Resources for Vegetable Crop Growers

As a vegetable crops specialist, I am often asked; what do you do all winter! Asides from being a time to clean up both the data and the dirt from the previous growing season, winter is a great time for learning. The OMAFRA vegetable specialists have been busy updating and creating several resources for vegetable growers.

The 2008-09 edition of the Vegetable Production Recommendations (Publication 363) is now available. This publication is a comprehensive source for information on all aspects of vegetable production.

Many new products have been registered for use in vegetable crops over the past two years. The easy to use fungicide and insecticide recommendation tables outline each product's uses, application rate, preharvest interval and any other use requirements.

With high fertilizer prices, many growers are re-evaluating their fertility programs. The OMAFRA fertilizer recommendations used in publication 363 use field trials to determine the rate most likely to result in the maximum economic returns.

This publication also includes descriptions, biology, thresholds and management options for all major vegetable crop pests.

Other topics covered include:

• post harvest handling and storage
• cover crops
• food safety
• and much, much more.

To order a copy for $20, call ServiceOntario Publications at 1-800-668-9938, or visit www.ServiceOntario.ca/publications.

A new resource for vegetable growers is the Ontario VegIPM CD. This interactive IPM training module has information sheets on all pests of Peppers, Cole Crops and Vine Crops. We've included lots of pictures, as well as pest activity calendars and identification keys. The CD also has a section on soil diagnostics. Copies of the CD are available at the Ridgetown OMAFRA office, 519 674 1620. This CD was funded by the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario and the Canada-Ontario Research and Development program.

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