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- Tangi-Washington Grower Update - 5 May 2022
To receive a notification through the Remind text messaging system when a Tangi-Washington Grower Update is posted, please contact Mary Helen Ferguson. Click here for links to previous Tangi-Washington Grower Updates.
It’s time for another Update. Several events – local, regional, and online – are coming up, including an opportunity to attain private pesticide applicator certification by attending a class, without testing.
A couple of additional notices are included at the end. Strawberry growers may especially want to note the one about the proposed cancellation of thiram registration for strawberries and the opportunity to provide comments to the EPA within the next two weeks.
Individuals interested in vegetable production have begun meeting at the Kentwood Lions Club building (803 Ave. C). Meetings are typically held on the last Monday of the month at 6 PM. However, the May meeting is planned for May 23 instead of the last Monday, as there are plans to discuss a farmer’s market event scheduled for May 28. I plan to speak at the June meeting (June 27) on disease management in vegetables. Please contact Shannon Coleman with questions about Tri-Parish Vegetable Growers meetings.
The Farmer’s Market scheduled for May 28 is planned for 9 AM till 3 PM at Mainstreet Square in Kentwood. If you’re interested in having a booth or would like more information, please contact George Hayes.
The LSU AgCenter, with support from USDA, is offering a series of webinars intended primarily for new farmers but open to all. Read more about it here. Topics include Direct Markets, Computer Bookkeeping, Infrastructure for Food Safety, Farming and Taxes, Online Platforms for Marketing and Sales, and Working with a Loan Officer. The registration link on that page is not currently taking people to the correct website. This is the registration website.
This event will be held from 8:30 AM till 1 PM at 5124 E. St. Bernard Hwy., Violet, LA, on Saturday, May 28. From the organizers: “Open to commercial citrus producers, serious hobby orchardists, agents, etc. Please RSVP so we can get a lunch count. A detailed agenda will be sent in two weeks. We will have presentations on citrus health, current research and more.” Please RSVP to Anna Timmerman.
The LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will hold a training on Wednesday, June 1, from 7:45 AM till noon, at the Hammond Research Station (21549 Old Covington Hwy, Hammond, LA) for people interested in attaining private pesticide applicator certification. This event can be attended in lieu of taking and passing the private pesticide applicator exam.
Regulations require any individuals handling and applying (a) paraquat or (b) dicamba formulations used in the management of a dicamba resistant variety to have a private pesticide applicator certification along with additional paraquat or dicamba training, as applicable. While workers can handle and apply some restricted use pesticides under the supervision of another individual with the appropriate certification, those handling and applying these products must have the appropriate credentials themselves. Participation in this training course will allow participants to receive their private pesticide applicator certification. Individuals would then be able to obtain the additional required dicamba or paraquat training. This additional training is the responsibility of the individual and is available online.
Preregistration is required. Seating is limited to 72 people. Two checks or money orders must be brought to the training. Cash will not be accepted. One check or money order should be made out to LSU AgCenter for $25 and will be turned in at the beginning of the meeting. A second check or money order for $25 should be made out to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) will be given to an LDAF representative at the end of the meeting. To be eligible for certification through this training, individuals must be 18 years and older and must have a valid Social Security number.
Contact me to preregister. For accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact me at least one week before the event. The LSU AgCenter and LSU provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.
Click the link for additional training needed to use paraquat or certain formulations of dicamba.
The next meeting of this newly formed group is planned for Tuesday, June 7 (6:00 PM), though this is subject to change based on availability of members. Meetings are now being held at the LSU AgCenter office (1104-B Bene St., Franklinton) instead of the Franklinton Town Hall. Purposes of the group include hosting a watermelon festival and engaging in other activities that support local fruit and vegetable growers. To get updates about upcoming Association meetings, contact Tisha Thomas.
Some of you received the Strawberry Grower Alert and Update sent in February and March, respectively, about the identification of Pestalotia leaf spot and fruit rot in Tangipahoa Parish. I’ve added text to the page where I’d previously posted photos of symptoms and signs of this disease: Pestalotia Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot Identified in Louisiana Strawberries (lsuagcenter.com)
If you suspect that you have this disease in your field but haven’t had it confirmed yet, please let me know. Replanting strawberries next year in fields where the disease has been identified is not advised.
A related note is that a Proposed Interim Registration Review Decision has been issued by the EPA for thiram, along with several other fungicides. (Click the “Download” link on that page to review the PID.) Cancellation of all uses except for seed treatment is proposed. If you’d like to submit comment in response to this PID, do so here. The comment period ends in 14 days.
The Spring 2022 edition of Small Fruit News from the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium is available. This edition focuses on strawberry but also has an article about a new seedless, Pierce’s Disease resistant bunch grape for fresh consumption.
Contact Mary Helen Ferguson, Ph.D.
The LSU AgCenter and LSU provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.