Contact Doug Doohan for more information at 330-202-3593 or doohan.1@osu.edu
John Masiunas, Univ. of IL
Aim (active ingredient carfentrazone-ethyl) herbicide
manufactured by FMC can be used for postemergence weed
control in either fresh market or processing sweet corn. Aim
should be applied to actively growing weeds up to 4 inches
high and rosettes less than 3 inches across. Aim at 0.5
fluid ounces (0.008 lb active ingredient)/ acre will control
common lambsquarters, ivyleaf and pitted morningglory,
eastern black nightshade, redroot pigweed, velvetleaf,
common waterhemp, and tall waterhemp. Thorough coverage of
the weeds is essential for control. Thus, a nonionic
surfactant at 0.25% v/v with at least 80% active ingredient
should be included in the spray solution.
Please NOTE for Ohio: The user assumes all
responsibility for crop injury. Not all varieties of sweet
corn have been tested for tolerance--check with your seed
company or Extension specialist before use. Do not tank-mix
with EC formulations of other herbicides.
John Wargowsky
The primary objective of the Ohio Specialty Crop Food
Safety Initiative is to increase the marketability and
safety of the produce grown by Ohio fruit and vegetable
growers. The effort has already reached over 200 fruit and
vegetable growers and over 20 extension educators/crop
consultants through educational seminars and workshops in
Ohio. More growers are being reached through articles in
trade publications and this spring, summer and fall will
commence the on-farm component of the initiative.
They key educational content of the initiative is good
agricultural practices for fresh fruits and vegetable that
are designed to minimize microbial contamination on the
farm. These practices are based on guidelines published by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the
Food and Drug Administration in "Guide to Minimize Microbial
Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables." Links
to both can be found at www.midamservices.org by clicking on
projects.
Mary Donnell, Extension Agent with the Ohio State
University Agricultural Business Enhancement Center is the
education coordinator for the initiative. Mary Donnell will
work with Francisco Espinoza of the Ohio State University Ag
and Hort Labor Education Program to conduct Spanish speaking
worker training primarily in the area of worker hygiene and
sanitation.
Shari Plimpton with the Center for Innovative Food
Technology is the food safety educator for the initiative.
Shari has presented at the Muck Crop School, Ohio Fruit and
Vegetable Growers Congress, Fruit Growers Marketing
Association Information Meeting, Berry School and Ohio Fruit
and Vegetable Food Safety Workshop.
Shari is also working with fruit and vegetable growers on
their farms to assist in identifying and implementing good
agricultural practices. These consultations are free of
charge to the grower and can range from a couple of hour
visit to a full consultation that prepares a grower for a
third party food safety audit. During consultations, Shari
will review pre-plant, production, harvest and post harvest
handling practices. Growers needing to develop a food safety
plan for purposes of a third party audit can also receive
this assistance.
This initiative is financed in part or totally through a
grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the State of
Ohio and the United States Department of Agriculture under
the provisions of the Specialty Crop Grant. Mid American Ag
and Hort Services is responsible for administration of the
grant.
For more information on the Ohio Specialty Crop Food
Safety Initiative,
contact John Wargowsky,
(614) 246-8286 or labor@ofbf.org,
or Mary Donnell,
(419) 354-6916 or donnell.8@osu.edu
or visit www.midamservices.org and click on projects.
R. Precheur
Producing a vegetable crop from seed or young transplant to
a successful harvest seems to be the least of all concerns
for the modern day vegetable grower. A majority of time can
be diverted to other issues indirectly related to vegetable
growing but just as important as the growing of the crop
itself. These involve such issues as labor management,
workman's compensation, food safety and compliance with all
pesticide regulations. As more and more vegetable growers
move to entertainment farming and fall festivals and 'Pick
Your Own' operations remain popular, there are many things
to consider to avoid future problems.
I recently saw a notice for a new Ag Law fact sheet and at
the same time found an index of several Ag Law fact sheets.
These fact sheets provide some basic background on several
important topics. They are available from your local county
extension office or at the Ohioline website, (see the URL
address and list of fact sheets, below).
http://ohioline.osu.edu/als-fact/index.html
* Eminent Domain in Ohio, ALS-1000-00
* Ohio Line Fence Law, ALS-1001-00
* Liability for Visitors to Farm Property, ALS-1002-00
* Ohio Laws Addressing Harm to Farm Property, ALS-1004-02
(pdf)
* Pesticide Application Liability, ALS-1005-03 (pdf)
* Ponds and Legal Liability in Ohio, ALS-1006-03 (pdf)
* Landowner Liability for Trespassing Children: Ohio's New
Attractive Nuisance Doctrine, ALS-1007-03 (pdf)
Hal Kneen
Vegetable planting (especially tomatoes) has been put on
hold as daytime temperatures reach only into the 60's and
night time temperatures hover around 40-45 degrees
Fahrenheit. Coldest weather is to be Wednesday morning with
a gradual warming trend into the weekend. Received some
welcome rainfall Sunday night, 6 tenths of an inch and
promise of more on Friday. Growers are continuing to form
raised beds covered with black plastic for intended tomato,
pepper and melon crops. Tomatoes planted last week are
looking good and rooting in well.
Sweet corn is emerging well from early April bare soil
plantings.
Tomato growers are seeing pressure from re-wholesalers and
brokers to move away from traditional ten pound tomato
baskets into one layer flat packaging.
No potato beetles spotted yet. However, corn flea beetles
have been spotted on sweet corn during the late afternoon
hours, when its warmer.
Cabbage transplants are growing rapidly. Few cabbage
butterflies spotted, so caterpillars are still few and far
between.
Problem Of The Week
