SPRING REGULATORY TOUR OPENS EYES

By Lisa Lochridge, Director, FFVA's Public Affairs Division

The tour, coordinated by Dan Botts, FFVA’s vice president of industry resources, is designed to give regulators a firsthand look at the agriculture industry’s challenges and a better understanding of how the decisions they make affect Florida agriculture. Botts has been leading the tours for more than 20 years.

The event encompasses a variety of operations, from sod and ornamentals to sugar cane and citrus. The week kicked off with an overview of Florida agriculture and water regulation in the southern part of the state, particularly the Everglades Agricultural Area, the 700,000-acre region of farmland south of Lake Okeechobee.

The itinerary was packed, taking the group from Fort Myers east to Clewiston and Belle Glade, then back to Naples. Stops included The Old Collier Golf Course, the Lee County Mosquito Control District, Syngenta Flowers, Barron Collier/Silver Strand, the Sugar Cane Growers Co-op of Florida, Florida Crystals, King Ranch, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, American Farms and Six L’s Farm. At each location, tour participants heard from company representatives about their production practices and chemical use, watched application demonstrations and had plenty of time for question-and-answer exchanges.

John Hoffman of Barron Collier/Silver Strand talks to the Florida Spring Regulatory Tour group about the company’s crop-protection program.

It was time well-spent for those who were looking to gain a wider perspective. And for many, it was their first look at crop production. Mindy Ondish, who works in the herbicide branch of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Program’s Registration Division, says she gained insight that will help her do her job. “The most valuable experience of the tour for me was being able to see how the various crops are grown and how pesticides would be applied to them,” she said. “It's one thing to visualize how it might be done from the label's directions, but to actually see the equipment used and the arrangement of the crops really helped.  After visiting the sites, I have a better visualization of the crop-production process from planting to harvest, which is invaluable for my job reviewing pesticide labels.”

At The Old Collier Golf Club, course superintendent Tim Hiers advised the group that the club is not a typical public Florida golf course. Old Collier has the distinction of being the first Audubon International certified Gold Signature Cooperative Sanctuary golf course – meaning it was planned and designed with specific strategies for natural resource conservation. The meticulously maintained course winds through 214 acres of upland that includes 11 manmade lakes and more than 100 acres of native habitat. As the group toured the course, Hiers outlined the club’s turf maintenance program and commitment to enhancing the habitat for wildlife. And there was much wildlife to see -– gopher tortoises, rabbits, numerous species of birds, alligators and more.

Participants took to the air the next day in helicopters to see some of the 1,000 square miles maintained by the Lee County Mosquito Control District. They also toured the lab for a more detailed explanation of the district’s use of larvicides and adulticides that are applied by ground and air. The district uses satellite navigation and global positioning for precision application targeting.

At Syngenta Flowers (formerly Yoder Brothers Inc.), the regulators were provided an overview of the company’s pest and disease management programs, application techniques and equipment, diagnostic testing for disease, and its philosophy of starting with a foundation of clean plant material.

THE CITRUS STORY

John Hoffman of Barron Collier/Silver Strand has hosted the tour group for a number of years at the company’s citrus operation. With the scent of orange blossoms as a backdrop, Hoffman outlined some of the challenges faced by the citrus industry. A crew demonstrated spray application, and the group watched a mechanical harvester in action. Hoffman said he appreciates the opportunity to show what he does and to help educate participants about crop-protection practices.

“We can show how we’re using the products that we have available to us safely and in such a way that we’re using a minimum amount,” he said. “We also have the chance to communicate our need for a rotation of chemicals to apply to the crops so that resistance doesn’t build up.”

Citrus horticulturist Tim Gast of Southern Gardens gave the group an overview of citrus greening and the threat it poses to the industry. He emphasized the importance of a scouting and an aggressive program to control the Asian citrus psyllid, which carries the disease.  Gast said Southern Gardens is beginning to see some success, with the incidence of the disease leveling off somewhat in its groves. Next on the agenda was an overview of sugar cane production in Clewiston hosted by the Sugar Cane Growers Co-op and Florida Crystals Corp.

Harold Coble, an agronomist with USDA’s Office of Pest Management Programs, said he benefitted from Gast’s discussion about greening. “I gained a more in-depth knowledge of citrus greening and the dramatic impact this disease has on the citrus industry and on IPM programs in citrus particularly,” he said. “When USDA participates with EPA in regulatory decisions, it is important that we have experience in the issues under consideration. Tours such as this one are very beneficial in giving us the experience we need to discuss the issues in a meaningful way.”

UNDERSTANDING THE INDUSTRY’S DIVERSE CHALLENGES

Wes Roan (right) of Six L’s Farm explains tomato production at one of the farm’s fields in Collier County as tour participants Donald Brady (left), Chris Pappas and Terry Councell look on.

The group wrapped up the week with a look at roma and grape tomato production at one of Six L’s Farm’s fields in Collier County with host Wes Roan. Roan discussed worker protection procedures and policies, the state of this year’s tomato crop, and the industry’s efforts to find efficient and effective alternatives to soil fumigant methyl bromide.

Most of the tour participants said they benefitting from interaction with growers and seeing crop production firsthand. Some said their impression of the regulatory environment that Florida agriculture must deal with had changed.

“I didn’t fully realize the challenges faced by the agricultural community with regard to label issues,” said Laura Nollen, a biologist on the EPA’s Minor Use Team in the Registration Division of the Office of Pesticide Programs. “I am encouraged to hear that farmers are trying to find OP alternatives, but am concerned by the pervasive usage.”  Still, Nollen said the tour was informative and would give her additional perspective. “The ‘real-world’ application of seeing how pesticides are applied, what is involved in application, the resulting crops that are affected by the pesticides, and the challenges faced by limitations in application (labeling issues, etc.) were all very valuable,” she added.

Sponsors of the tour were Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Sugar Cane Growers Co-op of Florida, Florida Citrus Mutual, Lee County Mosquito Control District, Florida Golf Course Superintendents, Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association, Florida Tomato Exchange and Agricultural Environmental Seminars.