Increased profits from disease-free garlic planting stock

Increased profits from disease-free garlic planting stock

Summary

Importation of seed stock and exchange of live plant material has contributed to new pathogens being imported and distributed in Maine. Because growers need pathogen-free seed garlic to be sustainable, garlic will be put into tissue culture and garlic seed stock free from pathogens will be produced. The resultant pathogen-free planting stock will then be field grown by garlic farmers in Maine and Massachusetts. The tissue-culture generated garlic seed stock will be assessed against traditionally produced garlic seed stock. The farmer-grown replicated trials will be duplicates of those performed on the University of Maine Aroostook Research Station. In this proposal, several grower workshops and twilight meetings on identification and management of garlic pests and diseases will be presented. Follow up grower workshops on growing great garlic pathogen-free garlic bulbs will be presented. As a result of this proposal, 100 farmers will recognize major garlic diseases and realize their importance in garlic production and 30 farmers will adopt the new technique of planting pathogen-free garlic bulbs and their crop losses from introduced pathogens will be eliminated as will the spreading of these pathogens through their seed sales.

Objectives/Performance Targets

30 garlic farmers will adopt and implement the new technique of planting pathogen-free garlic bulbs. These 30 garlic farmers will reduce crop losses from introduced pathogens by 90 percent and eliminate spreading these pathogens through their seed sales. 30 garlic farmers will increase their garlic sales by 25 percent by being able to market their entire crop.

Year 1

100 Maine garlic growers will receive material on an intense workshop on Identification and Management of Garlic Pests and Diseases.

Over 280 garlic growers received information about workshops.

Of these 100 growers, 25 will attend an intense workshop on Identification and Management of Garlic Pests and Diseases.

148 garlic growers attended workshops.

Ten of these growers will change their management strategies and commit to measuring the impacts of their management change.

Pre and post workshop surveys reveal a 21% increase in garlic grower’s ability to identify diseases. Crop rotation, disease identification, and rotation were topics reported by attendees as will be implemented. 110 growers submitted samples for pathogen testing.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Nine presentations were given in 2012 with around 150 garlic growers in total attendance.

Fuller, D.F. 2012. Testing of Seed Garlic for Common Ground Fair Seed Garlic Sellers. Presented at the Farmer’s Market Steering Committee Meeting on December 13, 2012 in Unity, ME.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Pest Biology and Identification. Presented at the Farmer’s Market Steering Committee Meeting on December 13, 2012 in Unity, ME.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Garlic: An update on Production and Dealing with Old and New Pests. Presented at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show on January 10, 2012 in Augusta, ME.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Disease issues for Garlic and other Bulb Crops. Presented at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show on January 11, 2012 in Augusta, ME.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Disease Issues for Garlic. Presented at the First Annual Capital District Garlic School on March 26, 2012 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Disease Issues for Garlic. Presented at the First Annual Geneva Garlic School on March 27, 2012 in Geneva, NY.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Disease Issues for Garlic. Presented at the First Annual Ithaca Garlic School on March 28, 2012 in Ithaca, NY.

Fuller, D.F. 2012. Garlic Production Update and Dealing with Old and New Pests. Presented at the Common Ground Country Fair, September 21 in Unity, ME.

Johnson, S. B. 2012. Garlic Diseases. Presented at the North Country Fruit and Vegetable Seminar and Trade Show on October 30, 2012 in Whitefield, NH.

The response to the workshops was larger than we had expected. The amount of garlic and the number of garlic growers has never been accurately described. It is clear that out estimates were conservative. Eager and progressive growers, garlic growers are aggressive in implementing strategies and practices that improve their crops and their profitability. Many, many volunteered to grow tissue-culture produced garlic plants for the next phase of the project. In fact, there are more offers than can be properly accommodated. Hopefully, this is a preamble to future practices.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Many growers reported that they could not sell their seed had they not attended workshops, learned about pathogen testing, and had their crop tested. Seed buyers were asking sellers if their garlic had been tested before buying.

Collaborators: