Recipient Organization
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
3 RUTGERS PLZA
NEW BRUNSWICK,NJ 08901-8559
Performing Department
Extension Administration
Non Technical Summary
Bacterial canker, bacterial speck, and bacterial spot are serious diseases of fresh-market tomatoes in the Northeast. The three largest tomato producing states in the Northeast (NJ, NY and PA) harvest over 8500 acres of fresh market tomatoes annually with a value of over 75 million dollars. Additionally, the eastern shore of Virginia harvests approximately 5,000 A of fresh-market tomatoes on an annual basis. Much of the fresh market tomato crop in the mid-Atlantic and NE region is sold locally (i.e., in the northeast corridor) and is an important crop sold in farmers markets, as well as, regional and local grocery stores. Within the past decade, the incidence of bacterial diseases of tomato including bacterial canker, spot and speck have increased throughout the region. Importantly, the current management practices for the control of bacterial diseases in tomato, especially canker, have not been effective, or are completely absent, in some regions of the Northeast. The objectives and anticipated impacts of this project are to demonstrate and promote via train-the-trainer workshops the technique of seed heat treatment for managing important bacterial diseases of tomato and other vegetable crops to extension personnel, crop advisors, seedsmen and organic and conventional vegetable growers in the mid-Atlantic and surrounding region. Vegetable growers in the mid-Atlantic and surrounding region are the primary beneficiaries of this extension project. This project will also allow mid-Atlantic and surrounding extension personnel to better serve their constituents through the introduction and demonstration of a new technique to add to their IPM toolbox to help control economically-important bacterial diseases of tomato. Importantly, the same seed heat-treatment techniques used in this project on tomato seed can easily be expanded to help reduce potential seed-borne diseases on many different vegetable crops such as bacterial spot of pepper, downy mildew on various vegetable crops, and on black-rot of crucifer crops. The appropriate treatment time and temperature for killing pathogens without adversely affecting seed germination has already been determined for several vegetable crops in addition to tomato, including pepper, carrot and cruciferous crops.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goals of this project are to educate and train vegetable growers, extension personnel, and seedsmen in the mid-Atlantic and surrounding region about the procedures and benefits of using hot water seed heat treatment for managing bacterial diseases of tomato and other vegetable crops. Vegetable growers and extension personnel will be trained hands-on on how to heat treat seeds through day-long train-the-trainer workshops. Extension personnel in the region will gain the knowledge needed to establish their own heat-seed treatment programs and to train vegetable growers on how to properly heat treat seeds, as well as, educate their growers about IPM practices that can be used in their own farm operations to help reduce bacterial diseases of tomato and other important vegetable crops. Objective 1 will be to demonstrate the importance of incorporating seed heat-treatment into an integrated management plan for bacterial diseases of tomato to extension personnel and tomato growers. In the winters of 2011 and 2012, project participants will hold 3 workshops in NJ, 2 workshops in southeastern, and 1 in western PA, 1 workshop in western NY, 1 workshop in eastern NY, and 1 workshop in Long Island, NY, 3 workshops in MD and 1 workshop in DE to demonstrate to the cooperators the equipment needed to heat treat seeds, as well as, hold a day-long workshop for tomato growers in the region. Topics to be covered during the workshop include: seed heat treatment and its' rationale; practices that limit development and spread of bacterial pathogens in transplant production; practices that limit spread of bacterial pathogens in the field; an overview of the epidemiology of bacterial pathogens of tomato. A formal questionnaire will be given to all participating growers so that they may detail difficulties with bacterial pathogens on their farms, as well as the economic impact of resulting infections and what steps they have taken to limit damage in the past. Growers will have an opportunity to treat their seed during the workshop. At the first heat treatment workshops in 2011, growers will be provided with information detailing integrated management strategies for controlling bacterial pathogens. Objective 2 will be to promote an integrated plan for managing bacterial diseases of tomato.In the fall and winters of 2011 and 2012, extension personnel from all six states will use the equipment purchased and hold workshops open for all growers in their respective regions on how to heat treat seeds. A regional brochure titled Bacterial Canker of Tomato: Background and Management Strategies will be distributed to all grower cooperators. Extension collaborators will be asked to document numbers of workshop participants as well as conduct follow-up surveys so grower participants can document the results of implementation as well as their acceptance of the IPM practices. In late 2012, results will be collected from all collaborators, compiled and reported at grower meetings and online at the NJAES Vegetable Crops Online Resource Center.
Project Methods
Success of this project will be based on completion of the train-the-trainer sessions with extension collaborators, seedsmen and tomato growers, as well as distribution of reference material to participants and receipt of completed questionnaires regarding grower practices and history of bacterial infections. Objective 1 will be successfully met by project participants conducting training/demonstration workshops for expanded client groups within their areas of operation. Successfully meeting Objective 2 of the project will be based on the distribution of IPM guidelines for bacterial disease management in tomatoes and other crops, as well as the completion of grower surveys regarding on farm disease history. Wider grower acceptance of integrated tactics for managing important bacterial diseases will be contingent on the program resulting in increased use of the technique. Grower acceptance and increased use will follow positive impacts on bacterial disease control. While this outcome is expected, growers must comply with as many features in the program as possible, with compliance documented and disease occurrence (if any) documented and categorized as to its nature (primary, systemic infection versus secondary). Success of the program will be determined by number of participating growers experiencing improvement in disease management and committing to continued adherence to the IPM plan. In addition to extension personnel evaluating the efficacy of bacterial canker management, initial participating growers will be asked to evaluate the management regime both for efficacy and ease of implementation. At the termination of the project, all participating growers will be asked to identify which practices they will maintain as part of their regular management program. Education of growers and related industry personnel and promotion of an integrated management plan for bacterial disease control of tomatoes will occur via mass distribution of any developed informational materials to tomato growers upon successful completion of the project. Results of the project will also be disseminated through reports at local and regional grower meetings. Numbers of individuals receiving printed and presented information will be documented and included in Extension Vegetable IPM Program annual reports. The NJAES Vegetable Crops Online Resource Center will be an internet based clearinghouse for all information developed through the project. Site usage data will be documented and made available via Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Vegetable IPM Program annual reports. County agricultural agents, crop consultants and members of the vegetable community will receive educational material developed as a result of this project and training at meetings as well as at seasonal twilight meetings when appropriate. This information will ultimately result in effective bacterial management strategies becoming standard industry practices in the participating states, with the anticipation that they will also be adopted regionally.