Coordinating a Response to Tomato Bacterial Coordinating a Response to Tomato Bacterial Disease Outbreaks in OntarioDisease Outbreaks in Ontario

Janice LeBoeuf

Vegetable Crop Specialist

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food

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The Ontario Tomato IndustryThe Ontario Tomato Industry

Area harvested3-year average: 2002-2004

Processing tomatoes

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The Ontario Tomato IndustryThe Ontario Tomato Industry

Area harvested3-year average: 2001-2003

Fresh market tomatoes

Issue: Bacterial Disease OutbreaksIssue: Bacterial Disease Outbreaks

• Bacterial spot and speck - primarily• Bacterial canker - scattered, but severe in

2000 after storms left standing water

• light spotting of the foliage vs. almost complete defoliation of the plant

• sunscald, poor colour development, rots due to early senescence of the foliage and lesions on the fruit

• fruit lesions reduce the quality of both fresh market and processing fruit (especially serious in whole pack or diced product) and interfere with peeling

• higher sorting costs on farm and in factory• increased tare penalties and possibility of not

meeting contracted tonnage• lower solids, increased costs, slower factory

operations, reduced peeled recovery for processors• processors also risk falling short of packing goals

Impacts to IndustryImpacts to Industry

• Outbreaks usually associated with heavy rain, high wind storm events

• Sometimes impacts widespread, sometimes localized (2000 vs. 2003)

Ontario Processing Tomato Average Yields

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Bacterial disease is a problem we struggle with in tomatoes year after year.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

- Albert Einstein

So, what can we do differently?

What were we doing?What were we doing?• Seed treatment - chlorine or acid - most processors - most

seed lots - always done right??• Two to four year crop rotation• Spray copper in greenhouse or in field when symptoms

appear• Some growers using preventative sprays of copper - but

often just a few applications at long intervals• Adding Bravo with copper as a sticker• Speck resistant cultivars• Minimize leaf wetness in greenhouse transplant production• Increase in drip irrigation• Good drainage• Burying residue• Research, extension efforts

The Tour:The Tour:Bacteria-palooza 2003Bacteria-palooza 2003

• Arranged an informal bacterial disease tour with researchers, extension, processor agricultural staff, crop consultants, Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers directors

• Why did the outbreak occur?• How could we have prevented it?• How can we prevent future outbreaks?• What are the critical gaps in our

knowledge?

Follow-up Meeting:Follow-up Meeting:

• On the tour, the group requested that I arrange a meeting after tomato harvest to discuss the issue further

• At the meeting: researchers, extension, processor agricultural staff, crop consultants, tomato breeders, Ontario Tomato Seedling Growers’ Marketing Board rep, Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers reps, Pest Diagnostic Clinic (U of G), agribusiness

• Dr. Diane Cuppels reviewed what we know about the biology of the bacterial spot pathogen

• Dr. Ron Pitblado discussed management strategies for tomato bacterial diseases

• Then discussion...

What do we need to know to manage What do we need to know to manage these diseases more effectively?these diseases more effectively?

• Does the Group D bacterial spot overwinter in Ontario?• Is bacterial canker an issue, or mainly spot and speck?• Is the spot population in Ontario developing resistance to

copper? Is it likely to?• Are bacteria being introduced on peppers, fresh market

cultivars, small lots of specialized processing cultivars being grown in the same transplant greenhouses?

• How can we minimize spread while handling and wetting-up the transplants?

• Can “properly” treated seed still harbour bacteria?• How can we be sure that purchased seed lots have been

treated?

What do we need to know to manage What do we need to know to manage these diseases more effectively?these diseases more effectively?

• What is the threshold of infected seed required to cause an outbreak?

• Is copper effective? Are we using it correctly? How is it best used?

• Where did the inoculum come from? Infected seed? Infected crop residue? Contaminated greenhouse or field equipment? Weed hosts?

• How is it being spread? Infected transplants planted in the field? Wind driven rain and mists? Processor staff, crop scouts, critters moving through fields? Equipment?

• How far can it spread on wind driven rain?• Do stressful growing conditions increase disease infection,

spread?

What do we need to know to manage What do we need to know to manage these diseases more effectively?these diseases more effectively?

• Can we test for infected seed, non-symptomatic infected transplants reliably and economically?

• How many seeds or transplants do we need to test to get meaningful results?

• Is group D more virulent, more destructive?• Is there a lab in Ontario that will do PCR diagnosis on

these diseases? Can we test seeds, seedlings, plants?• What are they doing in other tomato-growing areas?

???

Action PlanAction Plan

• Use what we know to try to manage bacterial disease more effectively

• Agree on priorities for research to answer some of our questions

• Focus on three aspects of production: seed, transplant greenhouse, field

SeedSeed

OTSGMBOTSGMB

• Recommend transplant growers test questionable seed lots for the presence of acid or chlorine residue• discuss at OTSGMB annual meeting• communicate to transplant growers through

OTSGMB newsletter• identify lab(s) that can perform this service to

OTSGMB members

ProcessorsProcessors

• Recommend processors test seed lots for bacterial disease• individual processors will test• one processor rep will ensure protocols in place

with lab(s) and let other processors know the procedure

• processors will share information

Transplant ProductionTransplant Production

Transplant ProductionTransplant Production- OTSGMB- OTSGMB

• Recommend fixed copper bactericide starting 2 1/2 weeks after seeding, then at 5-day intervals• apply to wet the foliage but not to excessive

runoff• if possible, last application should be 1 day

prior to shipping

Transplant ProductionTransplant Production- Researchers/OPVG/OFPA/OTRI- Researchers/OPVG/OFPA/OTRI

• Research project to develop a transplant screening protocol

Transplant ProductionTransplant Production- OMAF Extension- OMAF Extension

• Educate field growers about the importance of the greenhouse copper program, discussing it with their transplant suppliers

Field ProductionField Production

Field ProductionField Production- OMAF Extension- OMAF Extension

• Recommend field growers apply a copper bactericide within 7 days after transplanting• apply at least 3 applications at 7-day intervals

• Educate growers, industry• When disease appears, make observations,

share information

Field Production -Field Production -Researchers/OPVG/OFPA/OTRIResearchers/OPVG/OFPA/OTRI

• Research field copper applications to determine effectiveness (yield, quality, bacterial populations), end point

• Research on overwintering of the bacterial spot Group D pathogen

• Continue screening alternatives for bacterial disease control, including SAR products, growth regulators, conventional chemistries, biological controls, improving seed treatments

Other ActivitiesOther Activities• Meeting programs include lots of bacterial

disease information• Discussion groups held with research,

extension, processor staff, crop consultants, agribusiness, chemical company reps

• Newsletter articles and updates about bacterial disease management

• Tomato bacterial disease factsheet should be out this spring - in-depth look at current knowledge in biology and management

Other ActivitiesOther Activities• Ridgetown College/OMAF staff visited many

transplant producers in the spring of 2004 to test the concentration of copper in their spray solution and the amount of copper being deposited on the leaves

• Also checked leaves in field for copper residue• Feedback given immediately so grower could

correct any problems

• Convincing chemical companies to fund research to screen products for bacterial activity

Other ActivitiesOther Activities

• All transplant growers trying to follow the new recommendations - not perfect, but improved

• Many field growers following the “early and often” copper recommendations - BIG CHANGE!

• More growers mixing mancozeb with early copper sprays to get boost in activity

What has changed? What have we learned?What has changed? What have we learned?

• OPVG/OFPA/OTRI increased funding to “Ecological/Epidemiological Studies of the Highly Virulant Group C and D Forms of the Bacterial Spot Pathogen” (Cuppels, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and “Pest Management Studies in Processing Tomatoes” (Pitblado, Ridgetown College)

• Research has shown that X. c. pv. v. Group B, C, and D strains overwinter under Ontario conditions (Cuppels, AAFC)

What has changed? What have we learned?What has changed? What have we learned?

What has changed? What have we learned?What has changed? What have we learned?• Progress towards a procedure for detecting

and quantifying bacterial spot populations on transplant seedlings in the greenhouse (Cuppels, AAFC)

• Groups A, B, C, and D strains continue to be studied: presence and persistence on plug plants, greenhouse equipment, etc.; survival on weeds; aggressiveness on tomato, pepper; susceptibility to Kocide + Bravo; ability to cause lesions on fruit (Cuppels, AAFC)

• A number of potential bacterial disease control products tested, including various copper formulations (and range of spray solution pH), Agriphage, Chitosan Plus, ionized water, Tanos, combinations of Actigard, Bonzi, Sumagic, Apogee, Ammonium sulphate, Heads-up, Tilt (Pitblado, Ridgetown College)

What has changed? What have we learned?What has changed? What have we learned?

• Pest Diagnostic Lab (University of Guelph) began to work closely with Dr. Cuppels to implement a commercial PCR diagnostic service for tomato bacterial diseases. Lab has been testing procedure on seeds, transplants, field plants. Protocol is evolving as the lab learns the PCR process and as Dr. Cuppels lab develops improved procedures.

What has changed? What have we learned?What has changed? What have we learned?

ResultsResults

• Record Ontario yield in 2004!!• But I can’t take credit for that.

Ontario Processing Tomato Average Yields

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ResultsResults• High level of awareness of bacterial disease

impacts, management practices• Industry did not become complacent after a

successful 2004 season without major outbreaks

• The industry saw the benefits of the improved management practices in 2004

• We can probably avert some outbreaks, but some may not be preventable with current technology

IPM Training for Tomato and IPM Training for Tomato and Pepper IndustryPepper Industry

Janice LeBoeuf

OMAF Vegetable Crop Specialist

Ridgetown, ON

IPM Training ObjectivesIPM Training Objectives• Understand the pests and their impacts• Identify the pests• Understand and identify other factors that

impact crop health• Up-to-date on new products/ techniques and

the latest applied research• Aware of the strengths/limitations of

products/techniques• Know where/who to turn to for answers

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods

• 1-day tomato and pepper IPM training• 1-day introduction to IPM training can be

taken ahead of time• IPM training sessions co-ordinated by our

IPM Systems Specialist Margaret Appleby• “Summer student” crop scouts, agribusiness

and private crop advisors, growers and farm staff, research technicians, processor staff

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods

• In-field IPM training• Offer in a couple of locations each season• Meet at a farm, discuss what we see, have

seen through the season• Out of field - may look at samples of

problems, too• Informal

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods

• Tomato and pepper discussion groups• Informal format• Topic chosen and special guest experts

invited• Weed management, insect and disease

management, transplant production…• “Pick the brains” of the guest experts and

each other

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods• Discussion groups, cont’d.• Research, extension, processor staff, agribusiness

and private crop advisors, chemical company representatives, tomato breeders

• Haven’t invited growers - allows more open discussion

• Participants learn from the experts and each other. Experts learn a lot from the participants, too!

• In-season conference calls - lot of interest, but not a lot of participation - busy time

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods• Processing Crop Updates - initiated by Elaine

Roddy a few years ago• Mine is on tomatoes and peppers• Sent out by e-mail (and a few faxes)• Covers all kinds of topics - pest ID, pest alerts,

herbicide injury symptoms, new products, coming events, pest counts, weather summaries (OWN), nutrient management, pest control information, disorders, new publications, …

• approx. 70 on e-mail/fax list, 145 subscribe from OMAF web-site

Variety of MethodsVariety of Methods• IPM Technical Update Meeting for Consultants

(Margaret Appleby)• OMAF Publications - Vegetable Production

Recommendations (Elaine Roddy, Editor)• HortMatters Newsletter (Hannah Fraser, Donna

Speranzini, Editors) - agribusiness, consultants• Veg Viewpoint Newsletter (Elaine Roddy, Editor)

- growers

• OMAF Web-site - Vegetable index page at http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/hort/vegetable.html