AG EXPO PRESENTS INSIGHTS ON FOOD SAFETY, PEST MANAGEMENT

Florida Ag Expo, held Nov. 5, was a one-stop learning experience for the state's vegetable growers.

What should the fresh produce industry do to help prevent a repeat of last summer’s salmonella outbreak investigation? What do EPA's proposed label changes for soil fumigants mean to growers? What’s the latest in methyl bromide alternatives?

A roster of industry and government experts handled questions like those and offered their unique perspectives at the Florida Ag Expo, held Nov. 5 at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm.

The Expo served as a one-stop event where growers could get the most recent information on a number of topics, ask questions, learn about new varieties of crops, see the latest IFAS field trials and find out more about new agricultural equipment, useful products and services available to them.

In addition to IFAS, organizers included FFVA the Florida Tomato Committee, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, and Meister Media Worldwide, publishers of Florida Grower magazine.

FINGERS POINTED AT TOMATOES

Speaking about last summer’s salmonella investigation, Dr. Martha Roberts, a respected food safety consultant with the University of Florida, emphasized that the state had done its job to ensure the safety of Florida-produced food, referring to the FDA's Tomato Safety Initiative (see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/tomsafe.html). Even so, she said, people were predisposed to think of tomatoes as a high-risk crop before the outbreak began.

“Back in 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considered tomatoes as the source for any future outbreak,” Roberts said. “When last summer’s outbreak happened, the first assumption was that it was tomatoes.”

Roberts said the industry must develop better relationships with the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC as well as local and state health departments. “The industry must develop better communication with FDA and CDC and convince them to accept industry assistance. Better partnerships are needed,” she said, reminding those present that the agencies still have not let tomatoes grown in parts of Florida off the hook.

FIGHTING FUTURE PEST-CONTROL BATTLES

FFVA's Mike Aerts outlined crop protection challenges growers will face in the future.

Mike Aerts, director of FFVA’s Membership & Marketing Division, discussed several scenarios where those expanded buffer zones would be problematic. “What if someone decided to build a school, a hospital, a prison or a day-care center in a sensitive area a quarter-mile away? You couldn’t fumigate at all, whatsoever, period.”

Reggie Brown, head of the Florida Tomato Committee, urged growers to provide comment on the mitigation measures – what's known as the EPA's fumigant cluster analysis. In addition to expanded buffer zones for fumigant use, the EPA has proposed other requirements for re-registration of certain chemicals, the process that allows growers to access these products in the future.

On another crop-protection front, with the phaseout of methyl bromide reducing quantities available every year, industry experts presented their findings on possible alternatives growers could use to prepare soil for planting and manage weeds and other unwanted organisms throughout the season. “There is not going to be a magic bullet,” said Brown, summarizing the situation. “Success depends on greater management skills.”

Dr. Andrew MacRea of the Balm research facility presented a systems approach to pest control, emphasizing that “it’s not just one thing you drop in a tank.”

“This is about different components,” said MacRae. “You have to manage your fields to get the maximum effect from your fumigant.” He explained that for tomatoes, for example, a producer should follow seven steps from site preparation to post-harvest herbicide application to eliminate weeds.

MacRea and other experts emphasized that pest management in a world without methyl bromide would depend on the ability to choose products that reflect variables such as soil moisture, soil temperature and how compact that soil is. The successful approach would include fumigants, mulches and herbicides.

Ag Expo participants learned about the work of UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center on field tours.

ONE-STOP EVENT

The event also covered commodity-specific topics such as new varieties, pest updates and cultural practices. Field tours educated participants about the intricacies of exploring methyl bromide alternatives and the results of various breeding and growing practices.

Exhibitors ranged from an informative display explaining the Florida Agriculture in the Classroom program, which is funded by the sale of the Florida agricultural license plate, to demonstrations of food safety products, innovative equipment and more.

Be sure to check ffva.com in the next few months to learn more about the next Ag Expo. If you missed the first two, you  won't want to miss the third. The event is free to qualified growers.