Industrial Uses Symposium A Success WASHINGTON, D.C. The only thing mote challenging than getting to the top is staying there. The U.S. Feed Grains Council's office in Tokyo, Japan, is re minded of this reality every day. Japan is the top importer of U.S. com, but with competition from other exporters such as China and Argentina, the U.S. Feed Grains Council (USFGS) needs to contin ue to promote the valuable and varied uses of U.S. com to main tain its high market share. A recent symposium on indus trial applications of U.S. value-en hanced com did just that. The Tokyo VEG/Supply and Demand Symposium, held in conjunction with Japan Starch & Sweeteners Industiy Association, attracted participants from all over the agricultural and industrial uses community in Japan. Two hund red seventy people from starch, trading and feed companies, plus government regulators, university researchers, consumer groups, and members of the media filled the two-day symposium to capacity. Greg Smith, com producer from Nebraska, gave a U.S. pro ducer perspective on value-en hanced com while other industry experts presented their finding on genetically modified organisms, starch wet-milling practices, bio degradable plastics, and grain shipping and exporting. “The symposium went very well,” said Dennis Kitch, director USFGC/Japan. “This was a great opportunity for the Council to give the Japanese industry a clear understanding of its value-en hanced grain program.” Many participants expressed their gratitude to the Council for organizing the symposium. “The response from the participants was outstanding," Kitch said. "One of the most common statements I Late Blight Has Greenhouse Tomato Growers On Alert WOOSTER, Ohio Late blight outbreaks in several tomato greenhouses have Ohio tomato growers on the alert. Ohio State’s Sally Miller, plant pathologist at the Ohio Agricultur al Research and Development Center in Wooster, said the late blight disease appeared suddenly in a few Ohio greenhouses and ex tensive damage occured soon af ter. “Late blight appears on the tomato leaves in pale-green, wa ter-soaked spots, often beginning at the leaf tips or edges. The circu lar or irregular leaf lesions are usually surrounded by a pale yel lowish-green border that merges with healthy tissue," Miller said. “Lesions enlarge rapidly and turn dark brown to purplish black.” When humidity is high and the leaves are wet for an extended per iod, a cottony, white mold growth is usually visible on lower leaf surfaces at the edge of the lesions. When conditions are diy, infected leaf tissues quickly dry up and the white mold growth disappears. In fected areas on stems appear brown to black and entire vines may be killed quickly if moist conditions persist. Blight also appears on fruit heard was, ‘We find the material useful and timely. Attendance is no longer a formality but a special opportunity’." The symposium was also an op portunity to discuss the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their benefits. Diane Re of Monsanto gave a presenta tion on the topic and met with several key government and con sumer group representatives. An article printed by the Japan Agri cultural Newspaper touted GMOs as being environmentally friendly because they reduce the need for pesticides. According to Kitch, the newspaper is read by more than 90 percent of Japan's agricultural community. The true success of the sym posium was measured in the num ber of people who asked if the Council was going to do it again, soon. According to Kitch, the symposium raised a lot of ques tions. “Will Japanese consumers' calls for GMO informational la beling result in the United States taking Japan to the WTO? How will the United States respond to the growing competition fronr other com exporters? What will China do? These questions will keep coming up and we will have to answer them. That may very well mean having another sym posium.” Other speakers at the sym posium were Catherine Otte, senior agricultural attache, U.S. Embassy; Hiroko Sakashita, asso ciate director, USFGC/Japan; E. Takashita, USFGC biodegradable plastics consultant; Jerry Weigel, Exsecd Genetics; Dr. Kent Rausch, University of Illinois; Dr. Milford Hanna, University of Ne braska; Dr. Jacob Lehrfeld, re searcher; and Dan Keefe, USFGC manager of international opera tions. as somewhat crinkled, coppety brown, discolored areas. The fruit may remain firm as the lesions progress. Under moist conditions, a white, fluffy mold may appear. Symptoms appear on both red and green fruit Miller said that all of the cases of late blight in greenhouse toma toes observed so far have some factors in common. “The disease occurred just as warm days were turning into cold nights, and the greenhouses were not heated properly, often due to mechanical problems. The plants remained wet for long periods of time, and the relative humidity was consist ently very high.” Miller also said that the fungus that causes late blight Phytoph thora was often present some where nearby. “It could have come from tomatoes or possibly potatoes in home gardens located in the vicinity of the greenhouse. Killing frosts had not yet occurred in these areas.” New strains of Phy tophthora in festans have recently appeared in the United States. Several of them arc much more aggressive on to matoes than the previous, widely prevalent strain. “Most of the new strains arc not affected by meta Summit Outlines Kentucky’s Agricultural Future LOUISVILLE, Ky. The 1997 Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Summit, held in con junction with the North American International Livestock Exposi tion (NAILE), provides an arena for leaders to discuss how Ken tucky can advance, develop and energize modem agriculture in to day’s ever-changing business and national environment Kentucky Department of Agri culture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith organized the sixth Leader ship Summit with the goal of us ing time, effort and imagination to allow Kentucky agriculture to di versify, grow and flourish. “Determine our Destiny,” the theme for this year’s Leadership Summit, provided an opportunity for Kentucky farm association representatives, farmers, Ken tucky commodity group leaders, legislative members, agribusiness representatives and some mem bers of the Kentucky General As sembly to explore Kentucky’s fu ture agricultural opportunities. According to Sharon Burton, Kentucky Agriculture Council Chair, objectives of the Leader ship Summit are designed to help people in agriculture work to gether to solve problems, share in formation with people outside of agriculture so they understand current agricultural issues, and re mind people of agricultural ac complishments. Kentucky Department of Agri culture Office for Agricultural Marketing and Promotion Execu tive Director Gene Royalty said the Leadership Summit is held in conjunction with the NAILE, be cause those involved in changing Kentucky's agriculture are also in terested in the top-quality pure bred animals represented at the NAILE. The Leadership Summit offered concurrent sessions involving marketing of crops and livestock, reaching consumers and interact ing with other state’s successful programs. Representatives from the Ken tucky Agricultural Resources De- laxyl, a commonly used fimgicide sold as Ridotnil or Subdue,” Mill er said. Ohio State plant pathologist Randy Rowe said the potential of this late blight disease is the main concern right now. “This disease has been causing a nationwide epidemic, and until now, we’ve seen vety little damage in Ohio. Now, we have a flurry of it at the end of the potato and tomato sea son, and it’s sneaking into tomato greenhouses.” Rowe said damage so far is lim ited only a handful of growers have been affected by the disease. “It’s not a dollars and cents issue right now because damage has been limited. The main issue of concern is next year what Ohio growers may face through out the next season.” There are precautions green house growers can take to prevent late blight from attacking their tomatoes. “Maintain greenhouse temperatures of 68 degrees Fah renheit or higher. Reduce relative humidity in the greenhouse and maintain good air circulation," Miller said. “Any practice that re duces the amount of time that plants are wet is helpful." Miller also recommends scout- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 6, 1997-D7 Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton, right, and Kentucky Com missioner of Agriculture Billy Ray Smith are shown here during a break in a major agricultural marketing summit in Louisville. This photo was taken in the South Wing of the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center, home to the North American International Livestock Exposition. velopment Authority (KARDA) also attended the Leadership Sum mit to show their commitment to a bold new future in Kentucky agri culture. Bruce Harper, KARDA chair, said, “Agriculture is changing from a production driven to a market-driven economy. This changing marketing infrastructure will add significantly to the com monwealth (of Kentucky).” Har per’s view reinforces the overall Summit theme that it is important for Kentucky to keep up with tech nology in order to compete in to day’s economy. ing the greenhouse regularly to look for symptoms of the disease. If symptoms of late blight do ap pear, the temperature and mois ture within the greenhouse should be adjusted. “A fungicide contain ing mancozeb (Dithane M-45 or another formulation) may be ap plied to the plants if label instruc tions are followed. Mancozeb is a protective fungicide and will not cute infected plants," Miller said. Mancozeb is labeled for green house use but there is a five-day preharvest interval (PHI). In addi tion, mancozeb is an EBDC com pound. Some markets may not ac cept fruit treated with this fungi cide. There is no other fungicide effective in controlling this dis ease that is labeled for use on to matoes in the greenhouse. Greenhouse growers should re move plant parts if a small amount of the tissue is involved. “Place it in a plastic bag and either place the bag outside at night to freeze Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton attended the opening session of the Leadership Summit to support agriculture, because “agriculture is tremendously important in the preservation of Kentucky," he said. Gov. Patton said Kentucky is still a niral state that promotes rur al work ethics and farm family values. The Leadership Summit con cluded Nov. 14 with a “Congres sional Update of Agricultural Is sues and Tobacco Settlement" as well as USDA presentation and remarks from Kentucky Lieuten ant Governor Stephen L. Henry. or inside to decompose complete ly. The late blight fungus cannot survive on dead tissue," Miller said. “If whole plants must be re moved, cut them at the base and allow diem to diy completely on the trellis after removing and des troying all of the infected fruit. If a large amount of plant matter must be disposed of, spread it outside in a thin layer when freezing temperatures are expected.” Miller warned that discarded plants should not be placed in piles infected tissue inside the pile may be warm enough for the fungus to survive and provide spores to infect plants again next spring. For more information on late blight in greenhouse tomatoes, contact Sally Miller or Randy Rowe, Ohio Agricultural Re search and Development Center, (330) 263-3838.
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