Calendar of Vegetable Events

2021

Jan 7

From the Ground Up: Cover Crop Solutions for Western Farmers, virtual workshop, 12:00 pm MT/11:00 pm PT – 1:30 pm MT/12:30 pm PT. Are you a producer/researcher/Ag professional curious to find out what is going on with cover crops in the Intermountain Region? The Western Cover Crops Council, in partnership with University of Idaho and Oregon State University, is hosting regional workshops to unite the network of cover crop outreach/research efforts throughout the West.

• Carbon Markets and Policy Tools, Colin Mitchell, Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, NCAT, San Antonio, TX
• Building a Regenerative Agriculture Economy through Regenerative Agriculture Validation Tools, Lew Moorman, co-founder, Soilworks, San Antonio, TXFurther info:
  • Registration
  • Facebook page
  • Flyer (pdf)

Jan 14

From the Ground Up: Cover Crop Solutions for Western Farmers, virtual workshop, 12:00 pm MT/11:00 pm PT – 1:30 pm MT/12:30 pm PT. Are you a producer/researcher/Ag professional curious to find out what is going on with cover crops in the Intermountain Region? The Western Cover Crops Council, in partnership with University of Idaho and Oregon State University, is hosting regional workshops to unite the network of cover crop outreach/research efforts throughout the West.

• Break-out groups will discuss ways to further the regenerative agriculture movement in the West.Further info:
  • Registration
  • Facebook page
  • Flyer (pdf)
  • Agenda (pdf)

Feb 3

Time: 11 a.m. Pacific

Biological Control Options in Vegetable Production. This webinar and the following three webinars are organized by participants in a NIFA Organic Research and Extension Initiative project who are researching biocontrol tactics for insect pests of squash and tomato in the Southeast. This presentation will introduce the audience to biological control strategies commonly employed in vegetable production against insects and mites. Topics to be discussed include biopesticides available for vegetable production and their target pests, the benefits and shortcomings of biological control agent releases, companion planting for attracting natural enemies, and careful selection of insecticides or miticides that have minimal negative impacts on biological control agents. Presenters: JC Chong, and Gunn Gill of Clemson University. 

Further info: Register

Feb 10

Insect-vectored Viruses and their Management in Vegetable Production. Learn about how different species of thrips and whiteflies cause severe viruses in tomato and squash. These diseases cannot always be managed by using resistant cultivars–or resistant cultivars may not exist! The presenters explored the usefulness of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialist predator, on the management of thrips- and whitefly-transmitted viruses in tomato and squash. Field trials were conducted in spring and fall of 2019 and 2020. Results of those trials will be discussed in the webinar. Presenters: Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan, Bhabesh Dutta, and Timothy Coolong of the University of Georgia. 

Further info: Register

Feb 24

Time: 11 a.m. Pacific

Biological Control of Whiteflies in Squash. Learn about biological control in vegetable crops using predators and parasitoids, including predatory mites and insect predators. Lorena Lopez of the University of Florida will discuss the use of companion plants in organic vegetables, focusing on enhancing and conserving biological control, and predatory mites’ behavior in organic squash planted adjacent to sweet alyssum (companion plant). Oscar Lilburd, also of the University of Florida, will talk about the effect of using pesticides labeled for organic use on these predators and how long after plots have been sprayed that they can be released back into the field. 

Further info: Register

March 1

Incorporating Biological Control of Spider Mites into Tomato Pest Management Programs. Learn about how to manage spider mites in tomatoes and other vegetables using biological control, with an emphasis on the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. We will review the various natural enemies attacking spider mites, and factors impacting their efficacy. We will also present data from experiments conducted in commercial tomato fields to illustrate how effective these predators can be and how to best incorporate them into a farming system. This includes when and where to release P. persimilis in your fields, how to conserve them with smart insecticide use, and lessons from successes and failures. We will also demonstrate how to rear these predatory mites yourself for year-round use (for either field or greenhouse operations) and potential cost savings. 

Further info: Register

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