Update

California Processing TomatoesCalifornia Processing Tomatoes

P.O. Box 2437Woodland, CA 95695

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2019 Projects: ContinuedCultivar-based control strategies for Fusarium crown and root rot diseases of tomatoCassandra SwettIn the 2018 season, this lab characterized a new, speciated, crown rot disease of tomato. This project seeks to gain an initial grasp on the significance of this new pest. A practical, in field approach using commercially significant varieties is an important and prudent first step in characterizing and extending the problem. Additionally, this will provide some quick suggestions to growers who may already be dealing with this problem. Funding for this project also partially funds the vegetable crops diagnostics laboratory.

WEED CONTROL & MANAGEMENTPre-emptive development of management strategies for branched broomrape in California processing tomato systemsMohsen Mesgaran & Brad Hanson This proposal is in direct response to a specific industry need - several recent findings of this invasive pest in processing tomato fields. There are four targeted areas of prioritization in this work: rapid detection, containment, eradication and long term management. Western Region IR4 and the CDFA E-Fund are providing substantial dollar support, in addition to CTRI direct project funding.

Evaluation of weed control in tomatoes comparing finger weeders to standard cultivationAmber Vinchesi With the recognition that automated weeders are cost prohibitive and not yet tailored to processing tomatoes, this proposal is an effort to introduce “intermediary” technologies to those growers in the industry who are struggling with hand weeding costs but left with no other options. This is an on-farm, cost effective approach to evaluate the use of this new technology.

Recent Branched Broomrape Findings Getting Back to Our RootsYou may be aware of the recent occurrences of the parasitic weed, broomrape, in processing tomato fields in Yolo, Solano and San Joaquin Counties. Although these findings have been isolated, it is vital that growers, in addition to industry personnel, are able to identify broomrape, know what should be done if it is found, and understand the implications of the spread of this parasitic weed to an individual ranch and the industry as a whole. As an industry, we do not want this weed to spread throughout the state.

Some practical considerations around broomrape: • This is a CDFA Class “A” pest. Because of this classification a

“hold” order has been placed on the recently infested fields for a period of at least 2 years. In practice this means that the entire crop revenue will be lost in the year of the find and in subsequent years only those rotational crops designated by the Ag Commissioner may be grown, harvested and sold.

• Broomrape is easily spread by equipment, boots and water. • Broomrape is a prolific seed producer. One plant can produce

over 100,000 seeds only 0.3 mm long. Broomrape seed has been documented to last in the soil for at least 35 years.

• The host range of broomrape, in addition to tomato, covers a number of economically important rotational crops in the Central Valley: safflower, sunflower, carrot, bell pepper, several brassica species, lettuce, several bean crops, melon, potato, olive and many common weeds.

• The methods of control which are in use elsewhere are complicated, costly and use chemistries which are not yet registered for use in tomatoes in the state of California.

• Broomrape does not appear to be “just another weed” - recent studies from Chile and Greece suggest a potential 80% crop loss in highly infested production areas.

To comprehend the significance of the recent findings it is helpful to look to the past. From 1973-1982, the CTRI and the industry as a whole spent over 1.5 million USD on research, surveying and fumigation to achieve eradication levels of this same pest. These efforts were so successful that no industry dollars have gone to this problem since then, until now.

As an industry we are working on both short and long term solutions in the following areas: ongoing talks with the USDA to get instances related to broomrape included under Federal Crop Insurance, using the existing platform of the CTRI to direct and fund research around both spread reduction and long term management (3 grants funded in 2019), and finally; determining the most effective route towards eradication of broomrape seed in known infested fields. Although these industry efforts are important, the most effective means to control the spread of this pest is active concern for the presence of this weed in processing tomato fields.

Should you discover Broomrape in a field, please contact the grower immediately, who should in turn contact their respective county Agricultural Commissioner. The harvest of infested fields or blocks, because of the biology of this weed and it’s standing CDFA Class A status, is extremely ill-advised.

CaliforniaTomato Research

Institute, Inc.■

OfficersChairman

Rick Blankenship, HuronVice-Chairman

Darryl Bettencourt, CorcoranSecretary/Treasurer

Chope Gill, Dixon■

DirectorsDerek Azevedo, Los Banos

Bryan Barrios, YoloDaniel Burns, Dos PalosFrank Coelho, Five PointsDino Del Carlo, Stockton

Scott Park, MeridianRay Perez, Crows LandingScott Schmidt, Five PointsScott Spitzer, Bakersfield

Directors at LargeRick Blankenship, Huron Bret Ferguson, LemooreTony Turkovich, Winters

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Managing Director & EditorZach Bagley

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Published atPO Box 2437

Woodland, CA 95695

email: zach@tomatonet.orgphone: (530) 405-9469

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Attention Editors:Please credit the appropriate

source when reproducing information contained in

this publication.

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE CALIFORNIA TOMATO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. • 2019 • VOLUME 39

District 1:Sacramento Valley

Amistad RanchesWalnut Grove

Barrios Farms, Inc.Yolo

Bullseye FarmsWoodland

Button and Turkovich Ranches

WintersBypass FarmsWest SacramentoC & M Ochoa

WoodlandChan Farms

CourtlandD. A. Rominger & Sons

WintersDan Best Ranch, Inc.

WoodlandDettling Farms

El MaceroDougherty Bros.

RobbinsDustin Timothy Farms

DixonE & H Farms

DixonFong Farms, Inc.

WoodlandFonseca & Fonseca

Walnut GroveGeer Ranch

WoodlandGene Robben Farms

DixonGeorge Aoki Farms, Inc.

WoodlandHarlan Family Ranch

WoodlandHoldener Farms, Inc.

DixonHunn, Merwin and

Merwin, Inc.Clarksburg

J.H. Meek & SonsWoodland

Jim Borchard FarmingWoodland

Joe Yeung Farms, Inc.West Sacramento

K & D AokiWoodland

Kidwell FarmsDavis

Knight Ranches, Inc.Glenn

La Grande Farms, Inc.Williams

Liberty RanchesDavis

Llano Seco RanchoChico

Matt LaGrandeWilliams

Mayflower Farms, Inc.Arbuckle

Muller Ranch, LLC.Woodland

Mumma Bros.Arbuckle

Nakahara FarmsClarksburg

Park FarmingMeridian

Payne Brothers RanchesKnights LandingReveille Farms

DixonRichter Bros. Inc.

Knights LandingRiver Pride Farms, Inc.

Walnut GroveRiver Vista Farms

ColusaRobert W. Reynolds

WilliamsRoma Farms

RobbinsRominger Bros. Farms

WintersRonald Timothy Farming

DixonSam Reynolds

Williams

Schreiner BrothersWoodland

Sean V. Doherty FarmsDunnigan

T & P FarmsArbuckle

Tanaka Farms, Inc.Woodland

Triad FarmsDavis

Van Ruiten Bros.Robbins

Vann Bros. FarmsWilliams

Viguie FarmingWinters

Wallace BrothersMeridian

West Valley Farms, Inc.Woodland

District 2:San Joaquin/

StanislausAlvarez Farms, Inc.

TracyArnaudo-Pat Crow Farms

TracyB & T Farms

GilroyBays Ranch

WestleyBobby Yamamoto

WestleyCerri Farms, Inc.

StocktonDel Carlo Farms

StocktonF.A. Maggiore & Sons

BrentwoodFantozzi Farms

PattersonGolden Acres

MantecaGoubert Ranches

WestleyGreg Pombo Farms

Tracy

Gregory J. Busalacchi Farms, Inc.

StocktonGV Farms

HoltHal Robertson Farms, LLC

TracyJ & R Sanguinetti Farms,

Inc.Linden

K & H Farms, LLCTracy

L & R Mussi FarmsStockton

Marca Bells/Del Terra FarmsTracy

Marchini FarmsStockton

Perez FarmsCrows Landing

R. CostaEscalon

S4 Farms, Inc.Ripon

Sarale Farms, Inc.Stockton

Simoni & Massoni FarmsByron

T & M FarmsWestley

Trinta Bros., Inc.Patterson

Triple C FarmsDenair

Triple Sanguinetti Farms, Inc.

StocktonVictoria Island Farms

Holt

District 3:Merced, Fresno &

Coastal ValleysA-Bar Ag Enterprises

FirebaughAbbate Family Farms

Merced

Anderson Farms, LLCHuron

Bardin Bengard FarmingSalinas

Beene & Sons, Inc.Helm

Bennett RanchesFirebaugh

Bill DiedrichFirebaugh

Borba Farm PartnersRiverdale

Bowles Farming Co., Inc.Los Banos

Britz CompaniesFresno

Casaca VineyardsFive Points

Clark Bros. FarmingClovis

D & V McCurdy FarmsFirebaugh

Daddy’s Pride FarmingEl Centro

Diedrich FarmsFirebaugh

Diener Family TrustFive Points

Double G FarmsLe Grand

Dresick Farms, Inc.Huron

EJD Farms, Inc.Fresno

Errotabere RanchesRiverdale

Farming DFive Points

Ferguson FarmingLemoore

Five Points Ranch, Inc.Five Points

Fortune Farming Co.Fresno

Gary CoelhoFive Points

Graham Family FarmingKerman

Hammonds RanchFirebaugh

Harris Farms, Inc.Coalinga

Hughes FarmsKerman

Iest Family FarmsMadera

J & J FarmsFirebaugh

J. Marchini FarmsLe Grand

Ken Higashi Farming Co.Salinas

L & J VanderhamRiverdale

Linda Vista FarmsFive Points

Lucero FarmsLos Banos

Mark McKeen FarmsRiverdale

Mary Welch FarmsFresno

Mick Oliveira FarmsHanford

Mike McReeChowchilla

Mt. Whitney TICFresno

Nickel Family LLCDos Palos

O.P.C. Farms, Inc.San Joaquin

Palazzo Farming, Inc.Los Banos

Pentagon Co.Los Banos

Pereira FarmsLemoore

Polder BrothersLemoore

R.R.S. FarmsBrentwood

Rod CardellaMendota

Sano FarmsFirebaugh

Santa Rita Farms, Inc.Dos Palos

Seasholtz FarmsFresno

SJR FarmingLos Banos

Teicheira FarmsLos Banos

Teixeira and SonsDos Palos

Terranova RanchHelm

Tomark FarmsFirebaugh

Vaquero Farms, Inc.Stockton

Ventura Farms, Inc.Gustine

Woolf Farming Co.Huron

Worth FarmsCoalinga

District 4:Kings, Kern

& SouthBadger Creek

Buttonwillow

Cauzza BrothersButtonwillow

Frank J. OliveiraLemoore

J.G. Boswell CompanyCorcoran

Kirschenman EnterprisesEdison

Mark T. ShannonHuron

Materra Farming Co.Bakersfield

Newton FarmsStratford

Opal Fry & SonBakersfield

Stenderup Ag PartnersBakersfield

Stone Land, Co.Stratford

Ted SheelyStratford

Underwood RanchesCamarillo

Valpredo FarmsBakersfield

Westhaven AgribusinessLemoore

2019Members of the California Tomato Research Institute

Special Note: The 2018 Annual Research Project Report is available only at: www.tomatonet.org/2018

Processing Tomato Research Projects2019 Projects AGRONOMIC RESEARCHEffects of irrigation and management practices on soil health and soil salinity in processing tomatoes - Kate ScowThis project aims to further understand and characterize practices which could be used alongside SSDI to preserve soil health while continuing to realize (and expand upon) the gains of this, now industry standard, irrigation practice. Economic, as well as agronomic, performance metrics will be taken into account by performing grower surveys and collecting and analyzing soil samples from growers from Arvin to Colusa.

Optimizing potassium fertilizer uptake efficiency while minimizing costs in processing tomato - Nicole Tautges & Brenna AegerterA follow up to recent studies, which have identified potassium (K) as an increasingly limiting factor in processing tomato production. This project will compare variable application types and timings, in-field. This study will provide tomato growers with new information on K fertilizer application tradeoffs for productivity and economics.

Effects of soil management on processing tomato associations with mycorrhizal fungi Rachel Vannette, Amélie Gaudin & Clare CasteelThe goal of this project is to develop management recommendations which will assist growers to enhance the beneficial mycorrhizal populations in their fields. This will be accomplished through the sampling and testing of soils from variable management practices and through trialing mycorrhizal inoculants in-field. The microbiome of the soil is one of only a handful of areas in processing tomato production where more than incremental improvements are possible. Watch this space for projects which hold the promise of short term, practical application as well as projects with long term yet high payoff potential outcomes.

Influence of compost application rates and timing on nitrogen management and processing tomato productivity and quality - Zheng Wang & Anthony FulfordThe impact of manure based composts on processing tomato production are well characterized. Less understood, but increasingly practiced, is the use of green waste composts. With mounting pressure from the ILRP to accurately account for all sources of nitrogen, the outputs of this project provide growers with for a better understanding of the efficacy of green waste composts and the impacts of their use on nutrient management plans.

GERMPLASM & VARIETY DEVELOPMENTCM Rick Tomato Genetics Resource Center - Roger ChetelatAnnual support of the valuable germplasm bank. Past exploration of the genetic materials housed here have added significant utility and $ value to the processing tomato industry in the areas of disease resistance, field manageability, marketable traits, and yield. With the reality of increased disease pressure, maintaining this collection is of paramount importance. Including our 2019 annual support, the CTRI has provided this industry resource with over $600,000 since 1990.

Optical sorting (machine vision, machine learning, and robotics) to classify tomato seeds - Christian NansenA novel idea in an area which is a significant pain point for the industry: germination rate. Coming to the CTRI for funding only after providing impressive preliminary data, partial support was provided with the caveat that continued collaboration will require cost sharing with other industry entities.

INSECT & INVERTEBRATE MANAGEMENTEvaluation of alternative nematicides for the control of Root-Knot Nematodes of processing tomatoes Jaspreet Sidhu & Joe Nunez Performing field trials at the Kern County UCCE Research Station, this team has previously alerted the industry to the significance of Nimitz®, Velum ®, and Salibro ®. These are trials that the CTRI will support, in full, in years where new products are coming on the market. Significant cost sharing with industry and other commodity boards allows this work to continue.Consperse Stink Bug IPM Update - Tom Turini Besides basic IPM tactics (keeping borders clean, etc.) our industry has little knowledge of effective control measures, particularly those control measures possible once a problem is discovered. This proposal runs the gamut from detection-prevention-control, using past learnings while bringing in new collaborators.

DISEASE MANAGEMENTVectored VirusesThe resistance breaking strain of TSWV in California processing tomatoes: monitoring, improved detection and screening for resistance - Bob Gilbertson & Neil McRobertsResistance breaking (RB) TSWV strains, confirmed in 2016, now pose a major threat to the utility of resistant varieties across all growing regions. The expectation of this ongoing work is to develop and extend resistance management tools AND discover new sources of genetic resistance.

Varietal response to resistance breaking TSWV - Tom TuriniWorking directly in dealer trials flagged to have high TSWV pressure, this researcher ran a pilot of this study in 2017. This was scaled up with a fully funded project in 2018. The 2019 project will add more data points, aiming for statistical significance. With no sources of genetic resistance believed to have been identified to date, understanding the tolerance of our current commercial varieties will be increasingly important in areas of high pressure. Soouthern BlightScreening varietal resistance for management of southern blight in processing tomatoes - Jaspreet Sidhu & Alex PutnamSouthern blight is a continued challenge in those areas and fields which have historically held high populations of the fungal pathogen, particularly those areas with limited rotational options. Due to the regional nature of this pathogen, varietal resistance has not been a focus of to-date industry efforts. This project will follow up on greenhouse studies that explore tolerance levels of current commercial varieties, adding Texas A&M developed varieties which claim to have resistance. Desired project outcomes include relative susceptibility of the tested cultivars to southern blight, in field conditions. Fusarium DiseasesFusarium wilt Race 3: Development of rapid diagnostics and crop rotation strategies; monitoring for Race 4 emergence - Cassandra SwettThe Swett Lab will continue its crucial work of developing tools to accurately detect Fusarium wilt Race 3 in both plant and soil samples, characterizing survival curves for this pathogen in various environments in an effort to provide extension information on best rotational practices, while monitoring for race 4 emergence across the state. This project is well leveraged with outside funds and collaborations with the USDA, CDFA, along with others.

Evaluation of Fusarium wilt survival in the Sacramento Valley asinfluenced by rotational crops of flooded rice and dry-farmed cropsAmber VinchesiThe long-term goal of this project is to determine whether summer flooding of rice crops or dry farming of other rotational crops reduces Fusarium pathogen in susceptible tomato crops. The short term output of this work will provide an answer as to whether using a newer, more inexpensive method of testing will prove efficacious in understanding pathogen breakdown in different environments.

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The 2018 AnnualResearch Project Report is available at:www.tomatonet.org/2018

2019

One Final Note:2019 Assessment Rate to remain at seven cents per paid ton.