Osama El-Lissy, with the Plant Protection program of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), said in a statement that the unsolicited seed packets postmarked from China have contained several plant species.
“We have identified 14 different species of seeds, including mustard, cabbage, morning glory and some of the herbs, like mint, sage, rosemary, lavender. Then other seeds like hibiscus and roses. This is just a sub-set of the samples we’ve collected so far”, El-Lissy said.
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc., an international leader in sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions, and Vive Crop Protection, a leader in Precision Chemistry solutions and owner of the patented Allosperse technology, announced an agreement that will provide a suite of ground-breaking products for U.S. growers that combine a leading biological with proven conventional chemistry utilizing the unique Allosperse Delivery System.
The first product to come from this joint effort will be AZterknot FC, a fungicide for broad crop use marketed by Vive Crop Protection. It fuses the plant health benefits of two actives: Reynoutria extract, the active ingredient in biological market-leader Regalia, and the disease-fighting power of azoxystrobin, the active ingredient in AZteroid FC 3.3.
AZterknot FC will also contain Vive’s Allosperse Delivery System technology, which provides superior handling characteristics including compatibility with in-furrow, pop-up and foliar liquid fertilizers. Pending EPA registration approval, the product will be approved for foliar and in-furrow application on all major crops in the U.S. (excluding California).
Dan Bihlmeyer, vice president of sales and marketing with Vive Crop Protection says, “The collaboration with MBI allows us to bring growers the best of three approaches to crop protection: chemistry, biologicals and nanotechnology. With AZterknot FC, growers will have access to the combined power of a leading biological and of a proven fungicide chemistry. Research has shown that the two actives, in combination with the Allosperse Delivery System, work together to control disease, improve plant health, and increase yield.”
MBI will also market a version of the product to specialty crop growers when regulatory approval is granted. Regalia is one of the most used biologicals in the specialty crop market and the combination with azoxystrobin and the Allosperse technology will provide specialty crop growers with the convenience of a single product that delivers enhanced performance and improved yield in a highly compatible formulation.
“Our partnership with Vive is an example of how MBI has focused on growth by creating innovative and integrated crop management solutions for growers of a wide range of crops,” said Kevin Hammill, chief commercial officer for Marrone Bio Innovations. “These next-generation BioUnite™ products will not only give U.S. growers access to effective crop protection technology, but it will allow them to better manage their crops by harnessing the power of biologicals with the performance of chemistry.”
Regulatory approval for AZterknot FC is expected in mid-2021 and will be available through distributor and retail commercial channels in the U.S.
Washington State could become the new California in vegetable production as the climate warms.
A new article explores a future with increased vegetable production in Washington’s irrigated Columbia Basin, and what that might mean for crop yields, economic returns, and irrigation water use and greenhouse gas emissions.
With a focus on tomato, carrots, broccoli, spinach and lettuce:
In a press release, Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness has announced the launch of a new and improved website at wilburellisagribusiness.com. Grower focus groups, feedback sessions and much more went into developing a website that better fits growers’ needs with easier navigation, better search functions and an overall improved user experience.
The website features a fresh, updated look to help drive Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness into the future of agriculture. Customers and other visitors will see firsthand the results of a strong focus on the user experience, allowing them to find and discover the exact products and services their operation needs. The addition of a new, streamlined locations page allows users to find their nearest Wilbur-Ellis branch, contact representatives near them and fine-tune their solutions even further.
In a press release, USDA said they are aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, other federal agencies, and State departments of agriculture to investigate the situation.
USDA urges anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds to immediately contact their State plant regulatory official or APHIS State plant health director. Please hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your State department of agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions. Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.
At this time, USDA doesn’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents and determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment.
USDA is committed to preventing the unlawful entry of prohibited seeds and protecting U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds. Visit the APHIS’ website to learn more about USDA’s efforts to stop agricultural smuggling and promote trade compliance.
Washington State University (WSU) is conducting a short survey regarding beet leafhopper management in commercial carrot crops produced in the Columbia Basin.
The survey is limited to carrot producers in the Columbia Basin region. The survey will take about 3 minutes, and responses are anonymous.
With the massive economic impact of COVID-19, the need for full food banks is more important than ever and asset management and disposition company Ritchie Bros. has stepped up to help. Over the past several weeks, Ritchie Bros. has made $187,500 in donations to 52 different food banks around the world, including organizations in United States, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
The donations included $85,000 donated to U.S. food banks and $67,500 to Canadian food banks
“Right now there are tens of millions of men and women out of work, worried about how they are going to continue putting food on the table for themselves and their families—we are just trying to do our small part to help,” said Ann Fandozzi, Chief Executive Officer, Ritchie Bros. “We hope our donations will inspire our employees and customers to give back to their community—with their time and/or their money. Please join us in supporting food banks around the world.”
One of the company’s larger donations was a $25,000 grant made to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank in British Columbia, Canada, where Ritchie Bros.’ head office and several hundred of its employees call home.
The national carrot market shows higher volume and pricing than the previous two years.
While those two things don’t usually go hand-in-hand, two factors may be leading unusual strength to the market. The pandemic has seen stronger consumer demand for many vegetables, and carrots are among them, posting 5-10 percent higher year-over-year retail sales in June.
Carrots are also a common item in a food box, and the USDA’s program started in mid-May and continues today, which could be propping up the market.
Exploring Alternative Strategies for Nematode Management in Processing Carrots
By Elisabeth Darling, Sita Thapa and Marisol Quintanilla, Michigan State University
Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) alone can cause approximately $80 billion of annual crop loss worldwide. Root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are considered to be the third most economically important PPN in relation to their impact on crops, behind cyst nematodes and root-knot nematodes.
Historically, carrot growers have associated severe PPN damage with the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) and, in some cases, the carrot cyst nematode (Heterodera carotae). However, more recently, the root lesion nematode (RLN) has become more prevalent in carrot fields, especially in mineral soils in Michigan.
The economic threshold for RLN is 50-100 nematodes per 100cc of soil. At these levels, RLN can result in the production of unmarketable characteristics such as stubby and forked carrots (Fig. 1).
Currently, the grower standard for PPN control in carrots is Vydate (oxamyl), which has shown reliable suppression of RLN. In 2016, Vydate became unavailable for the growing season, leaving many growers without reliable control for PPN. This incident emphasized the need for a reliable alternative to Vydate for nematode suppression.
In response, a flood of biologically based nematicides have become available to growers. However, the effectiveness of many of these new products has not been sufficiently evaluated. This highlights the necessity of evaluating alternative methods of control, specifically focusing on biological nematicides, incorporating compost and cover cropping using non-host plants.
Field Trial Results
For the past three years (2017, 2018 and 2019), the applied nematology laboratory at Michigan State University evaluated a list of chemical and biological compounds (Table 1) to manage nematodes in carrot plantings located in Hart, Michigan. In 2017, Vydate increased marketable yield in carrots. In 2018, carrot yields across all treatments (~40 tons/acre) were significantly higher than 2017 (~15 tons/acre). MeloCon was the only treatment that had a lower number of RLN than the control at 21 days post-application. In 2019, nematode pressure was considerably lower than in the past two years (>15 nematodes per 100cc). No trends existed across all three years. However, all treatments reduced nematode counts compared to the untreated control. The Layer Ash Blend (LAB) treatment produced the highest total yield in 2019, followed by a combination treatment of LAB and Vydate.
In addition to nematicide trials, our lab is beginning to evaluate non-host cover crops to reduce RLN. Thus far, we have evaluated multiple cover crops in growth chamber assays. Results indicate that the oilseed radish cultivars “Control,” “Concorde” and “Select,” as well as Dwarf Essex Rape are poor hosts of RLN. All the poor host cover crop cultivars from the growth chamber screening will be evaluated in carrot fields for nematode management in summer 2020.
Table 1. Products applied in Hart, Mich., on processing carrot (cultivar Cupar) during 2017, 2018 and 2019 field trials. The goal of the trial was to identify alternative nematicide treatments with control comparable to Vydate (active: oxamyl). ** indicates treatments that were evaluated for two years instead of three.
Chemicals for Nematode Management
Over the past three growing seasons, we aimed to determine the efficacies of popular alternatives to Vydate. In the field trial established throughout the growing seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2019 in Hart, Michigan, plots were arranged in a complete randomized block pattern, and each treatment was replicated five times. Chemical or biological treatments (Table 1) were applied in the following ways: pre-plant (compost), in-furrow (Velum Prime, MeloCon, Majestene) and hand-held sprayer prior to plant (Nimitz). Soil samples were collected four times throughout the season: initial, 21-day post-application, mid-season and harvest. Soil samples were processed to identify nematode populations and diversity. A 1-meter row of carrots was selected within each plot to harvest and evaluate. Carrots harvested went through grading based on USDA standards, and each carrot was evaluated for nematode damage.
Despite seeing some trends between years, no treatment showed to have a significant reduction of unmarketable characteristics or yield comparable to Vydate. The turbulent 2019 field season proved to show considerable challenges for farmers and researchers. Although it is notable to mention that while not significantly, all treatments did outperform the untreated control plots in nematode reduction. For this reason, we are evaluating a new selection of biological nematicides, as well as performing preliminary evaluations on potential cover crops.
Figure 2. Lesion nematode counts on different cover crops after growth chamber host evaluation. Bars with the same letters are not significantly different. Oilseed radish cultivars “Control ASC” and “Concorde’” were from Allied Seed and the remaining from Dean Baas, Michigan State University.
Cover Crops as Sustainable Strategy
As a non-chemical alternative, cover crops including oilseed radish (OSR) have been shown to reduce plant-parasitic nematode populations. Several studies have shown that OSR cover crops not only reduce nematode populations but also suppress weeds, recycle nitrogen and significantly improve carrot yields. Carrot growers feel OSR is an ideal cover crop because it winter kills, leaves behind less residue than other cover crops and provides a nice, “mellow” seedbed for the small-seeded carrots.
To qualify as a good cover crop for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes, the crop should be a poor host for the nematodes, thereby lowering the population after incorporation of the crop into the soil. Our main objective with this project is to identify excellent cover crop cultivars for the management of nematodes.
In growth chamber trials, we evaluated the host status of 10 OSR cultivars, tillage radish and Dwarf Essex Rape for the RLN. We found that OSR cultivars “Control,” “Concorde” and “Select” and Dwarf Essex Rape (Fig. 2) are poor hosts of RLN.
Currently, another trial for root-knot nematode is ongoing. This project is in the starting phase; however, results indicating poor hosts of both lesion nematode and root-knot nematode will be evaluated in carrot fields in summer 2020.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchased Frozen Seasonal Vegetables for distribution to the National School Lunch and other Federal Food and Nutrition Programs for Fiscal Year 2020.
The carrot purchase was split between two vendors and totals $992,240.40.
The purchase is the result of offers received in response to Solicitation No. 2000007055 dated June 8, 2020.
The materials were purchased on an f.o.b. destination basis. Deliveries are to be made from October 1, 2020 to December 15, 2020.
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