State and federal regulators who took part in FFVA’s annual Spring Regulatory Tour probably weren’t expecting to tour a battlefield, but they got a look at one anyway at Six L’s Farm in southern Collier County.

On the tour’s closing day, Wes Roan of Six L’s pointed out the most recent skirmish in the never-ending war on pests in South Florida tomato crops: yellow leaf curl virus. The participants moved into the rows for a closer look, inspecting leaves for the telltale white flies that carry the disease.

Roan explained to the group the challenges Six L’s has experienced in testing alternatives to methyl bromide, the widely used fumigant that was phased out in 2005 and is now used only by those who have been granted exemptions for critical uses. The industry has yet to find a chemical or combination of chemicals that works as well.

Wes Roan of Six L's discusses crop production challenges.

He showed two trial areas, one that had been treated with a combination of Telone, chloropicrin and reduced rates methyl bromide, and the other with chloropicrin and methyl bromide. The results weren’t pretty:  stunted, drooping plants with white flies visible on the curling yellow leaves.

“The more work we do, the more we have still in front of us,” he said. “We’ve been doing research for 10 years now on methyl bromide alternatives, but there’s still so much we need to know. We’ve invested a lot, spent a lot, learned a lot. We’ve come a long way.

“Even with technology, we’ve tweaked, modified and dreamed up stuff,” he added. “The fact remains that methyl bromide is an indispensable chemistry. But now we’re going back to what we abandoned years ago because of the challenges. It’s a good thing we started research when we did, because we still have so far to go. We’re all struggling.”

CONNECTING REGULATORS AND PRODUCERS

Methyl bromide was just one of many pest and disease treatments discussed during the tour, organized by FFVA’s Environmental and Pest Management Division specifically to give state and federal regulators an up-close look at the pressures Florida growers face producing everything from celery to citrus to chrysanthemums.

Now in its 18th year, the tour has proved to be popular. Although many were first-timers, a few of the 20 participants had taken the trek across South Florida several times.

The event is valuable because it opens the door for conversation and relationship-building, says Dan Botts, director of the Environmental and Pest Management Division.

Dan Botts, FFVA's director, Environmental & Pest Management Division, says the tour is invaluable to regulators in that it offers them an opportunity to get an up-close look at how Florida producers use agricultural chemicals.

“Many of these folks have oversight responsibility on important chemicals and issues facing growers,” Botts said. “This may be their first opportunity to see a Florida farm firsthand and how the chemicals they regulate are actually applied.”

Participants spent an intensive five days touring various types of production and hearing from producers of a variety of crops about the chemicals they use and their efforts to conserve natural resources. The tour kicked off on a somber note with a presentation by a South Florida Water Management District representative who discussed the dire drought the state is experiencing. The week’s lineup encompassed:

• Golf course management at The Old Collier Golf Course in Naples
• Lee County Mosquito Control District’s operations
• Ornamental greenhouse production of mums and azaleas at Yoder Brothers Inc. in Fort Myers
• Citrus operations at Barron Collier Co.’s Silver Strand Division in Collier County
• Juice processing at Southern Gardens Citrus in Hendry County
• Sugar cane production at the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida /Florida Crystals Corp. in Belle Glade
• Sod production operations at King Ranch in Palm Beach County
• Muck vegetable production and celery harvesting at Duda Farm Fresh Foods western Palm Beach County
• Ornamental nursery production at American Farms in Naples
• Sandland vegetable production at Six L’s Farm in southern Collier County

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

Participants came on the tour with various expectations, but most agreed that seeing the operations allowed them to connect their work as regulators with the real world of the field.

For Mindy Parrot, senior supervising environmental analyst at the South Florida Water Management District, the highlight was the juice processing plant tour at Southern Gardens, with its 56 one-million-gallon storage tanks. In addition, seeing different areas and types of production helped her get to know the state better, she said.

“My goal was to see a variety of agriculture operations,” Parrot added. “I wanted to gain more of an understanding of what goes on at different operations with regards to water and water quality. I also wanted to learn more about Florida agriculture and the issues producers face relative to pesticide use. It’s been very informative.”

Debbie McCall, chief of the technical review branch of EPA’s Registration Division in Washington, D.C., was impressed by the growers’ knowledge of labels.

Citrus on the move at Barron Collier/Silver Strand's citrus groves. Tour participants were impressed by the specialized equipment used in Florida agricultre.

“They clearly have an understanding of the label and its implications,” she said. “It was invaluable seeing them with the pest pressures they deal with in the field. And it’s interesting that at almost every stop along the way, the growers have wanted different things from the label.”

And the equipment was pretty cool, too. “I’m always incredibly impressed at the specialized equipment and the enormous cost of everything. If the American public thinks the average farmer isn’t well-educated and well-connected, they’re mistaken. These guys are very sophisticated.”

SHOWCASING ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES

Others expressed surprise at the extent to which producers go to preserve the state’s natural resources, whether it’s testing runoff for phosphorus or using sugar cane bagasse to generate power.

“I grew up in rural areas, but not on a farm,” said Don Wilbur, an EPA chemist. “It’s nice to come to Florida with its beautiful weather and actually see things like the landscape and the wildlife. Throughout the tour, it’s been interesting to see how the farmers and golf courses try to protect the environment. It was a surprise to see the care people put into their operations.”

EPA Region IV's Christine Fortain examines damage to tomato plants caused by whiteflies.

And many found the chance to network with their peers valuable. That was the case for Bill Foley, a senior supervising engineer for the South Florida Water Management District. Foley is a newcomer to Florida, moving here recently from New Mexico.

“I enjoyed the makeup of the people on the tour; I didn’t know most of the other participants,” he said. “It’s been very informative with regard to the processes involved in the operations we’ve seen. The highlight for me was the ornamental operations – they were much different than what I’d anticipated.  I understand sugar cane and citrus – I’d seen those operations before.”
 
Agencies represented on the tour were the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, South Florida Water Management District, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

These co-sponsors helped make the tour possible: Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association, Florida Tomato Committee, Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association, Florida Citrus Mutual and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida.

Roan of Six L’s agreed that the tour is important. “It’s hard to sit in an office and make decisions about products and systems without having a feel for all the circumstances about the end result,” he said. “This is an environmental system, and that in itself is a variable situation. This puts the real world in their mind’s eye. When they’re thinking about an issue they can reflect back on the insight they gained from this experience, and that’s a good thing.”