue
limits, and has a zero day pre-har-
vest interval.
Studies have shown that
because Serenade SOIL helps
activate the plants natural
defense mechanism it improves
root colonization, increases effi-
ciency of photosynthesis, and
improves plant growth. As a
result, crops treated with
Serenade SOIL yielded a more
robust plant and better quality
product.
Serenade SOIL enhances the
protection growers receive from
their current disease protection
program and its liquid formula-
tion allows convenient tank-mix-
ing with both fungicide and insec-
ticide products. For more infor-
mation regarding Serenade SOIL
visit BayerCropScience.ca
Source: Bayer CropScience news
release
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 29
MINOR USE
All-in-one liquid formulation
protects against seed-borne dis-
ease and early-season insects in
potatoes
Syngenta Canada Inc. is
pleased to announce that Cruiser
Maxx Potato Extreme seed treat-
ment has been registered for use
on potato crops in Canada. The
enhanced, all-in-one, liquid pre-
mix delivers a concentrated for-
mulation that is simple and con-
venient to use and provides reli-
able protection from seed-borne
diseases and early-season
insects. With the launch of
Cruiser Maxx Potato Extreme,
Syngenta continues its commit-
ment to bringing high-quality
Seedcare options to growers,
said Nathan Klages, product lead,
Seedcare for Syngenta Canada.
This new liquid pre-mix formu-
lation provides growers with the
ability to target both disease and
insect pests with one product and
the new concentrated formulation
facilitates ease of mixing and
measuring with fewer jugs to han-
dle, Klages said.
Cruiser Maxx Potato Extreme
contains three active ingredients
for comprehensive control. Group
4 insecticide, thiamethoxam,
works systemically to provide
broad-spectrum performance. In
the plant, it is translocated via the
plant's water-conducting system
where it remains active for up to
100 days. Cruiser Maxx Potato
Extreme also provides two pow-
erful modes of action against dis-
ease - an important feature now
that some strains of seed-borne
Fusarium are resistant to thio-
phanate-methyl and fludioxonil.
The combination of Group 3
fungicide, difenoconazole, and
Group 12 fungicide, fludioxonil,
offer a broad spectrum of control,
including protection from silver
scurf, Rhizoctonia control, and a
second mode of action against
resistant Fusarium.
Cruiser Maxx Potato Extreme
is an excellent choice for growers
seeking an advanced liquid seed
treatment solution, concluded
Klages.
For more information about
Cruiser Maxx Potato Extreme
seed treatment, please contact
your local Syngenta
Representative, visit
SyngentaFarm.ca or contact our
Customer Resource Centre at 1-
87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-
3682).
Source: Syngenta news release
Cruiser Maxx Potato Extreme seed treatment registered
Engage Agro and Heads Up Plant
Protectants (HUPP) have entered into a
formal exclusive marketing and distribu-
tion agreement for Canada. Heads Up Plant
Protectant is a preplant seed treatment
registered for potatoes, soybeans and dry
beans. It is an elicitor which turns on the
plants ability to fend off infection from
various diseases. The product is derived
from the quinoa crop, grown in western
Canada.
It is nice story in that it is Canadian
invented, patented and produced, says
Ray Chyc, president of Engage Agro
Corporation. We are excited to work with
Joe Dutchesen, HUPP principal, in expand-
ing the products current sales and in work-
ing with the company to bring Heads Up to
additional crops in Canada.
Heads Up has both PMRA and EPA
registrations, along with OMRI certifica-
tion.
Source: Engage Agro
Preplant potato seed treatment to be marketed by Engage Agro
Bayer CropScience Canada announces the regis-
tration of Alion as a pre-emergent residual herbicide
for grapes. Already trusted by tree fruit growers, the
Group 29 herbicide provides long term residual con-
trol of annual grassy and broadleaf weeds. It pre-
vents weeds from emerging by inhibiting the growth
of the developing radicle in the seed germination
zone.
Canadian grape growers will see the benefits of
a completely new mode of action that provides
longer lasting control compared to competitive prod-
ucts. This unique mode of action combined with its
tank-mix flexibility makes it an excellent resistance
management tool especially for glyphosate, triazine
and ALS-resistant weeds, explained David Kikkert,
portfolio manager, horticulture, Bayer CropScience.
Alion can be tank-mixed with glyphosate,
Gramoxone herbicide, and Ignite herbicide in grapes
to provide control of already emerged weeds. It can
be applied to established grapes of at least five, full
growing seasons after transplanting and when soil
disturbance is finished, including hilling and
dehilling operations.
Alion is now also registered as a tank-mix with
Sencor herbicide or Gramoxone herbicide in tree
fruit, in addition to the previous registered tank-
mixes of glyphosate and Ignite.
For more information regarding Alion visit:
BayerCropScience.ca
Source: Bayer CropScience news release
Tree fruit herbicide now registered
for grapes
New biological fungicide
THE GROWER
PAGE 30 APRIL 2014
I guess you know that you
struck a nerve when the reaction
becomes personal. Some folks
cannot understand that freedom of
speech is enshrined in our Bill of
Rights! While their sentiment
may be pure, their reaction leaves
a lot to be desired. (There are
doubtless others who have also
wanted to threaten me for what I
have written over the years, but
bit their tongues or had a sober
second thought!) I take exception
to a personal attack rather than
sticking to the (unassailable) facts
that were presented.
Facts can and do stand up for
themselves. A truly scientific
approach to ascertain these facts
is something we should all strive
toward. There are many
practitioners of pseudo-science
who also have great publishing/
radio/television skills. Can you
imagine publishing some of this
bumf (an old naval term you
should look up) in a prestigious
journal that nonetheless no one
has ever heard of? In these days
of desk-top publishing, a journal
has much less meaning than it
had in the past!
Lets put some facts on the
table:
1. PMRA reported in 2012 that
70 per cent of the dead bees
examined had residues of neo-nic
insecticides.
That in turn means that 30 per
cent had no detectable levels.
The report indicated the levels
found, and but not what they con-
sidered (at least up to now) to be
a discriminating dose that would
actually kill a healthy bee. In
other words, while it may be fact
that the residues were there, that
in no way proves that they alone
killed the bees, especially if
residue levels were below or well
below the former no effect
level.
Postulation and speculation
were also added, but has little
proof to back it up.
The report offered no unassail-
able reasons for the other 30 per
cent of the dead bees mortalities,
either.
2. In fact, according to Statistics
Canada the total number of bee
colonies has gone up over the
past several years, notwithstand-
ing the reported kills.
3. In fact, Ontario has been able
to ship increasing numbers of
strong hives to the Maritimes for
pollinating blueberries each
spring (14,000 hives in 2013).
This is contra-intuitive if the
overall hive numbers here were
seriously in jeopardy. (as has
been intimated)
4. It is fact that the number of
Ontario beekeepers actually
reporting serious losses was about
50 in total. This is from a total of
hundreds of commercial keepers
and thousands of hobbyists.
How does one explain the vari-
ability of those with losses? There
are wide differences in losses on
a county and a township basis.
(From serious loss to no loss at
all) If the seed treatment
insecticides are the one and only
factor involved, does it not seem
reasonable to think that ALL the
keepers in the area would be
affected the same way? (After all,
if the seed treatment is the only
factor, all the bees in the same
proximity would have an equal
chance to be affected)
What are the other keepers
doing right so that they are not
seeing or reporting such losses?
We could learn a lot from them.
In fact the focus should be on
what they did to avoid the bee
losses and adopt those practices!
5. Scientists around the world
have continued to make it clear
that they feel there is a complex
of factors involved in the bee
losses. They suggest that varroa
mite, tracheal mite, nosema
fungus, and several virus diseases
(in addition to pesticides) may
also be playing a role. So too,
some of the in-hive treatments to
control them may also be at play.
6. In addition to those external
factors, another one keeps being
downplayed- the loss of good
grazing for bees! Agriculture
has increasingly gone to mono-
culture on six million acres in
Ontario, with few hedgerows and
little pasture or even weedy road-
sides. It is no wonder that bees
often have large amounts of sweet
corn pollen on them in spite of its
being a non-preferred source.
They are starving and looking
far and wide, to their grief, for a
source of nectar and pollen. It
harkens back to when man was a
hunter-gatherer rather than a
farmer. It took all day to find
enough to eat, and some days
there was nothing. A bee cannot
survive long under those condi-
tions! As tough as it may be to
accept, perhaps beekeeping may
have to move out of southern
Ontario unless keepers can secure
safe and acceptable foraging (and
drinking) sites for their honey
bees.
7. If one were to postulate that
something amongst the
combinations above has led to a
compromised immunity system in
(some) bee colonies, then some
things start to become clearer. If
the general weakening of (some)
hives strength can be recognized,
the effects of external factors on
(some) bees survival becomes
more understandable.
If bees with a compromised
immunity system are confronted
with another challenge, it may kill
them at a dose they could
ordinarily withstand.
If ANY insecticide treatment
was approved with a safety
margin based on healthy bees
ability to withstand it, that
decision should not later be
vilified if controllable factors
came into play to change the
bees immunity.
This should extend to the use of
any registered pesticide, including
in-hive treatments.
Notwithstanding any of the
above, I strongly advocate the
elimination of any pesticide dis-
charge into the environment that
is not justified and sanctioned on
a label. If that means devising a
means to capture ALL migrant
dust from seeders, so be it. I
applaud the efforts to reduce dust
emissions with a new carrier, but
even those low levels still coming
out are unacceptable and need to
be dealt with post-haste.
If crop producers need to be
responsible for the things they
control, so too should the bee-
keepers. Over the past 40 years
there have been frequent concerns
raised about pesticide effects on
bees. Growers are made abun-
dantly clear about their responsi-
bilities in government publica-
tions and pesticide labels. A great
many (most) beekeepers do an
excellent job of communications
with neighbouring farmers such
as hive locations, and covering or
moving them when necessary.
Many of the keepers follow Best
Management Practices for their
bees, but not all! For example, if
the claims that the seed treat-
ments had killed bees in 2012
were felt to be valid, why did
some keepers persist in leaving
bees in areas where the seed treat-
ments were sure to occur in
2013? Will the bees still be there
in 2014? If all efforts to reduce
dust emissions and to capture
errant dust are done for 2014, and
if bee kills persist, will there be
any fence mending done? (We
know that in spite of the ban in
France, bee numbers there contin-
ue to decline leading a thinking
person to conclude that more
must be at play than just the seed
treatments).
Currently there appears to be
an ongoing campaign to add
gasoline to the fire to keep the
controversy burning. In the
absence of new facts, it is remark-
able what can be done by twisting
those available!
One has to speculate about
underlying sentiments. Is there
work underway to get a claim
settlement? Is there a further
agenda at work behind the
scenes?
Let us allow the scientific facts
(all of them) to be discovered,
and dealt with professionally
using sound science. Let us not
stoop to threats and innuendo. Let
us worry more about getting it
right the first time than about
furthering agendas.
I, for one, am on no side and
on all sides. We need bees for
pollination and we need pesticide
treatments to maintain profitable
crop production. The enigma
MUST be resolved so everyone
can achieve what they need to
survive. If we work together with
facts, and stand shoulder to shoul-
der against those with an agenda
that is not in our best collective
interest, we can achieve a solution
we can all accept.
Threats often dont work.
Collaboration usually does.
CRAIG HUNTER
OFVGA
MINOR USE
CRAIGS COMMENTS
Bee all, end all
NEW mul-site fungicide with a broad range
of labeled diseases.
Virtually dust free formulaon.
Combines readily with dormant oil sprays.
engageagro.com GranuFlo T is a registered trade-mark of Taminco Inc. 2013 Engage Agro Corporation.
Photo by Denis Cahill
J. CHAPUT, OMAF/MRA,
MINOR USE
COORDINATOR,GUELPH
The Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval
of a minor use label expansion for
Prism herbicide (rimsulfuron) for
control of labeled weeds on high-
bush blueberries in Canada. Prism
herbicide was already labeled for
management of weeds on pota-
toes and tomatoes in Canada.
Access to weed management
tools is a priority for blueberry
producers and the label expansion
of Prism herbicide will provide
producers with a helpful weed
management and resistance
management tool. The following
is provided as a general, abbrevi-
ated outline only. Users should
consult the complete label before
using Prism herbicide.
Prism herbicide can be used on
highbush blueberries that have
gone through at least one growing
season and are in good health and
vigour. Prism herbicide can be
applied at a rate of 60 g product
per ha as a single post emergent
application with a recommended
non-ionic surfactant at 0.2% v/v.
The pre-harvest interval for
blueberries is 21 days.
Prism herbicide should be used
in an integrated weed manage-
ment program and in rotation
with other management strategies.
Prism herbicide is TOXIC to
aquatic organisms and non-target
terrestrial plants, therefore avoid
drift and follow buffer zones. Do
not contaminate these habitats
when cleaning and rinsing spray
equipment or containers. Follow
all other precautions and
directions for use on the Prism
herbicide label.
For copies of the new minor
use label contact Pam Fisher,
OMAF/MRA, Simcoe (519) 426-
2238 or visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/
cps-spc/pest/r
egistrant-
titulaire/tools-
outils/label-
etiq-eng.php
Right: Photo
courtesy of BC
Blueberry
Council/Tracey
Kusiewicz
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE 31
MINOR USE
Label expansion granted for Prism herbicide
During the 2014 planting sea-
son, corn and soybean farmers
will be required by Canada's Pest
Management Regulatory Agency
(PMRA) to apply Bayer
CropScience's Fluency Agent to
seed treated with neonicotinoid
insecticides, such as clothianidin,
thiamethoxam and imidacloprid.
Seed companies and local
cooperatives will be the primary
point of sale for the farmer-
applied seed flow lubricant,
explains Derrick Rozdeba, Bayer
CropScience marketing commu-
nications manager in Calgary.
The Fluency Agent reduces the
dust released during planting and
decreases the potential risk of
exposure to pollinators.
PMRA encourages farmers to
use best management practices
outlined by Bayer CropScience.
These include reading and adher-
ing to the pesticide label and seed
tag directions, practising integrat-
ed pest management, developing
and maintaining shared commu-
nication with beekeepers to help
protect honeybees, recognizing
pollinator habitat and taking spe-
cial care to reduce dust exposure.
In the spring of 2013, Bayer
CropScience conducted large-
scale field studies with growers
and major planter manufacturers,
covering more than 40,000 acres
of corn and soybeans in North
America, including 13,000 acres
in Ontario and Quebec.
Its pretty simple really; easy
to apply, a lot smaller quantity,
says Ed Benjamins, an Ontario
farmer who participated in one of
the Fluency Agent studies.
Source: Bayer CropScience
news release
BMPs for
seed flow
lubricant
THE GROWER
PAGE 32 APRIL 2014
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 CELEBRATING 134 YEARS AS CANADAS PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION SECTION B
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
KAREN DAVIDSON
Three issues are driving more
growers to drip irrigation: water
conservation, increased labour
costs and the quest for higher
yields of grade A produce. In the
last two years, thats been the
trend observed by Ray
MacKenzie, design and sales,
Vanden Bussche Irrigation, Delhi,
Ontario.
Orchards are more like
vineyards today with high-density
plantings, explains MacKenzie.
Apple rootstocks need to be
watered during the entire season
because they are planted closer
together 48, 24, even down to
18 inches - and that means the
root mass is susceptible to
drought conditions.
Along with drip irrigation
comes the ability to fertigate.
Across the board, vegetables,
canteloupes, tomatoes and
peppers can benefit. Applying
small amounts of nutrients
directly to the root zone allows
for better nutrient uptake and less
potential for leaching. With these
benefits, growers are using drip
irrigation for crops as diverse as
pumpkins, onions, ginseng and
even arctic kiwis in Ontario. For
perennial crops such as aspara-
gus, sub-surface drip irrigation is
a worthwhile investment.
Drip irrigation has the
potential to save both in water
usage and fuel bills. MacKenzie
says that about 80 per cent of
their clients use diesel-powered
systems. The combination of
using less water and pumping at a
much lower pressure results in
greatly reduced fuel consumption.
But if theres a chance to use
hydro, its even more cost-
efficient. Thats difficult because
ponds are often in remote
locations.
Electric valves and controllers
are valuable devices to set regular
watering times and durations.
This saves both time and water by
not over- or under-watering and
reduces labour bills. Pump
controls have grown in popularity
in recent years. Variable
frequency drives for electric
pumps govern the speed of the
pump based on a required
pressure. Matching the pump
speed to actual requirements will
result in hydro bill savings.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Jason Ryder uses a low-pressure, Bauer irrigation boom to water spring onions near Delhi, Ontario. It will apply water evenly over the field and have less wind drift and
evaporation. This system is much gentler on the plants compared to a high-volume gun. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
Computerized technology enables precision watering
INSIDE
SECTION B
Managingspread of
Phytophthorablight
in irrigation water PageB4
Variablerateirrigation:
areport on bleeding-edge
technology PageB6
Marketplace PageB8
www.thegrower.org
The more
automation the better.
The idea isto spend
lesstime looking up at
the sky for weather and
more time looking
down to check soil
moisture conditions.
~ Ray MacKenzie

MICAH SHEARER-KUDEL
Farm & Food Care Ontario
held a conference in March to
wrap up its 2013 Water Resource
Adaptation and Management
Initiative (WRAMI) program.
The symposium was well attend-
ed, with nearly 75 guests eager to
know more about water conserva-
tion and efficiency research and
planning in Ontario agriculture.
WRAMI was an 18-month
program that allocated $900,000
to 17 demonstration and pilot
scale projects. WRAMIs goal
was to help Ontario farmers be
better prepared for low water
response, plan for drought pre-
paredness and adapt their water
use practices to cope with the
growing impacts of climate
change.
Some projects included irriga-
tion equipment and soil moisture
monitoring of potatoes, sod, corn,
tender fruit, grapes and field
crops.
Attendees included govern-
ment employees, private consul-
tants, students and academia
interested in knowing what inno-
vative and new technologies and
ideas are driving water use effi-
ciency and conservation in
Ontario agriculture.
The symposium featured
presentations about ten WRAMI
projects as well as feature
presentations from Chris Kinsley,
manager of the Ontario Rural
Wastewater Centre and John
Vieira of Strategic Research
Associates in Guelph. Vieira pre-
sented an initial look at a produc-
er water attitudes study which is
compiling information about how
farmers choose to irrigate and
how access to water impacts their
perceived value of land.
Jim Richardson, director of the
Environmental Management
Branch with the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food,
addressed the importance of
research and innovation in water
use conservation and efficiency in
Ontarios agricultural sector.
Several of the 2013 WRAMI
projects will continue during the
2014 growing season to collect
more data and evaluate their
water efficiency efforts.
Videos, photos, final reports
and results of all 17 projects are
available at
www.farmfoodcare.org under the
Environment button.
In 2014, the Water Adaptation
Management and Quality
Initiative (WAMQI) will build
upon the successes of WRAMI
and broaden the scope of projects
to include management of
nutrients. Research projects for
the 2014 growing season will be
chosen by the end of March and
will provide new research and
innovation in Ontarios
agricultural sector.
Micah Shearer-Kudel is
environmental coordinator for
Farm & Food Care Ontario.
THE GROWER
PAGE B2 APRIL 2014
Symposium showcases water conservation initiatives
Note the following important
correction to the CanadaGAP
Food Safety Manual for Fresh
Fruits and Vegetables and the
CanadaGAP Food Safety Manual
for Greenhouse Product, Versions
6.2 (2014). This correction relates
to testing water used for
cleaning. The require-
ment stated that water
from a municipal source
had to be tested when
used for cleaning; this
was an error and is not
the intent of the
requirement.
In addition to this cor-
rection, clarification was
provided in Section 15.1
that states: the person
responsible ensures the
water sample is taken
from the appropriate location
(e.g., equipment, tap, storage,
cistern/tank/container etc.)
The main changes to the
CanadaGAP manuals document,
along with the updated versions
of the manuals, can be found at
www.canadagap.ca/manuals/man-
ual-downloads/. For further
details, contact 613-829-4711 or
info@canadagap.ca
www.canadagap.ca
CanadaGAP issues correction notice on testing water
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
THE GROWER
Computerized technology enables precision watering
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
APRIL 2014 PAGE B3
WARWICK
ORCHARDS & NURSERY LTD.
R.R. #8 Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0
Tel: (519) 849-6730 Toll free: 877-550-7412
Fax: (519) 849-6731
Email: warwickorchards@brktel.on.ca
Munckhof Orchard Sprayers
Votex Shredders and Mowers
Orchard Equipment and Supplies
Pruning Tools
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Similar systems are now available
for diesel units as well, protecting
the pump and saving fuel. These
units may even include remote
start and monitoring capability
and tie the pump to a particular
field for thief protection.
The more automation the bet-
ter, says MacKenzie. The idea
is to spend less time looking up at
the sky for weather and more
time looking down to check soil
moisture conditions.
A whole range of soil moisture
meters are now available. This
tool works well when readings
are taken consistently between 9
am and 11 am every day for com-
parative purposes. However, good
intentions often go astray after
about a week.
We recommend automating
this chore, as well as readings
from a good flow meter, so that
growers can monitor soil mois-
ture every day from a central
computer, says MacKenzie.
This way, the operator can
check that all valves are function-
ing properly, moisture levels are
optimal for plants to thrive and
that plugging issues or under-
ground leaks havent occurred
somewhere along the line.
Boom irrigation systems are
still selling and have a much
higher uniformity, and less waste,
as compared to guns and sprin-
klers but do require more labour
to move and to set up each run.
Center pivots also are a highly
uniform way to distribute water,
and have a very low labour
requirement to operate on a daily
basis. However they are more
suited to larger, regularly-shaped
fields.
High density apple orchard with pressure compensating drip lines
Fully automated pump, sand filter, flow meter and fertilizer injector system for a 70-
acre, sub-surface drip irrigation system
Diesel pump automatic disc filter and fertilizer injector for drip irrigation
Automatic pressure control on a diesel pump unit used on multiple Bauer booms
THE GROWER
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
ELAINE RODDY
Phytophthora blight
(Phytophthora capsici) is a
serious and complicated disease
of peppers and cucurbit crops.
Under the appropriate environ-
mental conditions, infections can
quickly spread and completely
destroy a crop in a matter of days.
Chemical control options are
limited. They often provide only
suppression and not full control
of this disease.
The disease
Symptoms in peppers include
crown rot, foliar blight, fruit rot
and stunting. Initially, stem
lesions are dark green and water
soaked, later becoming dry and
purplish-brown. Typically, the
part of the plant above the
affected area wilts (Figure 1).
A brown discolouration of the
vascular tissue can be seen if the
main stem is cut open. Irregular
water-soaked lesions may appear
on the leaves, later drying to a tan
or bleached colour. The fruit may
develop water-soaked patches that
shrivel and darken.
A white to greyish mould may
appear on the lesion or inside the
fruit. Fruit typically shrivel, but
remain attached to the plant.
Depending on the type of
cucurbit and the time of infection,
symptoms include stunting,
crown rot and fruit rot. The
crown rot phase is the most
destructive. Dark-green lesions
form on the crown, girdling it and
causing the entire plant to turn
yellow/brown and die (Figure 2).
Fruit infections begin as a large
water-soaked lesion. Under
humid conditions, a thin layer of
white spores develop on the sur-
face of the fruit. These spores
resemble a fine dusting of pow-
dered sugar (Figure 3).
Spread and survival
One of the factors that make P.
capsici so persistent and difficult
to control is that the pathogen
produces different types of
spores, each suited to survival in
a different type of environment.
oospores live in plant debris and
in infested soil for long periods of
time (three to four years).
sporangia are formed on infect-
ed plant material. They can
become airborne, further spread-
ing the infection across the field.
In the presence of free water,
sporangia may burst releasing
zoospores.
zoospores live in water and can
actively swim through saturated
soils towards plant roots. They
are also carried in flowing water
and remain viable for several
days in streams and ponds.
Irrigation water studies at
Michigan State University
Mary Hausbeck, Department
of Plant, Soil and Microbial
Sciences, Michigan State
University, conducted an exten-
sive study on the presence and
potential impact of phytophthora
in irrigation water sources.
In this study, her team placed
cucumbers and pears in floating
milk crates. These were placed in
various different types of surface
water, including: rivers, ditches,
naturally fed ponds and ponds fed
from a deep well. The fruit baits
were left in the water for three to
five days at which time samples
of infected fruit tissue were ana-
lyzed in the lab for the presence
of P. capsici.
P. capsici was most commonly
found at the river and ditch
monitoring locations, especially
when the sampling location was
adjacent to a host crop. However,
the pathogen was present even in
years when the adjacent crop was
not a host crop. It was rarely
found in ponds fed by deep wells.
The spores do not appear to
overwinter in the water sources.
The assumption is the spores
enter water courses in the runoff
from infected or infested fields.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
The potential for spread of Phytophthora blight of cucurbits and
peppers in irrigation water
PAGE B4 APRIL 2014
Figure 1 Figure 2
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE B5
However, the study did not show
a clear relationship between
significant rain events and the
presence of P. capsici in the
water source.
The study did indicate that
irrigation from surface water is a
potential source of phytophthora
infection in cucurbit and pepper
crops.
Home-grown testing efforts
Should Ontario growers conduct
similar tests on their own water
sources? Not necessarily. In the
Michigan study, the presence of
P. capsici varied greatly over the
sampling periods. Even a
high-risk water source may test
negative one week and positive
the next. Each test really only
provides a snap shot in time and
not a full picture of the relative
risk. By the time the test results
have been analyzed, the in-field
situation will undoubtedly have
changed.
The lab procedure used by
Hausbeck is labour intensive and
expensive. It is possible that other
methods of testing, such as
immunostrips or water sampling,
may be less expensive; but these
methods have not been thorough-
ly investigated or proven
comparable to the lab results.
The take home message from
her study was: avoid using sur-
face water to irrigate susceptible
crops, especially if there is a
history of P. capsici in the area.
Deep wells, or irrigation ponds
fed by deep wells are the safest
option.
The Michigan study did not
investigate ponds filled from
surface water during spring
runoff. If the pond does not
receive additional surface water
or runoff water during the
growing season, it can be
assumed that the risk would be
low; however there is no research
to support this assumption.
Best management practices
Drainage, drainage, drainage.
Phytophthora thrives in wet soil
conditions. Do not grow suscepti-
ble crops in poorly drained fields.
Avoid planting into low-lying
areas. Adopt production practices
that minimize compaction. These
practices include the use of cover
crops, dedicated drive rows and
rotation with deep-rooted crops.
The use of raised beds improves
drainage and will help reduce lev-
els of infection.
Follow a crop rotation away
from all host crops for at least
four years. See the inset below
for a list of potential host crops.
Do not over-irrigate, especially
during harvest.
Remove all plants showing
symptoms (and a border of
surrounding healthy plants)
from the field.
Clean all equipment and boots
to avoid moving the pathogen to
uninfected fields.
Certain pepper varieties have
some tolerance to phytophthora.
Phytophthora capsici - host
crops
While not all of these crops will
show obvious signs of infection
from P. capsici in the field, they
may act as hosts. Avoid growing
any of these in rotation with
cucurbit and pepper crops.
Cucurbits cantaloupe, cucum-
ber, gourd, pumpkin, squash, zuc-
chini, watermelon
Solanaceae eggplant, pepper,
nightshade, tobacco, tomato
Legumes snap beans, lima
beans, peas
Others beet, radish, turnip,
swiss chard, carrot, spinach,
onion, velvet leaf
References
Gevens, A.J., Lamour, K.H.,
Donahoo, R., and Hausbeck,
M.K. 2007. Characterization of
Phytophthora capsici from
Michigan surface irrigation water.
Phytopathology 97:421-428.
Hausbeck, M.K., Granke, L.L.,
and Linderman, S.D. 2012.
Phytophthora and Irrigation
Water. Michigan State University
Extension Factsheet.
Ontario CropIPM Phytophthora
Blight of Peppers.
www.ontario.ca/cropIPM
Babadoost, M. 2014.
Proceedings: Disease
Management Workshop
Phytophthora Blight of Cucurbits
and Peppers. Ridgetown, Ontario.
Elaine Roddy is vegetable crops
specialist for Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food/Ministry of
Rural Affairs.
The potential for spread of Phytophthora blight
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
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Figure 3
THE GROWER
PAGE B6 APRIL 2014
Variable rate irrigation reduces production variability
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
KAREN DAVIDSON
Maps that look like a catscan
of your brain are now in use for
micro-irrigating potato fields. The
first step to employing variable
rate irrigation (VRI), these
colour-coded maps prescribe the
right amount of water for fields
that are less than homogenous.
VRI means that water is pin-
pointed so that individual parts of
a field receive the optimal amount
for site-specific soil and crop
conditions. Just a handful of the
VRI rigs are operating in
Canadas potato fields estimates
Jeff Bronsch, president and CEO
of Sunrise Ag in Taber, Alberta.
But in his early learning curve,
the agronomy advisor can see that
tangible economic benefits may
come from addressing field
variability through water and
fertigation.
Understanding the soil-water
relationship is paramount, says
Bronsch. In a presentation at the
2014 Manitoba Potato Production
Days, Bronsch demonstrated how
soil moisture holding capacities
are related to topography.
Not every sandy clay loam is
created equal, at least from a
water-holding capacity stand-
point, said Bronsch. The
watering requirements differ for a
sandy loam consisting of 77 per
sand and 21 per cent clay
compared to 46 per cent sand and
34 per cent clay. In his example,
the first scenario has soil moisture
capacity of 35 mm/30 cm but a
great deal more of 52mm/30 cm
in the second example. All grow-
ers will instinctively know there
are differences, but until recently,
did not have the technology to
prescribe irrigation remedies.
Bronsch can foresee growers
planting differently under a center
pivot, with perhaps a combination
of table, chipper and Russet
potatoes. That strategy in itself
diversifies markets. The variable
frequency drives (VFD) used in
this technology can save both
water and energy. The Ag Tech
Center in Lethbridge has
published some of the economics
at www.farmingsmarter.com.
Similar field experiments are
underway in Ontario, where a
significant portion of the
provinces 38,000 potato acres is
prone to low rainfall. Ironically,
2013 was the initial year for a
variable rate irrigation project that
coincided with plentiful moisture.
That said, the project funded by
the Water Resource Adaptation
and Management Initiative
(WRAMI) pursued sound objec-
tives and yielded some results
worth pursuing another year.
The first step was to compile a
management zone map that
depicts productivity across the
field. Several spatial layers of
information can be used to define
management zones for VRI:
elevation (slope), soil type and
texture, aerial imagery (early
spring/bare ground), existing
yield maps. Using a Geographic
Information System (GIS),
analysis between those spatial
layers is used to divide the field
into management zones that then
form the VRI water prescription.
This precision irrigation
strategy is then complemented
with installation of real-time,
in-field soil moisture monitors at
specific depths and locations
across the field which roughly
represent the GIS-defined
management zones.
Homer Vander Zaag, the
participating farmer, says that the
most labour-intensive part of the
project is blending all the soil
data into one field map. More
work is required to define when
to irrigate and how much in each
management zone. Soil moisture
monitoring could help in the
future in terms of archiving water
balance history and using those
records to estimate when the crop
is becoming moisture stressed. In
his mind, the question will be:
Did variable rate irrigation add
enough or not enough to optimize
tuber development?
Reducing production
variability is the key to increased
profits, concludes Bronsch.
And while yield is important,
quality is king.
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Bradford, ON
L3Z 2A5
Ph: 905-960-0033
sales@agriveg.ca
www.agriveg.ca
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Variable rate fertigation, Data Driven Agriculture
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE B7
FOCUS: IRRIGATION
REBECCA SHORTT
Are you considering improv-
ing your on-farm water use effi-
ciency? Do you know what prac-
tices are eligible for cost-share
funding under the Growing
Forward 2 (GF2) Implementation
Funding Assistance program for
producers?
The following paragraphs out-
line my top two recommended
practices for improving water
efficiency and they are both eli-
gible for GF2 funding.
Importance of monitoring
water use with a meter
Knowing how much water you
use is the first step to increasing
farm water use efficiency.
Installing a water meter is a bene-
ficial step for any farm practice
which uses water.
A water meter provides an
instantaneous reading of the flow
of water for the application (e.g.
irrigation system) and helps to
diagnose if the system is operat-
ing as designed.
Higher than usual flow? Check
the system for leaks, worn noz-
zles and malfunctioning valves.
Lower than usual flow? Check
the system for plugging, malfunc-
tioning valves and pump station
performance.
Monitoring the water flow
from an application over a period
of time, and tracking the total
flow reading will help to assess
the on-going water use from each
application and will help you to
evaluate new practices or equip-
ment.
Assesses the impact of new
management practices on the
basis of their water usage.
Allows for an optimization of
water use by comparing the water
use and associated costs of differ-
ent practices.
Under scenarios of climate
change and where water supplies
are stressed, a water monitoring
program is the first tool needed to
identify water-efficient opportuni-
ties.
In addition to the meter itself,
wireless transmission of the meter
readings, loggers and software to
graph the output are all useful
tools to assist you in making good
use of the data collected in a
timely manner.
Importance of monitoring soil
moisture with an instrument
Monitoring soil moisture is the
key to getting the right amount of
water to crops at the right time.
The use of soil moisture monitor-
ing equipment will benefit deci-
sion-making on all irrigated
farms.
Monitoring soil moisture and
taking action to use the informa-
tion provided in irrigation deci-
sions will help growers manage
soil moisture. Choosing the right
times and the right amounts to
irrigate can lead to:
Higher yields
Better product quality
Improved plant vigour
Reduction in disease
More effective use of water
(water efficiency)
Reduced irrigation costs
Soil moisture instrument
demonstrations have occurred in
southern Ontario and cooperating
farms reported the following out-
comes:
My understanding of soil mois-
ture monitoring has improved. I
now know the field capacity,
wilting point and my optimum
irrigation trigger points.
Soil moisture monitoring helps
me determine when irrigation is
beneficial.
Now I know what is going on
in the soil profile; before I was
guessing
The soil moisture instruments
taught me the best timing and
quantities to apply; you can see
the trends in the graphs to see if
youve applied enough or too
much.
From the soil moisture instru-
ments I learned that I was not
applying enough water.
In addition to the soil moisture
instruments themselves, wireless
transmission of the moisture read-
ings, loggers and software to
graph the output are all useful
tools to assist you in making good
decisions based on the data col-
lected.
Rebecca Shortt, is water quantity
engineer for OMAF/MRA.
Two practices to improve on-farm water use efficiency




















































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THE GROWER
PAGE B8 APRIL 2014
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 866-898-8488 x 218 Fax: 519-380-0011
SEED AND ROOTSTOCK
ALTERNATIVE CROPS
Howard A. Colcuc
Nursery Manager
R.R. #4 Creek Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. L0S 1J0
Tel: (905) 262-4971
Fax: (905) 262-4404
howardcolcuc@rogers.com
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SALES
SERVICE
SUPPORT
LABELS &
LABEL MACHINERY
Oriental Vegetable Seeds
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THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE B9
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 866-898-8488 x 218 Fax: 519-380-0011
SEED AND ROOTSTOCK
QUALITY
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Fax: (519) 849-6731
HELP WANTED
VEGETABLE FARM
OTTERVILLE, ONTARIO
Older farmer slowing down,
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Email resumes to
denboer@xplornet.ca
or Fax 519-879-6217.
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THE GROWER
PAGE B10 APRIL 2014
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 866-898-8488 x 218 Fax: 519-380-0011
EQUIPMENT
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M ankar Sprayers 2 M D860, 3 Flexomant
K ongskilde S-tyne Harrow, 13 wide
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Other Equipment
Reel mower decks for Jacobsen Fairway M ower ( 5 available)
M itsubishi Reach Forklift M odel ESR36
For more information contact Vermeulen Farms, C anning, Nova Scotia
902 582 7806, info@vermeulenfarms.com
or visit vermeulenfarms.com
GLADIOLUS BULBS
Wide variety selection for retail sales and
commercial cut flower production
Catalogue available upon request or
visit our website at www.lmbolle.com
L.M.Bolle & Sons
813083 Baseline Norwich, ON
(519) 468-2090 Fax 468-2099
email: lmbolle@execulink.com
FLOWER BULBS
319 Acres on County Rd
13, Adjala-Tosorontio, just
north of Hwy 89.
84 acres currently being
cultivated. Potential for
additional crops,
aggregate, home or
agricultural use. $1,900,000
Martha Marton
Realtor/ Sales Representative
Century 21 HeritageGroup Ltd.
855.99.2.SELL (7355) toll free
905.392.8980 direct
905.775.5677 x5319 office
866.657.6906 facsimile
martha@martha2sell.ca
www.martha2sell.ca
For Sale
- 4 Row mechanical plug
transplanter with water
tank assembly on wheels.
Needs tune up
- 53' reefer trailer. Good
working order
- very good 4 row RJ plug
planter
- plywood or slatted boxes
for sale.
Call: 705 793 9870
MAY 2014
CONTAINER FOCUS
Book by April 15
Reserve your
ad space now for the
May 2014 issue of
The Grower.
advertising@thegrower.org
THE GROWER
APRIL 2014 PAGE B11
CONTAINERS
MARKETPLACE
To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 866-898-8488 x 218 Fax: 519-380-0011
IRRIGATION
One-Piece and Portable Skid-Mount Systems, Hydro-
Coolers, Medical and Process Chillers, Blast Freezers,
Vacuum Coolers, Refrigerated Dehumidiers.
KOOL JET

Reliable Refrigeration Systems

1-866-748-7786 www.kooljet.com
Visit our website to view our complete line
Custom Built Designs Domestic and International Markets
REFRIGERATION
REFRIGERATION
Transplanter, one row " Lannen "
3pth c/w 150 gal. water tank.
Stored inside,excellent condition
$3,500. 905-531-9819
Potato Equipment, complete line
of planting,harvesting, washing/
packing equipment suitable for
growing 10-100 acres. Used last
season,package deal @ $40,000.
Call for detailed listing of all
equipment. 905-531-9819
Turbo-Mist orchard sprayer for
sale. Turbo Steer, 400 gal., 30
fan. Excellent condition. Always
stored inside. Call 905-765-2027
For Sale: Gandy steel box row
applicator with rubber rotor,
capacity 45 lbs. Call 519-458-
8850.
Kennco style sled bedder, $1250
obo. Decloet High clearance
sprayer, late model, set up for
sweet corn $4500 obo. Jacobs
greenhouse walkway $4 /ft.Call
519-768-1590.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Greenhouse and Field Soil Fumigation
Custommade equipment for bedding, fumigation,
mulch laying, planting, solid tarp applicators and
equipment rentals
Black mulch plastic . . . Embossed and U.V. treated
Perforated Tunnels . . . Clear & white
Wire hoops, row cover, mesh cloth field cover
& drip irrigation.
1738 Seacliff Drive Kingsville, ON N9Y 2M6
519-919-1738 (cell)
Turn your used farm
equipment into cash.
CLASSIFIED ADS
866.898.8488
extension 221
THE GROWER
PAGE B12 APRIL 2014
Theres nothing to see here. Nothing at all, except
your healthy orchard. Thats because Alion

is
hard at work. This pre-emergent broad spectrum
herbicide stops weeds before they start, so you
wont see them all season long. Apply it once
for complete residual protection against
both broadleaf and grassy weeds including
glyphosate-, triazine- and ALS-resistant weeds.
When it comes to weed control in your orchard,
theres simply nothing better.
Learn more at BayerCropScience.ca/Alion
BayerCropScience.ca/Alion or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.
Always read and follow label directions. Alion

is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
Its like watching
grass grow.
Only it wont.