| | Featured Websites | Interesting News / Articles to Read this Month | Mental Snacktime | Call for Research Project Collaborators | Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) Programs | Be on the lookout for Late Blight | Q and A
Featured Websites
Pivot & Grow – Green Manure Toolkit
CFIA – Invasive Species website
Interesting News / Articles to Read this month
Mental Snacktime – Balance
- “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein
- “Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress.” – Melody Beattie
- “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton
- “There is a fine balance between honoring the past and losing yourself in it. For example, you can acknowledge and learn from mistakes you made, and then move on and refocus on the now. It is called forgiving yourself.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.” – Thomas Kinkade
- “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” – William Arthur Ward
Call for Research Project Collaborators
A researcher from the Pest Management Centre of Agriculture Canada is looking to secure the paid cooperation of some Alberta commercial chokecherry producers in PMRA cropping zones 7 and 14 to carry out a fungicide field trial study (not a currently registered product). Zone 14 is most of Alberta, except the irrigated parts of southern Alberta, whereas Zone 7 is the extreme southeast corner/edge of Alberta.
For the study, the contracted research group will carry out the study on approximately 10 shrubs (4 untreated, 6 treated), in either separate or same rows, but with buffer zones between treatments. All treated fruit would be removed and destroyed, as the test product is not registered. Participating growers would be compensated for the loss of the crop as a part of the land rental agreement.
If you have producing commercial chokecherries (in a paid situation) and you would be willing to participate, please contact Robert Spencer, who will pass on your contact information to the researcher. Please Indicate by June 29.
Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) Programs
Have a look at the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) Program website (www.cap.alberta.ca). CAP is a five-year, $3 billion federal-provincial-territorial investment in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. It is the successor of the 2013-18 Growing Forward 2 (GF2) partnership.
In Alberta, CAP represents a federal - provincial investment of $406 million in strategic programs and initiatives for the agricultural sector. The roll-out of the CAP program suite in Alberta began in April, 2018, and will consist of a phased roll-out of 15 programs over the spring, summer and fall of 2018. Applications and program details consisting of cost-shares and eligible activities and/or items will be released with the opening of each program. The criteria for eligibility will be made available along with the program details.
Please note, there are some differences between CAP and GF2 programs, including many of the programs being merit-based (as opposed to 1st come/1st served), with specific intake periods staged throughout the year. Check each program for specifics.
In Alberta, CAP will deliver programs developed in consultation with stakeholders, and is organized under five themes: Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change; Products, Market Growth and Diversification; Science and Research; Risk Management; and Public Trust.
If you had subscribed to receive updates from the GF2 website, you will have to re-subscribe for updates from CAP. Click on the ORANGE button in the upper right, to subscribe.
www.cap.alberta.ca
Be on the lookout for Late Blight
Over the last few years, there has been a great deal of concern in Alberta surrounding a serious disease called Late blight that affects mainly potatoes and tomatoes. This disease is caused by a fungal pathogen called Phytophthora infestans. The favourable conditions for disease development, combined with the presence of the pathogen, have resulted in multiple outbreaks of Late blight in commercial, market garden and urban potato and tomato crops throughout parts of Alberta in past years. A number of different strains of the pathogen have been identified in different years, each being more or less aggressive on either potatoes or tomatoes. For 2018, this disease continues to be a risk for all Solanaceous crops (potato/tomato family) grown in Alberta.
It is recommended that ALL growers of potatoes and tomatoes be extra vigilant to try and catch any diseased material early on, before a significant outbreak can occur. In the early season, growers should watch for:
- Tomato transplants and newly emerged potato shoots with water-soaked leaf lesions
- Plants that develop lesions early on in the season or as the season progresses, particularly if conditions are moderate and wet/humid
If you find plants showing suspicious lesions, it is recommended that you can contact 310-FARM (3276) to determine if further testing is required and to discuss management. Please do not hesitate to report an incidence, as early awareness will help to prevent and contain an outbreak and can help others to protect their crops.
While undertaking identification, producers should dispose of infected material as quickly as possible, removing disease parts (small scale) or killing out plants so disease cannot develop further. Protective fungicide applications can be made if conditions favour disease (and if disease is known to be present in the province
Information on Late Blight
FAQ – Late Blight of Potatoes and Tomatoes
Q and A
Q: What benefits have you observed from having a crop rotation?
A: Better disease and insect control. And better weed control. For some insects, it is only control because of resistance
A: None. I don't bother and haven't noticed anything that would make me try.
A: Less disease and weed pressure
A: We only have berries, so this does not apply to us now. Before this we were a dairy farm and crop rotation cut down on gophers and weeds.
A: I rotate my whole garden all the time. We have never had any major disease or pest issues.
A: Decreases pathogenic organisms (e.g. insects, diseases, weeds, etc.), reduces chemical pesticide use, reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, increases yield.
A: Less disease
A: I am not a big producer but do grow a fairly large garden. I rotate my garden usually by flipping it. One side is potatoes, opposite side are my pea rows, then the next year they will be flipped and in between the plants that like each other accordingly. Supposedly the peas put good nitrogen in the soil and this helps potatoes the following year. Now I have not tested the soil to see if that is the case, however my garden seems to produce very well each year.
A: Increased soil health, decreased disease problems. Lower maintenance requirements and less expenses result in greater efficiency.
A: Better soil tilth, and organic matter
Next Month’s ? What is your favorite (and/or most effective) way of reaching your customers? |
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