Greenhouse Vegetable Updateand Challenges

Michael Bledsoe, Ph.D.October 2011

Michael E. Bledsoe1, Erika Verrier2; Christy Goodman3; Dana Sfetcu4. 1Village Farms International, Heathrow, Florida, 2Backyard Farms, Madison,

ME, 3EuroFresh, Snowflake, CA, 4Houweling Nurseries, Camarillo, CA. mbledsoe@villagefarms.com

26th Annual Tomato Disease Workshop

Greenhouse Industry in the USA Today

• The North American Greenhouse hydroponic tomato production continues to increase each year.

• The US large-scale high-tech greenhouses industry (>10 acre and computer climate controlled) has grown from around 10 acres in 1989 to close to 800 acres today. – Total US Large and small ~1000 acres

• Field tomato production averages 6-7 lbs/ yard2, with the current greenhouse production in semi-closed greenhouses exceeding 200 lbs/ yard2.

• This intense year-round mono-cropping can lead to significant challenges.

130 Acre

Greenhouse Tour

Looking into the futurethe next 7 weeks

Botrytis

• From a chronological perspective Botrytis became one of the first major challenges our industry faced.

• Early on there were no products registered for this new industry. Fortunately, the USEPA and IR-4 worked with the industry to begin to change that.

• Today , due to cultural practices, and materials like Switch, Decree, Scala, Cease/MilStop and other materials we are gaining the edge on botrytis.

• Pristine is in the wings but not yet available from BASF.

Clavibacter

Clavibacter (Cmm) changed the industry forever.• 2003: Began to show up in greenhouses.• 2004: Most greenhouses were struggling with Cmm.• 2005-2007: Tremendous losses from Cmm. Implementation of

stringent Phytosanitation practices. Three pronged approach.– Seed Companies– Propagation Phytosanitation SOPs– Production Greenhouse Procedures

• Currently in US: Procedures have brought this pathogen under reasonable control.

• The Ohio State University - Dr. Miller• Agdia • U of HI – Dr. Alvarez• MSU – Dr. Ingram• Omnilytics

Mechanical Transmission

• Mechanically transmitted virus and viroid like Pepino Mosaic Virus (PepMV), and Tomato Chlorotic Dwarf Viroid (TCDVd) are expected to always be with us.

• Once this virus or viroid in present in a greenhouse, even the best Phytosanitation seems to fall short of eliminating the pathogens.

• EXCLUSION CRITICAL• PepMV: Shifted from EU strain to Chilean Strain 2

in two years. USDA , Dr. Ling.

Pepino Mosaic Virus

• EU Strain

Pepino Mosaic Virus

• CH2 Strain

NEW

• Today’s newer challenges are generally arthropod-borne.

• In 2010, the Bemisia whitefly (A-Biotype) moved across from Mexico and introduced the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) to Texas greenhouses.

• Psyllid-borne phytoplasma are found across the US and are not subject for bio-control.

Fulvia fulva

• Leaf mold, caused by the fungus Fulvia fulva (synonym Cladosporium fulvum), is becoming a greater challenge in more humid growing regions.

USA IPM

Thank You

• Michael E. Bledsoe1, Erika Verrier2; Christy Goodman3; Dana Sfetcu4. 1Village Farms International, Heathrow, Florida, 2Backyard Farms, Madison, ME, 3EuroFresh, Snowflake, CA, 4Houweling Nurseries, Camarillo, CA. mbledsoe@villagefarms.com

• 407-936-1193 office

• 407-493-3933 cell