March - April 2015 Volume 16, Issue 2 In This Issue: • Wireworm: Tools in the Toolbox • Farming 4R Island 2015 Report • Market Reports Publications Mail Agreement # 40011377 Mail Agreement Publications No bundles. No rebates. No waiting. No kidding. Your money. Your choice. Adama Canada, formerly MANA Canada, is dedicated to providing choice and simplicity in crop protection, allowing farmers to manage their farms instead of managing complicated, time-consuming rebate programs or bundling. We partner with the highest quality local retails to bring farmers like you the advice, service and quality products you need to protect your crops. Protect your potato crops with: Weed Control Arrow® Insect Control Alias® Pyrinex® Silencer® For a complete list of Adama crop protection products visit adama.com/canada. Simply. Grow. Together. ®Alias, Arrow, Pyrinex and Silencer, are registered trademarks Toll-free: 1.855.264.6262 of ADAMA Agricultural Solutions Canada Ltd. 924P 01.15 WEBSITE: adama.com/canada Features Wireworm: Putting Tools in the Toolbox ................................................................................12 Chips and Dip Battle at The Drake Hotel in Toronto ........................................................... 17 Prince Edward Island Potato News is a Islanders For Farmers: Taking Pride in Farming in PEI ....................................................... 19 publication of the Prince Edward Island Potato New Summer Retail Promotion with Dairy Farmers of Canada ......................................20 Board. It is published six times per year. While PEI Potato Board sponsors PEI Burger Love again in 2015 ...............................................21 every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material, both editorial content and Marketing By Use: A New Perspective on Fresh Marketing ............................................ 22 advertising, no responsibility will be assumed Potatoes Canada Update ..............................................................................................................26 by the publisher for accuracy. Material Farming 4R Island Report 2015 .................................................................................................. 30 contained in Prince Edward Island Potato News Responding to Pesticide Questions ..........................................................................................32 may not be reprinted in any form without Farm Machinery Hazard Alert ..................................................................................................... 36 the express written permission of the Prince Soil Conservation Award presented to Spring Valley Farms Ltd. ................................... 38 Edward Island Potato Board. Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number 40011377. Regular Departments Prince Edward Island Potato Board Chairman’s Message ..........................................................................................................................5 Potato Board News ............................................................................................................................6 Chairman: Alex Docherty Canadian and USA Marketing Reports ....................................................................................24 Vice-Chairman: Darryl Wallace Secretary-Treasurer: Charles Murphy PEI Department of Agriculture & Forestry ..............................................................................29 Disposition and Holdings .............................................................................................................35 Directors: Don Godfrey, John Hogg, Industry Updates .............................................................................................................................39 Owen Ching, Rodney Dingwell, Irwin Jay, Upcoming Events ............................................................................................................................42 Gary Linkletter, Kirk Shea, David Francis, Glen Rayner, Ian Drake (Young Farmer Cover: A photo of a brown mustard field from the summer of 2014 in Prince Edward Island. Representative). Growing brown mustard has become one of the tools that some PEI potato growers are Board Staff using to combat wireworm (see page 12). Photo by Brian Beaton. Greg Donald.............................General Manager Brenda Simmons.......Assist. General Manager Kendra Mills..........................Marketing Director Rob Morrison......................................Comptroller Mary Kay Sonier......................Seed Coordinator Editor, PEI Potato News Scott Howatt................Processing Coordinator Mark Phillips.........................Market Info. Officer Ann Marie White.................Executive Assistant Debbie Hirst-McDonald.........IT Administrator Ryan Barrett.....................Communications and Research Coordinator Tel: 902-892-6551 Fax: 902-566-4914 Email: [email protected] Website: www.peipotato.org Fox Island Elite Seed Farm Matthew Ramsay.........................Farm Manager Eleanor Matthews...........................Lab Manager Tel: 902-853-2619 Fax: 902-853-3962 Borden Inspection Station Barry Bassett..........................................Supervisor Tel: 902-437-2297 Fax: 902-437-2299 Please return undelivered copies to: PEI Potato Board, 90 Hillstrom Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI, C1E 2C6 March - April 2015 Prince Edward Island Potato News 3 SERVICES s Pioneer Seed Dealer for PEI Wireworm control options s Your source for industry leading Pioneer brand including seed treatments Corn, Soybean, Canola and Winter Wheat seed. and cover crops. s State of the art seed treatment system for local in season custom seed applied insecticides, fungicides and pre-inoculation. Contact us today at: Phone: 902-892-1275 www.phillipsagri.ca SENATOR ® PSPT COST EFFECTIVE BROAD SPECTRUM DISEASE CONTROL Proven seed piece treatment technology tel. 866.613.3336 fax 519.826.7675 www.engageagro.com ENGAGE AGRO [email protected] Senator is a registered trademark of Engage Agro Corporation 4 Prince Edward Island Potato News March - April 2015 Chairman’s Comments by Alex Docherty, PEI Potato Board Chairman It only seems like yesterday when I wrote my first Chairman’s Report, and as I write this one, it is another snowy day! Despite the weather, I hope everyone is getting through what has been a record snowfall this year. The weather has been tough on our customers, with road and bridge closures, and let’s hope the spring thaw is slow. Your Board has been very active over the last three months dealing with many issues. I believe our number one issue is the environment and our critics. I truly believe we are making some progress through our meetings with the Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment. Their interest in meeting and discussing our concerns shows to me that there is a desire to mend the relationship that has been fractured over the last number of years. It is my hope that I will be able to report more details in my next message. I have proposed to the Board that we survey each grower regarding how, as an industry, we move forward with the many issues facing us today. It is my hope that each of you will take the time to complete the survey to ensure your thoughts and comments are captured. When completing the survey, keep the following quote in mind: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower One thing we have in common with the current government is that we are both looking forward to dry ground. I wish everyone a safe and successful planting season. March - April 2015 Prince Edward Island Potato News 5 POTATO BOARD NEWS Canadian Horticultural Council AGM March 12. Topics on the agenda included: The 2015 CHC Annual General Meeting was held in • Plant Health issues. Quebec City from March 10-12. Board representatives at • CFIA reported on an update from NAPPO the meeting included Brenda Simmons, Acting General including options for Pre- and Post–Entry Manager, Board member Gary Linkletter, Seed Coordinator Quarantine for Micro-Propagation Material and Mary Kay Sonier and Seed/Farm Committee Chairman Minitubers that may reduce the amount of time Melis Visser. Other representatives from PEI were Alvin for this material to be approved for release. Keenan (1st V-P of the CHC) and Morley Wood. Canada will proceed on this issue in concert with our North American trading partners. Potato Task Force • A summary of PCN test results for the 2014 season was presented and the definition of a field for The week started with a Potato Task Force meeting testing purposes was discussed. An update was on the evening of March 9. This group is composed of also provided on potato wart testing on PEI. Canadian potato industry members, CFIA, AAFC, and provincial government personnel and has a goal of Several Working Group reports were also presented, discussing and coming to resolution on issues affecting including: the national industry. • the Quality Assurance Working Group; The first topic the group is tackling is the Seed Potato • the Research Working Group, with an update on Tuber Quality Management Program. Now that it is the Growing Forward II Potato Cluster Research known that this program will not be accepted by the Projects and a Late Blight Research Proposal; United States industry, the question remains: how do we • the Promotion and Marketing Working Group proceed with shipping point inspections