Vegetable Crop Update - Tomato & Pepper Edition- February 7, 2012

Measuring Social Media and Smartphone Use in Ontario Agriculture

Social media and smartphone topics have been popular at farm meetings this winter, and for good reason. Many farmers and other agribusinesses are using these online and mobile tools to streamline and improve their communications and business activities.

Researchers, OMAFRA specialists, and other organizations who want to get current information out to the industry need to take advantage of these tools and be part of the conversation. For the innovators and influencers who are using these tools, it's a timely and efficient way to share information and ideas.

OMAFRA field staff in Ridgetown are leading an OMAFRA/University of Guelph initiative to determine the level of usage of various smartphone and mobile device platforms and communication tools, including social media, in the Ontario agriculture industry. An online survey has just been launched, aimed at those working in agriculture across the province. The questions will focus on whether you are using social media, smartphones, or other internet, media, and print resources in your agricultural business. Agricultural students are also included in the survey.

The online survey is being conducted by Ipsos Reid. The project team hopes to get participation from a wide range of people across the industry - and from those who get their information from a wide variety of sources, not just those with smartphones and Twitter accounts. The existing ways of sharing information aren't being thrown out just because we have some new tools, but with so many options out there, it's a good time to ask people how they want to get their information.

The online survey is found at: http://www.ipsosresearch.com/omafra/. It should take less than ten minutes to complete.

Results will be available early in April and the information will give agricultural organizations and businesses more data to use in deciding where to focus their efforts in mobile tools and online communication with their members, clients, or stakeholders.

This project is funded by Agri-Food and Rural Link, the Knowledge Translation and Transfer program under the OMAFRA-U of G Partnership.

New OMAFRA Guide to Weed Control

This guide has been the definitive source of weed control information in Ontario for more than 50 years. It has the latest information on managing weeds in all crops and agricultural situations. The new guide features:

• chapter tabs for quicker referencing
• a number of new products and tank-mixes in various field and horticulture crops
• updated Weed Control Rating Tables
• the latest information on confirmed populations of herbicide resistant weeds in Ontario
• information on diagnostic labs that will test for herbicide resistance
• improved re-cropping (plant back) tables, with lab contacts to perform field bioassay tests
• PCP numbers added to table on herbicides used in Ontario for quick reference

Publication 75 also provides you with updates on integrated weed management, application technology and safety precautions. This is an excellent supplement to the information found on commercial labels. It costs $15 plus tax or can be downloaded in pdf format from the ServiceOntario website at no charge (5.6 MB).

How to order

Online: Visit the ServiceOntario Publications website at http://www.publications.serviceontario.ca and search for 0075E for the English version or 0075F for the French version. Or use http://ontario.ca/ei73 to go directly to the order/download page for the Guide to Weed Control.

By phone: Contact the ServiceOntario Publications Contact Centre at 1-800-668-9938 or 416-326-5300 or TTY 1-800-268-7095 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

How Niagara Can Boost Your Vegetable Operation

Looking to pick up some information, ideas, contacts, and resources to improve your vegetable production or to help you in your business? The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be worth the trip. Scheduled for February 22-23 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre (6815 Stanley Avenue) in Niagara Falls, it will provide two full days of field vegetable programming as well as a large trade show (and a variety of other educational sessions, too).

Highlights

Vegetable Diseases - Wednesday, Feb. 22, 9:30 - 11:30 am This session will cover tomato late blight, clubroot in brassica vegetables, pumpkin and squash harvest rots, and bulb and stem nematode in garlic with speakers from Cornell University and University of Guelph research stations.

Vegetable Weed Management - Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2:00 - 4:00 pm Speakers from the University of Guelph's Ridgetown Campus and OMAFRA will discuss cover crops and weed suppression in pumpkins, the impact of perimeter weeds, herbicide resistant weeds, and sprayer maintenance and nozzle selection.

Sweet Corn - Thursday, February 23, 9:30 - 11:30 am Not just for sweet corn growers, this session will cover the emerging pest, western bean cutworm, an update on new pest control products for vegetables, options for soil remediation after a wet fall, and tillage and cover crop solutions, featuring speakers from Michigan State University, the University of Guelph's Ridgetown Campus, OMAFRA, and crop protection companies.

Vegetables - General Topics - Thursday, February 23, 2:00 - 4:00 pm This session features topics that cut across commodities - a research update on vegetable insects, soil management for crop health and pest management in high tunnels, accessing niche markets, and an introduction to the new OMAFRA vegetable publications and review of other vegetable resources for Ontario. Join speakers from Cornell University, OMAFRA, and Ridgetown Campus, as well as a prominent farm innovator, for this set of presentations.

Get the details at http://www.ofvc.ca/. You can register online or by mail, email, or fax. The deadline for preregistration is February 15. On site registration is also available. Access a printer-friendly version of the OFVC Field Vegetable Program at http://bit.ly/OFVCveg.

Follow us on Twitter! Go to http://twitter.com/ and search for #OFVC12 to join the conversation.

Tomato Day

District 1 of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers and OMAFRA present…the 36th Annual Tomato Day.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 8:00 am - 2:15 pm

Countryview Golf Course, 25393 St. Clair Rd., Dover Centre, ON

Admission: $25 (includes educational program, trade show, hot lunch). No preregistration is required.

8:00 am Registration and refreshments, Trade Show
8:30 am Welcome and Opening Remarks, Doug Toews, District 1 Chair
8:40 am Climate Change and Crop Production, Dr. Jeff Andresen, Michigan State University
9:25 am Leamington Irrigation Scheduling Project Wrap-up, Felix Jaria, BRACE Institute, McGill University
9:45 am Nitrogen Movement Under Drip Irrigation, Anne Verhallen, Soil Management Specialist - Horticulture, OMAFRA
10:05 am Late Blight Update, Janice LeBoeuf, Vegetable Crop Specialist, OMAFRA
10:10 am Bacterial Disease Update, Cheryl Trueman, Ridgetown Campus - University of Guelph
10:30 am BREAK and TRADE SHOW
11:00 am Vine Decline/Corky Root Update, Janice LeBoeuf, Vegetable Crop Specialist, OMAFRA
11:05 am Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Update, Cheryl Trueman, Ridgetown Campus - University of Guelph
11:10 am Herbicide Tolerant Crop Update, Kristen Callow, Weed Management Program Lead - Horticulture, OMAFRA
11:40 am Spray Drift or Spill Response - What You Need To Know,
Robert Debrabandere, Western General/Economical Insurance Group
12:10 pm LUNCH and TRADE SHOW
1:40 pm California Update, Ken Hamm, District 1
1:50 pm Weed Management Update, Dr. Darren Robinson, Ridgetown Campus - University of Guelph
2:25 pm ADJOURN

CCA Continuing Education Credits have been applied for.

Questions? Comments? Give me a call at (519) 674-1699 or email janice.leboeuf@ontario.ca.

See the update online at http://onvegetables.com/

Visit the OMAFRA Vegetable Web Pages: ontario.ca/crops - click Field Vegetables

Follow ontariotomato on Twitter