THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR INSECTS AND

PLANT DISEASES IN PROCESSING TOMATOES - 2000

Dr. Ron Pitblado

Ridgetown College University of Guelph

URMULE

A URMULE was submitted for KOCIDE 101 for the control of bacterial speck, spot and canker on tomatoes and bacterial spot on peppers seedling plug transplants grown in Ontario greenhouses. I have submitted the proposal on behalf of the vegetable seedling and processing tomato and pepper industry with support from the manufacturer, Griffin L.L.C., the Ontario Tomato Seedling Growers Marketing Board, the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, the Nabisco Ltd processing company and a pepper grower from the Dresden area. I have been in constant contact with the PMRA authorities, Doug Rothwell who indicated to me that he has received the approval from 3 out of the 4 agencies which need to sign off. It looks favourable but until we get the full clearance we are only partially there.

PACLOBUTRAZOL

For several years, Dr. Vince Souza-Machado and I have been working with Paclobutrazol in an effort to improve the quality of tomato plug transplants both in the management within the seedling greenhouses as well as in the field for improved establishment. Our initial efforts using the material as a seed treatment caused significant emergence problems and an anticipated logistical problem that of having to treat the seed prior to it being commercially coated. Our efforts have been more favourable once we began to test the material as a foliar application at the 2 leaf stage in the greenhouse and with the process of nutrient loading the plug. We have worked with the research department at Heinz and have shown both increased standability and earliness in the Leamington area. This year we again showed excellent results. The cooperation with Dr. Jim Dick of Nabisco and the results of the trials that he ran in Dresden reinforced the anticipated value of this material for the benefit of the tomato industry.

TOM3 Efficiency of biocontrol agent T-22 with Paclobutrazol to control black root rot in tomato plugs for enhanced field establishment. Location: Ridgetown and Dresden.

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Five trials were conducted this year on both tomatoes and peppers to establish if there where any new products that would provide better disease control than the combination of BRAVO 500 and KOCIDE 101. None did. This combination is still our most effective choice, however this year we saw first hand that under weather conditions favourable to bacterial disease spread, control of bacterial diseases are not effectively controlled with foliar applications of this copper combination. Observations from greenhouse plug plantings, early season field observations, numerous mid season surveys were undertaken and matched with weather data provided through the Ontario Weather Network (OWN), provided a profile of this years bacterial disease scenario. It again demonstrated that early season detection was related to seed or transplant source, and that weather conditions played the ultimate role in determining the degree of "hurt" the industry would feel. Noting the incidence of bacterial canker in grower fields, a bacterial disease that is known to be difficult to control using seed treatments and then noting this years incidence of even more bacterial spot, which is considered much easier to control through seed treatments, suggested once again that the industry needs to investigate how effectively they are treating their seeds.

TOM8 Use of surfactants to improve the effectiveness of copper for the control of foliar disease in tomatoes. TOM 9 Timing of copper for the control of bacterial spot In tomatoes.

TOM13 Control of foliar diseases In processing tomatoes using Rezist.

PEP3 Use of surfactants to improve the effectiveness of copper for the control of foliar disease in peppers. PEP4 Bacterial spot control in peppers using assistor.

FUNGAL DISEASES

Several new fungicides were evaluated that show considerable promise for the tomato industry for the control of early blight, septoria leaf spot and Anthracnose. In fact this year for the first time in over 25 years at Ridgetown College, I had the opportunity to evaluate fungicides for their relative effectiveness against late blight. As the industry knows we have been relying on the BRAVO and mancozeb fungicides for the past few years and recently have been waiting for the registration of 1C1A5504= Quadris in the USA. The US has had the use of this product for the past two years however the company has been reluctant to register Quadris in Canada for tomatoes for fear of injuring apple trees. They may have waited too long as both BASF and BAYER have two excellent fungicides with different chemistry that out performs even Quadris. Both these new products in addition to controlling the more common fungal diseases we have to deal with also are extremely effective in controlling late blight.

TOM1 Evaluation of fungicides for the control of foliar diseases In field tomatoes.

TOM2 Evaluation of candidate fungicides for the control of foliar diseases in field tomatoes.

TOM5 TOMCAST spraying using new tomato fungicides.

TOM6 Development of TOPAS as a fungicide used for field tomatoes.

TOM14 Comparison research study between TOMCAST delivery utilizing the lakewood data logger versus the adcon weather station.

INSECTS

Two new insecticides ACTARA 25WG and Thiamethoxam 240SC have showed outstanding control of Colorado potato beetles. Trials conducted in both tomatoes and potatoes on this insect show that either of these products applied either in-furrow, in the transplant water, as a seedling tray dip or as a foliar spray, all control Colorado potato beetles effectively, equal or better than the now standard ADMIRE 140F. A study was initiated to monitor and track stink bugs using the weather stations operated by the Ontario Weather Network (OWN) to determine if sprays can be timed based on weather parameters. A review paper was written and will be submitted to the Ontario Tomato Research Institute with my final report.

TOM4 Effectiveness of ACTARA and THIAMETHOXAM SC for the control of Colorado potato beetles, aphids and flea beetles in processing tomatoes.

TOM13 A report on Stink bugs.

SUSTAINABILITY

Growers have reported for years the benefits of growing tomatoes in so called "virgin" fields. An effort was made to look at other ways to improve the quality of our soils using mushroom spent compost. The results were outstanding allowing a range used constantly in the past to grow tomatoes and experiencing significant yield declines to be used once again.

TOM7 Evaluation of the benefits of soil amendments In the growth and productivity of processing tomatoes.

My complete research abstracts are available through your board office or accessible through the Ridgetown College Web site: www.ridgetownc.on.ca