Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, January 31, 1998, Image 11
COLUMBUS,Ohio The loss of methyl bromide as a soil fumigant has many high-value fruit and vegetable growers wor ried, but the solution could be a simple switch, said Ohio State University processing vegetable specialist Mac Riedel. There are several soil fumi gants available or .being devel oped that serve purpose as methyl bromide, and genetic resistance, crop rotation, organ ic amendments, nonfumigant fungicides, steam, solar heating, plant breeding and other cultur al practices are possible replace ments, Riedel said. Riedel will discuss fumiga tion and alternatives at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, as part of the Strawberry Short Course at the 1998 Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress in Toledo. Methyl bromide is a pesticide used to control fungi, weeds, nematodes, insects, pathogens and rodents in agriculture, stored and transported com modities, quarantined commodi ties imported to a country, and fumigated buildings. In the United States, about 27,000 tons of methyl bromide are used annually, with 87 percent of that amount used in agriculture, pri marily as a soil fumigant. U.S. crops that use the most methyl bromide are tomatoes (24 per cent of total use) and strawber ries (16 percent of total use). As a soil fumigant, the chem ical is injected 12 inches to 24 inches deep to sterilize the soil before a crop is planted. This practice eliminates nematode, Tubs., Wed. 8 There., February 3,4,8 51998 at the Lebanon Fairgrounds, Lebanon, • Company Representatives will be present to receive your comments on their Equipment and answer your Questions. • Equipment Clinics • Exhibits, Demos • Free Lunch • Special Discounts During Open House Growers Seeking Alternatives To Methyl Bromide Fumigation fungi and soil disease threats and allows for higher yields and more uniform crops, Riedel said. However, 50 percent to 95 per cent of the methyl bromide injected into the soil eventually enters the atmosphere and is believed to be responsible for 5 percent to 10 percent of the cur rent worldwide ozone depletion. As a result, in 1994 as part of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the produc tion and importation of methyl bromide in the United States beginning Jan. 1, 2001. High-value vegetable and fruit crops - tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, raspberries, and vineyard or orchard replants of grapes, apples and pears - are the most affected by the phase out of methyl bromide. Methyl bromide fumigation is expen sive, often costing at least $2,00 per acre, so fumigation hasn't been an economical option for lower-valued crops such as com, soybeans, potatoes, wheat or others, Riedel said. "But depending on the type of organism a grower is trying to control, finding an alternative to methyl bromide could be easy," he said. "The practicality of alternatives all depends on the operation." A good crop rotation scheme can control fungi and nema todes. For example, radishes are toxic to the root knot nematode, which would benefit a crop fol lowing it in rotation. Different crops included in the rotation will control different problems, NNUAL OPEN HOUS M Cedar Crest Equipment Two Convenient Locations 608 Evergreen Rd. Lebanon, PA 17042 1270-6600 1-800-646-6601 Cedar Crest Equipment llbano^^ Manufacturing • Powder Coating • Precast Feed Carts V r Lancaster Ment/Vaf/on Egu/pme/tf SILOS j/7 Systems Inc. I.H. RISSLER MFG. cn ffitchie. tmrm e s Stoll 'ncas f U!Mnorbco,inc. Waterers " 7IMMERMAN pans . L\V* MFG. CORF r pueasaimtaireW \ a CEILING FANS *'® PMZ fesftireMaf UEBLEB | Lancaster SHo equipment with a heritage of quality LAPP Energy-Free Waterers BrnfSnni Lllllll L >N FFFnRTNS FEED HANDLING EQUIPMENT * 7' IUAVTTDP PTT\yTDC manure handling equipment aerotech IVIArNUKJI, rUlVira Performance Strong as Steel [717: Riedel said. "I'd recommend using cultur al practices to replace methyl bromide use, but if they don't work there are chemical alterna tives," he said. Chloropicrin, also used as tear gas, is a fumigant that will remain available after methyl bromide is phased out. Soil fumigation with Chloropicrin also costs about $2,000 per acre. Scientists are experimenting with non-ozone threatening methyl bromide replacements that, if approved, could be fairly USDA Fruit Researcher Featured GLASSBORO, N.J. Dr. Steve Miller, fruit researcher at the USDA Appalachian Fruit Re search Station in Keameysville, W. Va., will discuss management practices that improve fruit tree efficiency at the southern New Jersey fruit meeting on Feb. 18. Miller, who will also discuss tree fruit research activities at the station and how they can help New Jersey tree fruit growers, will be one of IS speakers at the one day program at Masso’s Crystal Manor in Glassboro, N J., accord iong to Jerome L. Frecon, chair of the program. “ Researchers for Rutgers Co operative Extension of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station will focus on integrated pest management,” Frecon said. “Dean Polk will review key tree fruit pest issues with his col leagues and discuss the cost of damage by pests and control prac- stoc-Coor LIVESTOCK MISTING SYSTEM simple alternatives. Methyl iodide has looked good control ling pathogens in tests, but its cost to growers is still unknown, Riedel said. In 1995, the United Nations Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee concluded that alternatives exist or are at an advanced state of development for more that 90 percent of methyl bromide use. The 1998 Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress is being held Feb. 4 to Feb. 6 at the Toledo Sea Gate Centre in conjunction tices. Dr. Norman Lalancette will address management strategies to control brown rot in peaches, and Dr. Peter Shearer will bring grow ers up to date on the status of registrations and use of organic phosphate and carbamate insecti cides.” Research on ground cover man agement in peach orchards will also be discussed by Polk. A unique integrated pest manage ment marketing program studied by Polk in Italy will be discussed. Dr. Bradley Majek will bring growers up to date on weed and groundcover management in or chards while Dr. Joe Heckman will discuss the importance of or chard liming on tree fruit produc tion. Pesticide applicators for New Jersey will receive units in core and the categories PP-2, 1A and 3A. Dr. George Hamilton will dis cuss adjuvants and spreader stick- JSSX RD 2 Box 271 East Earl, PA 17519 f 7171354-0584 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 31, 1998-All with the Roadside Marketing Conference and, for the first time, with the Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course. For registration or additional information about the Congress or Roadside Marketing Conference, those interested should contact the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association at (614) 249-2424. For information on the Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course, con tact the Ohio Wine Producers Association at (440) 466-4417. ears and their role in pesticide ap plication. Other topics of interest will be topics on chemical thinning by Dr. Robert Belding, and presentations on new and exciting peach and ap ple varieties by Dr. Joe Goffrcda and Frecon based on research and evaluations. Progress reports will be presented on the activities of the New Jersey Promotion Coun cil and the New Jersey Peach Council A registration fee will be charged for the full day program which will include a buffet lunch eon and apple variety displays and other displays by commercial ex hibitors. Information can be ob tained by contacting the office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 1200 North Delsea Drive, Clay ton. NJ 08312, (609) 863-0110. or the New Jersey Horticultural So ciety, P.O. Box 116, Clayton, NJ 08312. PA Tiberdome Cow Mattresses