Spotted Lanternfly Webinar Series

Please join the NYS IPM ProgramNYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets, and the Northeastern IPM Center for a

An adult spotted lanternfly on Ailanthus altissima in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

webinar update on the latest invasive insect to hit the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has recently been detected in surrounding states starting with Delaware and New York in 2017, and Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland in 2018.

Two webinars covering hops, berry crops, vegetables, grapes, and apples will be held on February 26th.

Two additional webinars on Christmas trees, greenhouse, nursery, and landscape industries will be held on March 4th.

Visit this site to get all the details including registration: https://www.northeastipm.org/working-groups/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-basics-webinar-announcement/

To date, SLF has NOT been reported in Ohio. Given the proximity of detections and the possibility of being inadvertently spread by various modes of transportation, we are recommending increased vigilance for this pest. This pest has a wide host range and is known to attack grape vines, apple and cherry trees, and hop bines. This pest also has an affinity for Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), especially in the fall.

 

Produce Safety Training – Sandusky County

Sent on behalf of Matt Fout, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, Produce Safety Manager

Hello All,

Below are two links detailing the full announcement and registration forms for the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training that will be held at the North Central Ag Research Station, 1165 County Road 43, Fremont, OH 43420, on February 28.

The course will cover basic produce safety; worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water (both production and postharvest); postharvest handling and sanitation; and developing a farm food safety plan. As a participant you can expected to gain a basic understanding of: microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm; how to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks; how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm; parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one; and requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

There is no cost for Ohio residents to attend this training. Please feel free to distribute to any produces growers who may want to attend.

Direct any questions to Matt Fout, (614)728-6250, or  Matthew.Fout@Agri.ohio.gov.

PSA Training Details

PSA Grower Registration

 

Central Ohio Grower’s Report and Weather Update for Winter 2019

The next week has a period of intense cold coming to central Ohio.  Grower’s who planted spinach under low tunnels using row cover should make sure that they have a second layer of frost blanket covering the planting and that the row cover is weighted securely against wind shear.

While there is a good chance that a full harvest amount of spinach is present, we have not had a warm enough day to break the micro-climate to check.  Be patient,  there is usually a chance for a significant harvest in February.

 

The period of warm and wet weather we had earlier in winter provided a chance to get good growth on winter cover crops.  If you were unable to get cover crops planted this year, as you make your 2019 planting plan, try to add cover crops into your rotation to keep a living cover on your ground.  It adds organic matter, prevents soil erosion and builds fertility.

A mix of winter rye, forage radish, crimson clover and hairy vetch. This mix is cold hardy and will persist into spring, starting a period of intense growth when the weather warms up.

The winter rye mix will require intensive management in the spring.

 

 

This plot contains a mix of oats and Austrian winter peas. This mix is cold tolerant but not hardy. It should die following the upcoming period of intense cold. The residue will act as a ground cover protecting the soil that will incorporate easily into a seed bed via tillage in spring.

 

Right now is a good time to start seeds if you have a seed start station.  You can start the following:

  • Artichokes –  a tender perennial not generally grown in central Ohio,  this crop can be grown as an annual if started early indoors.
  • Perennial herbs such as thyme and oregano.  The seeds are extremely tiny and take weeks to germinate.
  • Lettuce, cabbage-family – this assumes some risk due to weather pressure.  Start a small amount now looking to plant outside around late Feb under season extension.  Start another small batch every two weeks for the next month or two to have a steady harvest.
  • Leeks – seed takes awhile to germinate.  Transplants will be ready to go outside in late March if started now.

 

Central Ohio Weather Update 

The three month forecast for temperature and precipitation is calling for colder and dryer than normal weather.   There is a 65% of an El Nino weather phenomenon to form in spring.  That will certainly affect backyard growers, community gardeners, and urban farmers in Central Ohio.

 

CLICK HERE for the NWS/NOAA Weather link.

 

 

Specialty Crop Growers’ Roundtable at OARDC

Winter is a time for many activities, including obtaining new information and reconnecting with friends, peers, and partners. All these activities and more happen at programs coordinated by grower associations, universities, and others. In that light, consider participating in the upcoming Specialty Crop Growers’ Roundtable on February 4, 2019 at the OARDC in Wooster, OH.

Every program has something to offer. The Roundtable will offer brief, to-the-point presentations, demonstrations, exhibits, and trainings, and ample time for one-on-one and small group discussion — great value for commercial vegetable, fruit, and herb growers, especially ones active in local to regional markets. There will be plenty to hear, see, say, and do at the Roundtable. Please note: attendance is capped at 50 and pre-registration is required.

Learn more about the Roundtable program, including how to register. specialty-crop-roundtable-19-flyer-for-distribution-1-2j2bze6

The 2019 Ohio Produce Network Program: Count on It

The upcoming Ohio Produce Network program (http://www.opgma.org/ohio-produce-network/) sponsored by Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association will be held on January 16-17, 2019 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, OH. Topics selected by growers during months of event preparation will be addressed in presentations, demonstrations and trainings, discussions, and displays and exhibits.

The program has five tracks and begins with the OPGMA Annual Meeting and Keynote Address. The Keynote Address will be given by Liliana Esposito, who serves as the Chief Communications Officer with Wendy’s. The entire program includes eleven hours and of presentation and discussion time across five tracks (55 hours total) plus five hours dedicated to viewing the tradeshow and various exhibits and participating in trainings and demonstrations.

Combined, the Vegetable, Food Safety, and Greenhouse/High Tunnel tracks also comprise interesting numbers. For example, they include twenty-nine speakers and at least that many topics. Of these twenty-nine speakers, thirteen are with a university (three institutions), five are farmers, eight represent farming-related businesses, two represent organizations, and one represents the ODA. These numbers are matched by equally impressive ones across the Fruit and Marketing tracks. However, for now, the most important numbers to remember are 5100 Upper Metro Place, Dublin, OH 43017 … the address of the OPN program and where we hope to see you on January 16 and 17!

Grower, Gardener, Educator, and Researcher – All can Gain from Vegetable Grafting

Grafting is an ancient technology currently coming of age, helping vegetable growers and gardeners and educators and researchers in Ohio and the U.S. address some of today’s most significant challenges. Find out more at two upcoming programs.

The Muck Crops School on January 10 in Willard, OH will include a presentation by grafting expert Dr. Richard Hassell of Clemson University. He will outline progress made in developing rootstock (RS) varieties resistant to Phytopthora capsici, a devastating disease of pepper, tomato, melon, and other major vegetable crops. In grafting, root systems of RS varieties are spliced to the shoots of scion varieties, creating physical hybrids that often out-perform ungrafted versions of the scion variety, especially under stressful conditions. Indeed, creating physical hybrids opens key opportunities in production, research, and education. Contact OSUE-Huron County (https://huron.osu.edu/home) about attending the Muck Crops School on Jan 10, 2019.

The Ohio Produce Network program on January 16-17 in Dublin, OH will include two sessions on grafting, both occurring on January 16. Session 1 will feature presentations and discussion led by six additional experts: Dr. Chris Gunter (NCSU), Dr. Matt Kleinhenz (The OSU), Dr. Sally Miller (The OSU), Cameron Way (Way Farms), Chuck Mohler (Sweet Corn Charlie Farms), and Ed Kerlikowske (http://lifegivingfruit.com/). A representative of TriHishtil (http://www.trihishtil.com/), a major supplier of grafted plants, may also participate. Together, the six presenters and discussion leaders will provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, and stakeholder-focused summary of grafted plants as sources of income and production tools. Session 2, later on Jan 16, will deliver individualized training in making grafted plants, a straightforward process that can be completed in many settings. See http://www.opgma.org/ohio-produce-network/ about attending the OPN on Jan 16-17, 2019.

Contact Matt Kleinhenz (330.263.3810, kleinhenz.1@osu.edu) for additional information about these programs and see http://www.vegetablegrafting.org/ and http://u.osu.edu/vegprolab/research-areas/grafting-2/ for more information about vegetable grafting.