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September 14, 2011

 

 

·       Calif. ag industry going soft chemicalwise

·       Cities could produce most of their own food

·       Web offers fresh produce at big-box prices

·        A new key to diamond back moth control

·       Alaska set to enter a budding world market

 

 

Calif. ag industry going soft chemicalwise

 

(Wire Services) WATSONVILLE, Calif. – A new report examining pesticide use trends in California provides clear indication that farmers are reducing their use of older, more stringently regulated pesticides in exchange for newer, environmentally-friendly methods to control pests.

 

The report, issued by the Alliance for Food and Farming, analyzes California Department of Pesticide Regulations Pesticide Use Report data, which shows that application of older, broad-based pesticides has declined 66 percent over the past 12 years.

 

The new report titled, Pesticide Use Trends in California Agriculture was commissioned by the Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit organization representing both conventional and organic farmers of fruits and vegetables throughout the country.

 

“The purpose of this report is to examine whether long-term pesticide use trends support the widely-held belief that farmers are increasingly using Integrated Pest Management strategies and more modern tools targeted toward specific pests,” said James Wells of Environmental Solutions Group and former director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), who authored the report and conducted the analysis of CDPR Pesticide Use Report data. “The analysis shows a dramatic drop in the use of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides from 1998 to 2009. More importantly, the decline has been steady for the 12 year period, indicating that it is not just the result of ‘low pest’ years, but a clear trend in pest management strategies.”

 

The report shows that organophosphate and carbamate pesticides currently represent just two percent of all pesticides used in California agriculture. According to the most recent data available, 39 percent of the pesticides applied are also approved for use in organic agriculture systems. In fact, two of the top three pesticides used by California farmers are approved for organic production. The remainder of all pest control products applied is made up of all other pesticides and includes several newer, reduced risk compounds that are common tools used by farmers as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.

 

While data is from California only, the Pesticide Use Report from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) is considered to be the most comprehensive in the world. Under the program, all agricultural pesticide use must be reported monthly to county agriculture commissioners, who in turn report the data to the CDPR. Similar use trends on a national basis were recently reported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

 

“It is very gratifying, but not surprising, to see these numbers so clearly reflect the shift in farming practices to IPM and other environmentally-friendly farming methods over the past decade,” said Marilyn Dolan, Executive Director of the Alliance for Food and Farming. “We knew this trend was happening but it is good to see it quantified in this analysis.”

 

The Alliance report details how farmers are transitioning to reduce or eliminate use of the most strictly regulated pesticides as they strive to protect beneficial insects as a means of controlling damaging pests. However, the report also notes the judicious use of pesticides is important for farmers and can be crucial to IPM systems.

 

“As any home gardener knows, insect pests reproduce rapidly. The ability to apply conventionally and organically approved pesticides is still important to maintain as some pest outbreaks can be difficult to control,” explains Wells. “In addition, California is increasingly experiencing the introduction of exotic pests which have the ability to destroy an entire crop, compromise the health of our forests and can be devastating to landscaping and home gardeners.”

 

“Whenever pesticides are used by California farmers, that use is strictly controlled by the most advanced regulatory system in the nation,” adds Dolan. “Farmers who grow the food you see in stores also feed it to their own families. In addition, they often live and work on their farms, which is strong motivation to use the most up-to-date and safest tools to control pests and diseases.

 

The full report on Pesticide Use Trends in California is available on the Alliance for Food and Farming’s website at www.foodandfarming.info as well as on a special website which provides credible, science-based information to address common fears about pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables at www.safefruitsandveggies.com.

 

 

Highlights from Report:

 

 

• There has been a significant reduction in the use of older, more highly regulated organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in California. Their use has declined 66 percent in the past 12 years.

• The amount of these older, more highly regulated pesticides is far, far lower when compared with other pesticide classes including many newer, safer and more environmentally-friendly pesticides and those approved for use on organic crops. Currently, these older compounds comprise just 2 percent of the total pesticides used in California.

• The reduction in use of older compounds indicates that California farmers are, in fact, successfully transitioning away from use of broad-based pesticides. This is likely the result of increased development and adoption of Integrated Pest Management strategies and a move toward softer, more environmentally-friendly compounds.

• There is still a need for farmers to maintain the ability to use some of these older compounds for many reasons including the resistance of pests to more frequently used materials; the influx of exotic pests; and the lack of suitable alternatives in some instances. In addition, these materials may play a key role when used as a last resort to gain control of a pest outbreak that has overwhelmed an Integrated Pest Management system, allowing growers to re-establish IPM strategies.

• It is important to note that these older compounds are also the most highly regulated. In California, which has the strictest pesticide regulations in the world, farmers using these products are subject to as many as 70 different laws and regulations each time an application is made.

• Findings from the analysis conducted in California are similar to those reported by the U.S. Environmental Pesticide Agency concerning pesticide sales and usage throughout the nation.

 

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Cities could produce most of their own food

 

(The Ohio State University) – Urban agriculture, the practice of growing food on rooftops, in backyards and in community gardens, has been an increasing source of food in developing countries for the last half century.

 

In recent years the practice also has become popular in America, especially in many post-industrial cities that have experienced decline as manufacturing businesses closed.

 

Despite the increase in food production within cities, citizens continue to depend on the importation of food to meet their daily basic needs. A new study from The Ohio State University, however, suggests that most modern cities have the potential to generate up to 100 percent of their current needs for produce and other items.

 

The study, “Can cities become self-reliant in food?,” conducted by Parwinder Grewal, professor of entomology and director of the Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development at Ohio State University, suggests that a city such as Cleveland, OH, could produce most of the food its citizens need.

 

Grewal determined that Cleveland has more than 3,000 acres of vacant lots that are the result of years of manufacturing job losses, the recent economic downturn and a high rate of home foreclosures. He also found 2,900 acres of flat rooftops.

 

"Cleveland is very progressive in urban agriculture, with more than 200 community gardens (about 50 acres) in existence and legislation that allows for beekeeping and the production of small livestock within the city," Grewal said. "While not trivial, current local food production only accounts for 1.7 percent ($1.5 million) of the $89 million Cleveland spends annually on fresh produce, and 0.1 percent of the city's total food and beverage expenditures. However, the potential for food self-reliance is significantly higher considering available space in the city."

 

Grewal says Cleveland annually spends about $115 million on fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry, eggs and honey, “most of which comes from somewhere else -- California, Mexico, South America, even as far away as China and Thailand. Our study indicates that the city can prevent economic leakage anywhere from $27 million to $115 million annually by increasing its production of fresh produce, poultry and honey. This could boost the city's economy and lead to increased job creation."

 

Local food production has many other benefits, he says. Several studies have found that urban agriculture can help boost access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables; cut obesity rates due to consumption of healthy food and increased physical activity; promote a sense of community and decrease crime activity; and raise property values as vacant lots are put to attractive and productive use.

 

Urban farming can also reduce human impact on the environment. Grewal said food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to the consumer's plate, requiring large amounts of fuel and energy for transportation and refrigeration. Additionally, increasing green space in the city through farms and gardens can boost carbon storage in the soil, reduce problems associated with stormwater runoff, and curtail the urban heat island effect.

 

"Just like the organic food movement, where it was about five to six years ago, the local food movement is gaining a similar type of momentum right now, and every city has the potential to at least increase its local self-sufficiency and resilience by producing its own food. This is something we must move forward to, and the city of Cleveland is positively moving in that direction."

 

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Web offers fresh produce at big-box prices

 

(cnet News) SAN FRANCISCO--Any fan of tomatoes knows that buying them at farmers' markets is expensive, yet the alternative of buying affordable, bland tomatoes at supermarkets is entirely unattractive.

 

The same dynamic, of course, goes for just about any type of fresh food, be it meat, fish, or other vegetables. And while there are a growing number of companies that deliver fresh produce to people's homes, consumers have very little control over what they get when they buy in to such systems.

 

Now, a Palo Alto, Calif., startup called Farmigo is throwing its hat into the ring, hoping to help consumers get the best, freshest local produce, at supermarket prices. It's an ambitious idea that aims to cut large factories and big-box distribution systems out of the equation, and if it scales, it could be the key to large numbers of people getting the kinds of fresh meat and vegetables they want.

 

The system works by essentially directly linking together farmers and consumers, though not on a one-to-one basis. Instead, Farmigo has created a system in which farmers deliver their goods to centralized locations. Buyers pick up their produce at those locations.

 

They key to the Farmigo system, which the company demonstrated here at TechCrunch Disrupt today, is the group-buying dynamics that results from farmers delivering their wares only if enough people at any individual location agree to buy them. What that means is that if a farmer requires 10 buyers in order to deliver, they don't have to do so until at least 10 sign up there.

 

Already, Farmigo has created a network of more than 1,500 delivery/pick-up locations, many of which are at companies like Google, where dozens of employees are taking advantage of the ability to pick up their groceries right at work. The same goes for other types of locations, including community centers, or schools.

 

Would-be users can type in an address and see a location near them. They can see who delivers there, and what type of food is delivered, as well as what day or days the food arrives. Users can also see what types of grocery distribution is available. For example, one farm delivers a variety of different meat selections, including the $100 "Grande meat share," which promises an "assortment of pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken. [The] assortment [is]determined by availability of cuts. From London broil to rib-eye steak to ground beef all our beef is of the highest quality and comes from grass fed and grass finished cows. From roasts to cutlets and chops our pork is always juicy and delicious, and our pasture raised chickens are robust and fresh to your table."

 

This seems like a great idea, and clearly is already working at a local level. For it to really take off, it needs to attract a wide number of buyers and farmers in a diverse geographical area. And that depends on people outside foodie regions like Silicon Valley and San Francisco deciding that it's worth signing up for a system like this that requires them to pick up groceries in nontraditional locations like the office or the kids' school.

 

But if it does work, it could help promote something that is desperately needed: a broader adoption of farm-fresh food and a rapid reduction in reliance on Big Food controlling the way that fruits, vegetables, and meats get to our tables.

 

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A new key to diamond back moth control

 

(ScienceDaily) — The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is one of the world's most destructive crop pests. It has developed resistance to many chemical and biological pesticides, and the estimated global cost of controlling this insect is approximately US$1billion annually.

 

In a new article published in the open access journal BMC Genomics, researchers from Australia have identified the genes expressed when the diamondback moth is attacked by a parasitic wasp, which could have significant implications for controlling this notorious pest. Asgari and colleagues, from the University of Queensland, use transcriptome profiling to provide the first-ever comprehensive analysis of the impact of a parasitoid wasp on its host. The transcriptomic profiling datasets obtained in this study -- a powerful approach with which to study parasitization -- provide a basis for further research in this underexplored host-parasitoid interaction.

 

Diadegma semiclausum, the parasitic wasp, attacks P. xylostella by injecting its eggs into the moth larvae. The wasps then manipulate the hosts' physiology in favour of their developing larvae by introducing secretions that contain symbiotic viruses, such as polydnavirus (PDV), into the host. PDVs suppress the hosts' immune system and stall metabolism and development. Research so far has concentrated mainly on individual genes of PDV, in order to explore their function following parasitization, but never before has so comprehensive a profiling study been conducted.

 

Asgari and his team used an RNA deep sequencing technique called Illumina to identify the symbiotic PDV D. semiclausum ichnovirus (DsIV) genes expressed in the host and compared their sequences with other reported PDVs. Their novel study provides detailed information on the differential expression of P. xylostella larval genes following parasitization, as well as on the DsIV genes expressed in the host. The genes identified here may be targets that allow for the control and manipulation of host-parasite interactions.

 

Dr Asgari said, "This emphasizes the necessity for the continued development of innovative alternative control measures and resistance management strategies. Parasitoid regulatory molecules can be used to improve pest control strategies in sustainable agriculture."

 

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Alaska set to enter a budding world market

 

(Alaska Journal of Commerce) – When you think of exports from Alaska, fish, lumber and zinc come to mind.

 

Fresh cut flowers wouldn't be on the list.

 

They soon will be, though.

 

A niche industry is developing fast in growing and selling fresh-cut peonies, those blossoms much in demand and beloved, world-wide it turns out, for weddings. It's a small business so far but it's growing, and there seems to be an insatiable market demand at a certain, critical time of the year.

 

That's according to Ron Illingsworth, a grower in North Pole, who is also president of the Alaska Peony Association, a trade group that recently formed.

 

Alaska peony growers had 39,000 plants in the ground at the end of 2010 and the number is now estimated to grow another 21,000 in 2011, Illingsworth said.

 

The growers are all small operators, many, like Illingsworth, who also own greenhouses and sell plants and vegetables at retail or at local farmers' markets.

 

"Buds are what we ship, not open flowers," Illingsworth said. "The buds, stems with buds on them actually, are cut at a time just before they would open and then chilled to 34 degrees for a minimum of 24 hours before we ship them. The stems are cut about 30 inches long so that they can be re-cut at the destination and rehydrated to open the bloom," Illingsworth said.

 

It takes five years for a peony plant to produce flowers that can be sold, he said. There are now about 25,000 Alaska peonies planted that are three years or older, according to data the growers' association has collected, and more plants of an age where flowers can be sold are becoming available each year.

 

It's just a guess at this point, but Illingsworth thinks about 6,000 cut peony stems were shipped to buyers in about 15 states this summer, about half of the production from growers are on the Kenai Peninsula and half from Interior Alaska.

 

"Last year our sales were much smaller. Most of us are just now at the point where we have enough plants that are mature enough to do commercial sales," Illingsworth said.

 

Different seasons

 

The market niche is this: peonies blossom later in Alaska than elsewhere, so when big Outside growers are past the season, Alaska's is just beginning.

 

Shelley Rainwater, who operates Glacier Peonies LLC near Homer, said most Lower 48 growers end their season on Memorial Day, which leaves June to September open to Alaska.

 

Conditions vary in the state and even locally, and this can affect the seasonality. Rainwater said her growing season in Homer ends in mid-July but other Homer-area growers at somewhat higher elevations can grow and ship in August.

 

So far the Alaska growers mainly serve brokers and individual buyers in the Lower 48, but there more interest from overseas and some small export sales have been made. Illingsworth said Alaska growers want to concentrate on building a solid domestic market and establish a reputation for reliability before attempting to ship overseas in significant numbers.

 

The worldwide market is tempting, though. There are inquiries coming from places as far afield as Italy, the Philippines and China that Alaska growers have not been able to serve. Illingsworth said he recently took a call from a broker in England who wanted to buy 10,000 stems a week.

 

"We're not there yet," in terms of the production capacity, he said.

 

Rainwater said there are good reasons for taking a gradual approach to export sales.

 

"There have been some shipments to Japan by growers but there are special procedures to be followed. There are requirements for inspections for insects," she said, and different countries have different requirements.

 

Still, the export market is potentially huge.

 

"If everyone in Alaska grew peonies we still wouldn't be able to meet the demand," in that critical market window, Rainwater said. She wants to encourage as much Alaska peony production as possible, "to show people we can supply the market. A lot of people think we can't," she said.

 

Illingsworth and his wife, Marji, have about 4,000 peony plants in the ground at their Lilyvale Farm near North Pole and have been growing for four years. Like most growers, Illingsworth started the peony business as a sideline to growing vegetables and plants for the local market. He and his wife retired from teaching at the University of Alaska Fairbanks a few years ago.

 

Illingsworth started very small in peonies with 20 plants, then planted a few hundred the next year, gradually increasing the numbers. About 1,800 new plants went into the ground this year, he said.

 

Other growers have more. Rainwater has about 6,000 plants at Glacier Peonies near Homer, and has been growing her plants for six years now. She is a retired nurse, who also raises greenhouse vegetables, although most of these are donated to the local food bank, except for what she keeps for personal use.

 

Sue Kent, who operates Midnight Sun Peonies Inc. near Soldotna, has 10,000 plants. Midnight Sun Peonies may be the largest grower in the state.

 

Kent has been at it four years as a sideline – her main occupation is as an environmental consultant – and 2011 was her first year selling commercially.

 

"It has been exciting. One Monday, Oregon stopped growing, and my phone starting ringing," Kent said.

 

Near Palmer, Craige and Kathy Baker just started with peonies at their Grey Owl Farm on the Glenn Highway. The Bakers have been producing flowers and other nursery crops in their greenhouse, as well as selling sod, since 1998. They now have 2-year-old peony plants, and have another two to three years to go until they can sell the flowers commercially.

 

Illingsworth said there are about 18 growers on the state doing commercial sales and about 75 members of the peony growers' association.

 

"Many of our members are people in the process of planting enough peonies to be considered growers. We have a 500-plant threshold before you become a 'grower' for purposes of the association," Illingsworth said.

 

Kent said the fact that the infant industry has formed an active trade association has impressed buyers.

 

"The fact that we have organized ourselves and are working together seems to have impressed people," she said.

 

Research needed

 

Growers can get several buds off a mature plant in a season.

 

"A mature plant after five years should have 10 cutable buds. You want to leave the rest on the plant to let it grow. It might have as many as 15 to 20 total buds," Illingsworth said.

 

Logistics must be managed carefully, however.

 

"We ship out of state using FedEx priority next day air. So far, they've given us the best deal," Illingsworth said. "Temperatures are a problem as flowers on a truck at the destination waiting to be delivered for 5 hours in 95 degree temperatures will probably end up being ruined. Often we have the buyers pick up their flowers at the destination FedEx office rather than having them delivered."

 

Because Alaskans can sell when no one else can, they can command up to $5 a stem. That is about seven times the price in early summer when the big Lower 48 growers supply the market.

 

Despite bright prospects for the infant industry, recent budget cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will result in USDA's Agriculture Research Service closing in September, leaving peony growers without vital assistance in research, plant variety and nutrition just when it is vitally needed.

 

"There's no one left to help us," said Sue Kent. "We're building an industry here, but we're left now to figure things out for ourselves," in terms of scientific and technical matters.

 

Illingsworth said there had been plans for the USDA center to become a peony gene bank, which would have been an important advantage for Alaskan growers.

 

Researchers at UAF played a crucial role in the creation of the infant industry. Pat Holloway, director of the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a botanical research center, developed the idea of growing peonies commercially after meeting an Oregon grower at a greenhouse conference in the late 1990s.

 

"He told me we had something no one else in the world has – peonies blooming in July," she said.

 

Not long after, two New Zealand tourists stopped by the UAF botanical gardens. They happened to be peony growers.

 

"They were dumbfounded to see peonies growing in Alaska. They said we were sitting on a gold mine," Holloway said. "In the cut flower trade, money is made by a new shade of pink on a rose, or a ruffled petal. It is unheard of that someone would get three months of a market practically to themselves."

 

There are peonies shipped from Columbia in the same time period, but they are container-growth plants and of poorer quality than those from Alaska. "They are not competition," Holloway said.

 

Holloway obtained a $500,000 grant from the USDA's new crops program and began experimenting with peonies at the university's botanical gardens. Word about peonies and the commercial possibilities ultimately got around in the state's gardening community, and a mini-industry took off.

 

Holloway said there are a range of issues growers face, including appropriate soils and fertilizers, weed control, disease identification, proper stages for cutting, and post-harvest chilling and handling.

 

"Growers can experiment on their own but it is hugely expensive. The cut flower trade is very competitive and we need to build the best foundation we can for these growers to succeed," Holloway said. "Every industry I know of is supported by public research and development dollars. This industry is just beginning, and dollars for research are practically non-existent."

 

Holloway has been in Washington, D.C., looking for funding, but the outlook isn't good.

 

"I was told bluntly that Alaska is a rich state and we should fund this project (with state dollars). There are far greater national (agriculture) programs that take priority," she said. "Unfortunately, agriculture in Alaska is not considered a priority, and it is hard to get Juneau interested in peonies."

 

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